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Manchester City travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea on SaturdayChelsea and Manchester City will now be playing in the 6-pointer game that will take place this Saturday (31 January) at Stamford Bridge. The fans, as well as the teams themselves, are now looking forward to the biggest game of the season as the league leaders face second-placed and last year’s champions in a mouthwatering clash.Chelsea have 52 points compared to Manchester City’s 47 and this game could be a big one considering the fact that a victory for home side Chelsea would put them in a pole position to win the league. On the other hand, a victory for Manchester City would bring them closer to Chelsea, reducing the deficit to just 2 points. But Chelsea’s home record boasts of 10 wins in 10 games.What if we field one single team that includes players from both squads? This Chelsea-Manchester City combined starting line-up would certainly be a force to be reckoned with. Both teams play a 4-2-3-1 formation, so which team will have more representatives?NOTE: Only players who are available for the game have been selected.Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the author and do no reflect those of the website
#1 Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois
With just one position up for grabs in goal, it's always going to be a tough call to make on who should make this team. Chelsea fans would love to see Petr Cech between the sticks, but after recent influential performances, including a Man of the Match performance in a Capital One cup semi-final victory over Liverpool, Thiabaut Courtois would undoubtedly make him the goalkeeper of this highly talented eleven.
The young Belgian not only surpasses his Chelsea companion, but also gets the nod over Joe Hart who has been in and out of form for the sky blues from Manchester. Courtois has earned himself the plaudits of both the fans and the critics alike after pulling out a number of impressive saves over the course of the season.
#2 Right Back: Branislav Ivanovic
The right back position is certainly one of the hottest contested places for this combined team of champions with both Chelsea and Manchester City having world class assets in the form of Branislav Ivanovic and Pablo Zabaleta. Both have been inspirational for their teams, but the big Serbian gets the nod thanks to his recent performances.
He has been a much more consistent performer for Chelsea than Zabaleta for City. He also has a knack of scoring important and match winning goals. Zabaleta is no stranger to the game, but the recent form of Chelsea’s Ivanovic makes him the first choice over the Argentine who hasn’t had the best of seasons this term.
Ivanovic is a defensive wall and averages almost 4 inerceptions and 2.6 tackles every game while marauding forward when he gets the chance.
#3 Center Back: Gary Cahill
Martin Demichelis, Gary Cahill and Kurt Zouma are next in the line to get into this great starting line up. Demichelis has certainly shown improvement this season after a mediocre year at Manchester City last season. But he has not done enough to ensure a place in this starting line-up. Zouma lacks the big match experience and he has been restricted to the bench this season.
Gary Cahill has played a pivotal role in Chelsea’s home record this season. He clears almost 6 dangerous balls per game compared to Demichellis’ 3.8. Moreover, he concedes lesser fouls than the Argentine – 0.6 compared to Demichelis’ 0.9.
The new England vice-captain has been at the receiving end of some criticism, but the centre back has certainly got the vision and ability to be a part of an all-star team.
#4 Center Back: John Terry
The center back spots not only marks the inclusion of a player, but it also tells that who would get the captains armband for this Manchester City Chelsea combined starting line-up as both John Terry and Vincent Kompany have been fantastic leaders. But the Manchester City captain has been error-prone this season while Terry has been like a fine wine which gets better with age. He not only gets the spot but also the captain’s armband. The former England captain John Terry likes playing big games and he certainly has got a big chance once again to prove his mettle. Terry concedes 0.2 fouls per game compared to Kompany’s 1.7. He is also ahead at successful tackles at 2.2 compared to 1.4.
#5 Left Back: Cesar Azpilicueta
If you can push the likes of Ashley Cole and Felipe Luis to the bench even after playing in a role that is not your preferred one, you have got be special. Cesar Azpilicueta is that special player.
He has been rock solid as a full back and certainly gets the place in this all-star team ahead of Manchester City’s erratic Aleksandar Kolarov and Gael Clichy. Azpilicueta’s performances over a period of two years has made him earn the plaudits of fans and critics alike with some even labelling him as the best left back in the Premier League at present.
Azpilicueta manages to pull out quite a few clearances and interceptions with 3 and 1.9 respectively and is one of Jose Mourinho’s favourite players in the squad.
