Following a turbulent start to preseason, Maresca finally achieved his first victory for Chelsea in a dominating 3-0 performance against Club America. Up next will be Chelsea’s toughest test yet, and a preview for their contest in Premier League Matchweek 1, as Maresca takes on his former boss Pep Guardiola of Manchester City. Here is our predicted lineup for Chelsea’s clash with the reigning Premier League Champions.
Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Manchester City
How Chelsea Have Lined Up Recently
In response to their dramatic 4-1 capitulation to Celtic, Maresca made four fruitful changes to the starting 11 in their last match against America. Arguably the biggest change in how Chelsea lined up was the inclusion of Malo Gusto alongside Reece James as an unorthodox fullback paring. In previous matches, club captain Reece James started the match as an inverted right back while Malo Gusto took on his role after a like-for-like substitution. However, Maresca recently started Gusto at left back and instructed him to invert while James joined his makeshift back three. Accommodating them in the same lineup drastically improved the team’s performance and suited their profile’s very well.
Robert Sanchez continued in goal with a more reassuring performance, confidently building out the back while making key saves throughout the match. Tosin Adarabioyo stepped in for an injured Levi Colwill and partnered Benoit Badiashile at centre half who produced a comfortable clean sheet.
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Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Leicester’s Player of the Season under Maresca last year, debuted in Chelsea blue and provided an assist from midfield. Romeo Lavia and Christopher Nkunku completed the midfield trio with superb performances, as they both drew a penalty while Nkunku also scored from the spot.
Marc Guiu continued to lead the line for Chelsea and scored his first, much-deserved goal from a headed effort. Noni Madueke again started on the right while Raheem Sterling earned his first start down the left.
Chelsea’s Recent Form and Tactics
After Chelsea’s recent victory, the Blues are currently 1-1-1 this preseason. Their last match against America showcased drastic improvements all across the pitch, too.
Read More: Five takeaways To Build On Following Chelsea’s Dominant 3-0 Victory Over Club America
Chelsea’s free-flowing build-up play created countless chances en route to a 3-0 scoreline, while their adjusted defensive stability protected the team from conceding a goal. The backline wasn’t so wide and aggressively high up the pitch, and the only other recent difference in tactics was Maresca’s use of an inverted left back rather than from the right.
Injuries To Consider
Despite starting the first two games, Levi Colwill unexpectedly missed the last match with a small knock that isn’t expected to keep him out much longer. Nicolas Jackson is back in first-team training after rehabilitating from an ankle injury, but he isn’t expected to get minutes until the match against Real Madrid on August 6th. On the other hand, Axel Disasi is still recovering from a hernia surgery.
Although he isn’t injured, Reece James may sit out against Man City to prepare for their clash in Matchweek 1. Chelsea’s club captain is suspended for the first three games of the season from a red card sustained late in the 2023/24 campaign, so Maresca has hinted at the possibility of preparing for a start without him.
Chelsea Predicted Lineup Vs Manchester City
GK: Robert Sanchez
RB: Malo Gusto
CB: Wesley Fofana
CB: Tosin Adarabioyo
LB: Levi Colwill
DM: Romeo Lavia
CM: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall
CM: Christopher Nkunku
LW: Sterling
ST: Marc Guiu
RW: Noni Madueke
