Closed Man City v Chelsea

[Jase 43,479]

Manchester City vs Chelsea
PRE-MATCH DISCUSSION AND LIVE CHAT



2015/16 Premier League Match 2
16th August, Sunday, 2015
Etihad Stadium
16:00 Kick Off (UK time)

[MrBlueGuy 1,552]

Begovic

same back 4

same rest of the mid+Costa+Ramires instead of Oscar

Tactic: 433 parking the bus, don't be surprised if we don't have a shot on target until like the 70th min

Prediction: 2-0 loss with them scoring early and we struggle to equalise, with them getting a late goal to seal it

Whether we like it or not Jose will do the above, unless an injury occurs to someone during the week. Oscar will be overlooked again after a good game

[LDN Blue 7,903]

I'm actually not worried about this game lol. Chelsea generally step up to the plate when we're facing the top 4, it's usually the mid/bottom tier clubs we struggle with.. Costa put in a great shift v Swansea and he'll be one of the big differences. I'm more positive for this than I was for Swansea.

[didierforever 7,349]

begovic

iva GC JT azpi

matic ramires

willian oscar hazard

costa

i am sorry. but cesc has done NOTHING to guarantee a spot for this match. makes our attacks slow, is useless as a no.10. shocking in the opposition box and clearly unfit

[dee25 1,044]

I'm actually not worried about this game lol. Chelsea generally step up to the plate when we're facing the top 4, it's usually the mid/bottom tier clubs we struggle with.. Costa put in a great shift v Swansea and he'll be one of the big differences. I'm more positive for this than I was for Swansea.

Not to put you on the spot, but are people still deluding themselves with this idea that we play better against top 4 sides?

[LDN Blue 7,903]

Not to put you on the spot, but are people still deluding themselves with this idea that we play better against top 4 sides?

Depends what you mean. Do we play better football, no of course not. Do we play more efficiently and look more solid in the back? Yeah, we do. Whether it's labelled 'parking the bus' or not, we play much more organised and rigid in such games.

[MrBlueGuy 1,552]

begovic

iva GC JT azpi

matic ramires

willian oscar hazard

costa

i am sorry. but cesc has done NOTHING to guarantee a spot for this match. makes our attacks slow, is useless as a no.10. shocking in the opposition box and clearly unfit

Doesn't matter what we want it will be 433 with Ramires instead of Oscar because he is more effective in bus parking games.

Not to put you on the spot, but are people still deluding themselves with this idea that we play better against top 4 sides?

Haven't lost in like 2 years so yh we are...

[Sir Mikel OBE 4,733]

If Ramires wasn't going to start this match before today he most certainly will now. If only to make sure Ivanovic doesn't get exposed again.

[Jase 43,479]

3-0 Man City. Mourinho gets fired after the game.

[dee25 1,044]

Depends what you mean. Do we play better football, no of course not. Do we play more efficiently and look more solid in the back? Yeah, we do. Whether it's labelled 'parking the bus' or not, we play much more organised and rigid in such games.

My definition of "efficiency" differs from yours then. Last season, how many games did we win against the top 4 sides? Playing rigidly doesn't always equate to efficiency. We dropped points from winning positions against Utd and City all while playing rigidly. Chelsea fans really need to stop propelling this idea that we're efficient against the top sides. If that were true we wouldn't have been outplayed in the champions league in the last 2 seasons whenever we came across half decent teams.

[yuvala 2,167]

Win this and all is forgotten.

[Billy. 2,739]

3-0 Man City. Mourinho gets fired after the game.

Half Time

[xPetrCechx 13,546]

What a bad timing...

[MrBlueGuy 1,552]

Win this and all is forgotten.

Erm yh if you manage to win away at one of the best team in the world...of course all will be forgotten because it shows we are still good enough to compete with the very best and stay in the race

[edetarod 2,155]

3-0 to us

Cuadrado double and Mikel

[Jase 43,479]

Worth pointing out that after this City match, we face West Brom at the Hawthorns, where we've lost 3 times in 4 visits...

[LDN Blue 7,903]

My definition of "efficiency" differs from yours then. Last season, how many games did we win against the top 4 sides? Playing rigidly doesn't always equate to efficiency. We dropped points from winning positions against Utd and City all while playing rigidly. Chelsea fans really need to stop propelling this idea that we're efficient against the top sides. If that were true we wouldn't have been outplayed in the champions league in the last 2 seasons whenever we came across half decent teams.

Well I take the games on their merits in the league, from what I see we play our most dire football in terms of any attacking incentives but we also do well to shut down and not lose. That's why City don't worry me next week, not even that, even if we drop points its so early in the season that you'd really rather face them now than not. Do we play better? No we don't, not by any means. But we rarely lose.

[RoyalBlues 4,050]

Bring the bus, park it, playing counter, drive away with 3 points.