Chelsea vs Manchester City: 5 players to watch out for | FA Cup 2021

The FA Cup is back in action with a compelling semi-final fixture as Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea lock horns with Pep Guardiola's Manchester City at Wembley Stadium. The Blues and Citizens both booked their places in the Champions League semifinals in midweek, but the attention now turns towards the premier domestic cup competition.

Chelsea are aiming to go one step further in the FA Cup after losing to the Gunners in last season's final, while Pep and his army were knocked out at this stage by the same Arsenal last season.

Tuchel confirmed in the pre-match press conference that Mateo Kovacic and Andreas Christensen will miss the semi-final. Timo Werner and Kepa Arrizabalaga could feature in the starting eleven for this game. Sergio Aguero is the only player missing for Manchester City and the City boss is likely to rotate his side, with US goalkeeper Zack Steffen set to replace Ederson.

Chelsea might be going into this game as underdogs, but there is no telling what this cup match has in store for us. Let us take a look at the 5 player to watch out for from this game:

#5 Antonio Rudiger

Rudiger will be at the heart of the Chelea defense

Antonio Rudiger is enjoying life at Chelsea under new coach Thomas Tuchel. The Blues have had a stellar defensive record under the German and Rudiger has been a massive part of that success. The German defender has been one of Chelsea's best players in the last few months and might even sign a new deal in the near future.

Against an attack as ruthless and amazing as that of Manchester City's, Rudiger will have to bring his A-game to this game.

#4 Raheem Sterling

Raheem Sterling has a point to prove

Raheem Sterling has been a little out of favour in the last few weeks at Manchester City. The Englishman was sent on for the last two minutes of Wednesday night's game, with the match almost done and dusted. Sterling has contributed 9 goals and 6 assists in the league this season but recent form has been an issue.

With games coming thick and fast, there is a high possibility of Sterling starting the semi-final against Chelsea, though. The 26-year old has a point to prove and there is no bigger stage to do so than a cup semi-final at Wembley.

#3 Joao Cancelo

Cancelo has been City's unsung hero

Joao Cancelo has had his breakout season with the Citizens this season. The Portuguese has been in and out of the team in recent weeks but his impact on City's season cannot be underestimated. There was a lot of talk when Cancelo was bought for a hefty fee but it seems to be paying off when one sees the bigger picture.

Cancelo has casually drifted into midfield from defence many a times this season and has dominated proceedings. If the 26-year old does start to find space in the game against Chelsea, he could very well hurt Tuchel and his team.

#2 Jorginho

Jorginho will have a big part to play

Midfield battles win you matches and a lot of eyes will be on Jorginho in this game. He will be without his partner in crime Kovacic in that midfield, which is a big loss for Chelsea. Jorginho likes to keep the ball and control the game from his own half. He acts as a deep lying playmaker and dictates the tempo of the game.

This might work with most teams on the planet but with Manchester City he will be up the likes of De Bruyne, Rodri and Gundogan and might have his work cut out.

#1 Kevin De Bruyne

Talisman Kevin De Bruyne

Kevin de Bruyne has been in a league of his own this season. City's #17 has 8 goals and 15 assists in all competitions this season and his creation rates are off the chart. Pep Guardiola was in awe of his talisman's performances in a recent press interaction and said that the midfielder is approaching optimum fitness during the most crucial stage of the season.

The Belgian has a good record against his former club and will be looking to improve on that in this semi-final. One thing is certain, if De Bruyne starts dominating the game, Chelsea are in for a long evening.