Chelsea FC hosts Manchester City in what is, on paper, the headliner clash of the Premier League season opener. City, the defending champions yet again, enter the weekend after a lackluster summer transfer window. Chelsea come in after a rather poor preseason.
Welcome to the beginning of the Enzo Maresca era. The Pep Guardiola mentee, and doppelganger, to put it quite bluntly, will commence his tenure as Blues boss
Season Opener FYIs
Chelsea FC vs Manchester City
Kickoff: Sunday Aug. 18, 4:30pm, Stamford Bridge, London, UK
Team News: Chelsea FC Manchester City
Starting XI Predictions: Chelsea FC Manchester City
Analysis of Mauricio Pochettino taking the USMNT Job: go here
Result Probability: Chelsea FC 23% Draw 24% Manchester City 53%
As it’s the first competitive match of the Maresca era, he’ll want announce his arrival with a win. This is the lineup that we think moves him towards that.
Every meeting between Chelsea FC and City is special for Cole Palmer, who really found himself after leaving City. By some measures, he’s developed into Chelsea’s best player now.
Chelsea FC Starting XI Prediction vs Man City
Robert Sanchez; Malo Gusto, Wesley Fofana, Levi Colwill, Marc Cucurella; Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo; Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Christopher Nkunku, Cole Palmer: Marc Guiu
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.
