Predicted Starting Line-Up: Chelsea vs Manchester City (Premier League)
Predicted Starting Line-Up: Chelsea vs Manchester City (Premier League) Manchester City return to Premier League duties this weekend against Chelsea on the horizon after advancing to the FA Cup semi-final last time out. Pep Guardiola’s side brushed aside a faltering Liverpool outfit in a commanding 4-0 victory in the FA Cup quarter-final at the Etihad Stadium last week – keeping hopes of further silverware firmly alive and a semi-final clash against Southampton at Wembley in the offing. City were in complete control from the outset and rarely looked troubled by Arne Slot’s side.
Their dominance paid off in the 39th minute when Nico O’Reilly was brought down by Virgil van Dijk, earning a penalty. Erling Haaland stepped up and calmly converted, netting his 34th goal of the season to hand City a deserved lead. Moments before the interval, Haaland struck again, rising to head home a pinpoint cross from Antoine Semenyo and put the hosts firmly in control.
Five Things Learned: Manchester City 4-0 Liverpool (FA Cup Quarter Final) From there, it was largely plain sailing. Semenyo added a deft chipped finish before Haaland completed his hat-trick, sealing an emphatic victory and booking City’s place in their second semi-final of the season. Liverpool did threaten to give City something to think about in the 64th minute with Mohamed Salah lining up for a penalty to pull one back.
A heroic save from James Trafford saw the hosts go through to the next round with the clean sheet intact. Next up for Manchester City is a trip to Stamford Bridge, where they’ll face Liam Rosenior’s Chelsea. The west London Blues enter the fixture off the back of an emphatic 7-0 victory against League One side Port Vale.
However, prior to that, they had lost all of their previous four matches – the last three of which they had gone without scoring. For Manchester City, a potential Premier League title hangs in the balance. For Chelsea nothing matters more than potential UEFA Champions League qualification.
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