Date: Sunday 24th February 2019
Venue: Wembley Stadium
Kick-off: 16:30 GMT
This afternoon’s game sees us at Wembley Stadium to face Manchester City in the EFL Cup Final.
It’s only a couple of weeks since that 6-0 mauling from City, it still stings, and the 2-0 defeat to Manchester United last week has only added to the certainty that its just a matter of time before Maurizio Sarri heads out of the Stamford Bridge exit, never to darken our door again. Harsh? Maybe, but no more harsh than the sort of football we’ve had to endure for most of this season.
As if the battering from City wasn’t bad enough, this week we’ve had to put up with Pep Guardiola’s pity for Sarri, with claims that he wishes they hadn’t thumped us quite so soundly. Not so sorry that he won’t be sending them out to repeat it this afternoon though!
MANAGER’S VIEWS
Going into today’s game, Chelsea head coach Maurizio Sarri, says “We will prepare the match only on Saturday, I think. I didn’t like our minds in the first 30 minutes (against Malmo). I want to see something more free. So we will prepare the match in 60 minutes, no more. But I think the quantity is not important. (It is) important to win the final. Otherwise you are second. I think it’s very important for us because we have to find confidence.”
City boss Pep Guardiola meanwhile, says “I don’t like to play the same team in a short period of time when you have beaten them before. They (Chelsea) are incredibly professional players, they are proud and bright and will do extra. We are going to play the type of game you have to play in a final and try to win the title. Of course, it is not the most important title of the season but once we are here in an amazing stadium against a top side, we want to prepare to win.”
SQUAD NEWS
For Chelsea, Kepa Arrizabalaga (hamstring), Pedro (stomach) and Davide Zappacosta (illness) are all doubtful.
For Man City, John Stone (groin), Benjamin Mendy (knee) and Gabriel Jesus (hamstring) are doubts.
TEAMS
CHELSEA (Possible line-up): Caballero; Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Luiz, Alonso; Kante, Jorginho, Barkley; Willian, Higuain, Hazard
Man city (Possible line-up): Muric; Walker, Otamendi, Laporte, Zinchenko; De Bruyne, Fernandinho, D Silva; Bernardo, Aguero, Sterling
LAST MEETING
Man City 6-0 Chelsea (10th February 2019)
CURRENT FORM (ALL)
CHELSEA: LWLWLW
MAN CITY: LWWWWW
OTHER STUFF
- This is the first time Chelsea and Manchester City have faced each other in a League Cup final
- Both sides have won the trophy five times.
- This is the first League Cup meeting between Chelsea and Manchester City since the third round in 1993-94.
- Manchester City, 2018 winners of the League Cup against Arsenal, are looking to become only the fourth team to retain the trophy after Manchester United, Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.
- Since the start of the 2012-13 season, no player has been involved in more League Cup goals for a Premier League side than Eden Hazard
- Aguero has scored 13 goals in 16 appearances in all competitions against Chelsea for Manchester City
PREDICTIONS
BBC Sport: Chelsea 1-2 Man City
Sky Sports: Chelsea 0-3 Man City
Sportsmole: Chelsea 0-2 Man City
Blue is the colour
