Chelsea vs Manchester City - Combined XI | Premier League 2021-22
Chelsea and Manchester City will resume their rivalry at Stamford Bridge on Saturday in the Premier League in a blockbuster clash.
The reigning European champions have beaten the reigning Premier League champions in each of their last three encounters, including the showpiece Porto game in May. But Pep Guardiola's troops will seek revenge this time, although they've been inconsistent this season.
Amidst the highs of resounding victories over Arsenal and Norwich City, there were the lows of a loss to Tottenham Hotspur and a goalless draw with Southampton. Meanwhile, Chelsea have had a near-perfect start to the new campaign. They have won four times and drawn once in their opening five games to sit atop the league table.
Given the number of attacking options in both camps, there could be goals galore tomorrow. But both Chelsea and City have conceded just one goal apiece, the best defensive record in the Premier League at the moment.
Chelsea record vs Manchester in the last five games:
Man City has beaten Chelsea once in 5 games in all competitions.
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With big Champions League games coming up next week - Chelsea play Juventus while City visit PSG - an interesting game could ensue. Ahead of the mouth-watering kick-off, here's a look at how the two Premier League powerhouses would stack up in a hypothetical combined XI: A 4-2-1-3 formation has been considered.
Goalkeeper: Ederson Moraes (Manchester City)
Both Edouard Mendy and Ederson Moraes have been impressive for their respective teams.
Mendy, in particular, has transformed Chelsea's fortunes last season with his heroics in goal, playing a big role in their European success. His Brazilian counterpart has been doing the same for Manchester City for years now.
Ederson's sheer consistency - 75 clean sheets in 150 games - means he gets the nod.
Ederson has kept a clean sheet in 50% of his Premier League games for Manchester City:
🔹 150 Appearances
🔹 75 Clean Sheets
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Ederson has arguably been the most consistent goalkeeper in the Premier League since arriving in 2017. The 28-year-old is agile, commanding and physically imposing too, and possesses excellent reflexes.
He is key in distributing the ball, currently leading the league in terms of clean sheets alongside his compatriot Alisson, with four apiece. Ederson would look to keep another one against Chelsea as City strives to climb to the league summit.