#6 Central Midfield: Cesc Fabregas
The former Arsenal and Barcelona midfielder is currently the leader in assists this season with 15 assists to his name. He is also on the course to break the Premier League record of 20 assists held by Thierry Henry.
Fabregas has been an essential member of the Chelsea team that is on course to winning the league this season. His partnership with Nemanja Matic has grown over the course of the season and was one of the key partnerships in their unbeaten run earlier this season.
His vision and passing are second to none in the EPL and he has a whopping 86.8% pass accuracy this season. His ability to find Diego Costa with a single pass on many occasions has led to a number of goals for Chelsea.
#7 Defensive Midfield: Nemanja Matic
Nemanja Matic has provided Chelsea the solidity that not many teams boast. When the giant Serbian was re-signed by Chelsea, many predicted it to be bad business. But Matic has proved all his critics wrong.
He has been an irreplaceable player for Chelsea and the team relies on him to protect the back four. His importance can be seen from the fact that Chelsea lost their first game in the Premier League against Newcastle when he was not in the squad. He is good at intercepting balls, makes important tackles and plays great forward passes which result in attacking moves.
With Yaya Toure out of contention due to his international responsibilities at the AFCON, Matic undoubtedly makes the cut in this combined eleven. Matic is Chelsea’s most consistent player in defensive terms with almost 4 tackles and 3 interceptions every game.
#8 Right Forward: Willian
He may not be the most elegant player in the game, but he is certainly an invaluable asset to any team considering his incredible work rate. Primarily an attacking player, he contributes to the defence more often than not.
The 26-year-old Brazilian has been so consistent that he has kept the likes of Andre Schurrle and Mohamed Salah on the bench. Willian’s work rate, his pace and his ability to track back makes him a sure pick in this eleven. He is also a big threat from set pieces. He also gets the nod ahead Jesus Navas who has become very predictable and shut out by opponents this season.
Willian delivers 0.9 long passes per game in addition to is applaudable 2.2 crosses every game.
#9 Attacking Midfield: David Silva
David Silva is selected in this star-studded team over Oscar from Chelsea. The Spaniard has arguably been one of Manchester City's most vital players ever since he arrived.
The complete Manchester City attack revolves around the little Spaniard. While Oscar has done no harm to his reputation in recent games, he simply cannot replace Silva. He has great vision for passing and is also a superb playmaker. He scores his fair share of goals, too.
With Yaya Toure out of contention, much will depend on the Spanish wizard if Manchester City are to get anything out of this crucial game in the title race. Silva has a pass accuracy of 86% this season and has also scored 6 goals.
#10 Left Forward: Eden Hazard
Eden Hazard is one player that can cause nightmares to any opposition defence. His pace, movement off the ball and trickery are second to none. He has always been a threat for Chelsea ever since he was signed from Lille in 2012.
Hazard has always been on the rise and this season has been no different. He has 8 goals to his name in the Premier League for the Blues this season with most coming at home. A constant threat from the set pieces, Hazard can not only score but also create chances.
He is one of the most fouled on players in the EPL due to which Jose Mourinho even asked for some protection for the Belgian magician. For someone who plays a lot in the final third, Hazard has an incredible 88.4% successful pass success rate. He also has 4 assists in the league.
#11 Striker: Sergio Aguero
One can simply not leave Sergio Aguero on the bench, especially when he is in fine form. Diego Costa’s recent ban makes this choice a no-brainer. Aguero has recently recovered from an injury and has been struggling a bit to find his best form, but is now almost back to his full fitness.
He is second in the scoring charts just behind Diego Costa. His movement in the box can cause havoc to any defence in the world and his finishing is second to none. Aguero has 14 goals and 3 assists to his name.
#12 Manager and Substitutes
The team has 9 Chelsea players compared to Manchester City’s 2. The lack of a consistent eleven has eventually affected Manchester City this year. Chelsea, on the other hand, have been more consistent in squad selection this season.
Manuel Pelligrini has not done any harm to his status this year, but you can’t simply beat Jose Mourinho in a tactical sense. ‘The Special One’ is ‘The Chosen One’ for this special eleven and is undoubtedly the best man to lead this combined eleven.
Substitutes: Joe Hart, Martin Demichelis, Vincent Kompany, Fernandinho, James Milner, Oscar, Edin Dzeko.
