Date: Saturday 17th
April 2021
Venue: Wembley Stadium
Kick-off: 17:30 BST
After a
solid defensive game and defeat to the sort of goal you can do nothing about
against Porto, we secured our place in the Champions League semi-final midweek
and because we love a semi at Chelsea, this evening’s game is another one, this
time in the FA Cup against Manchester City.
City also
secured a place in the Champions League semi-final, courtesy of a 4-2 aggregate
win against Borussia Dortmund. They’re in some real form coming into this game,
and aside from defeats against Leeds and in the Manchester Derby, they’ve
looked too much for anyone. They should win the league by some margin this
season, whilst we continue to jostle for space in the top four, and despite picking
up all three points in a much-improved attacking display against Palace last
time out, we remain outside those places right now.
We lost in
the final to Arsenal last season, our third final in three seasons. City have
only made it that far once in the last eight
seasons but they are definitely looking like a side with a realistic shot at a
clean sweep this season, they also know how to play us and beat us, so none of
that bodes well for us today.
MANAGER’S VIEWS
Going into today’s game Thomas Tuchel, says
“We have to accept
that there is a gap between us and Manchester City, if you look at the Premier
League and the fixtures in the last years. It’s important that we
accept it without making us too small. From day one of next season we will hunt
them, we will try to close the gap between us.
For me in Europe there are two teams who are the benchmark: Bayern
Munich and Manchester City. But for 90 minutes we are very self-confident, we
truly believe that we can close the gap for one game. It’s a good moment to play City and Pep. If we
manage to beat them it will be a huge boost; if not, we will have to take it as
a challenge to grow.”
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola
meanwhile, says “I know him (Tuchel) from Mainz. When I was in Munich, after
he went to Dortmund and spent one or two games playing exactly the way he
wanted to play, It was difficult to take over a team during the season but he
has a lot of experience winning at a top club like PSG and now another club at
Chelsea. I knew from the beginning he would do a good job.”
SQUAD NEWS
For Chelsea, Mateo Kovacic (hamstring) and Andreas Christensen (muscle) are both
injured.
For Manchester
City, Sergio Aguero is expected to miss out again today.
TEAMS
CHELSEA (Possible line-up): Mendy; Azpilicueta, Silva, Rudiger; James, Jorginho, Kante, Chilwell;
Ziyech, Mount; Werner
MANCHESTER CITY (Possible
line-up): Ederson; Walker, Dias, Laporte, Cancelo; Rodri,
Gundogan, De Bruyne; Mahrez, Jesus, Foden
CURRENT FORM (ALL)
CHELSEA: WWLWWL
MANCHESTER CITY: WWWWLW
OTHER STUFF
- Chelsea have already lost to City in the 2013 FA
Cup semi-final, the 2018 Community Shield and the 2019 League Cup final at the
new Wembley.
- Manchester City have lost just one of their last 10
trips to Wembley in all competitions.
- Manchester City have won four of their six FA Cup
ties against Chelsea.
- Chelsea have reached the FA Cup final 14 times, 3
times in five seasons.
- Manchester City have reached the FA Cup final 11 times.
- Chelsea have won seven of their past eight FA Cup
semi-finals.
- Manchester City lost to Arsenal in last season’s FA
Cup semi-final.
- Chelsea lost to Arsenal in last season’s FA Cup
final
PREDICTION
Sportsmole: Chelsea 1-2 Manchester City
