Manchester City vs Chelsea confirmed line-ups: Fabregas starts while Guardiola makes several changes

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Chelsea face Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, with the two Premier League title hopefuls desperate for all three points in a huge clash.

Antonio Conte’s side have a narrow one-point lead over the chasing pack heading into the showdown, and in what is a significant encounter for the Italian tactician, he’ll be hoping that they can remain top of the pile after this weekend’s fixtures.

The former Juventus and Italy boss comes up against Pep Guardiola for the first time, and it promises to be a thrilling tactical battle between the pair who have separated themselves from their peers in recent times.

Much will depend on who delivers on the day, and Conte will have confidence in the side that has secured seven consecutive wins and conceded just one goal in that time.

However, he has made one surprise change and that sees Cesc Fabregas return to the starting line-up to make just his seventh appearance of the season so far.

Meanwhile, Guardiola has made various changes to the side that faced Burnley last weekend, with John Stones, Ilkay Gundogan, Leroy Sane, David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne all starting for the hosts.

The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss has had a full week to work with his players given there were no European distractions, and he will hope that it pays off as they look to pass their biggest test yet.

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