Manchester City host Chelsea in the Premier League at Eastlands on Monday night, and this is the starting XI that Blues head coach Manuel Pellegrini is expected to send out against the west London club.
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GK: Joe Hart
The England international has regained his place in goal for City recently, and it looks like the break that Pellegrini gave the shot stopper has worked in his favour judging by some of the eye-catching displays he has turned in.
RB: Pablo Zabaleta
Still without question the best right back currently playing in the Premier League, with the 29-year-old Argentinian having created six assists for City team-mates so far in the top flight in this campaign.
CB: Vincent Kompany
Just how much better and more organised in defence do City look now that they have the calming reassurance of their skipper back in the heart of their back four?
CB: Martin Demichelis
It appears as though City boss Pellegrini has decided to go with the Argentina international’s greater experience alongside his skipper as opposed to the more raw talents of Matija Nastasic, and he may well need to call upon all of that against Chelsea at Eastlands on Monday night.
LB: Gael Clichy
The Frenchman has taken over from Aleksandar Kolarov in the left-back role of late, and City will be hoping the 28-year-old spends the majority of Monday night’s contest in the opposition half.
CM: Yaya Toure
What a campaign the marauding Ivorian is currently enjoying in the centre of the park for City, with the 30-year-old having already found the back of the net on 12 occasions in his 22 Premier League contests.
CM: Fernandinho
The new big-money arrival from Shakhtar Donetsk has been well worth every penny that City splashed out in order to bring the 28-year-old to the north west last summer, and the Brazil international will have a huge role to play on Monday in putting out any Chelsea fires in front of his back four.
RW: Jesus Navas
Another recent purchase who has made an eye-catching start to life at Eastlands, with the twinkle-toed Spain international having created six goals for team-mates in his 21 Premier League outings so far this season.
LW: David Silva
Yet another playmaker who has been right on the very top of his game for the Blues so far this season, as an impressive nine assists in total in just 14 league encounters for City to date demonstrate, and sure to be an absolute key individual against Chelsea at Eastlands.
ST: Edin Dzeko
The Bosnian still has an excellent record in front of goal in this campaign, despite spending the majority of the season warming the substitutes’ bench, although with seven strikes in his 17 top-flight encounters, the 27-year-old now gets his chance to shine in the absence of the injured Sergio Aguero against the west Londoners.
ST: Alvaro Negredo
The 28-year-old is set to return from a shoulder problem against Chelsea on Monday, and the visitors know that they will need to keep a close eye on the powerful and in-form Spain striker if they are to leave the north west unbeaten.
