We all love our sports, but a big part of that love is based on our having a preseason, season and off-season. We love looking forward to and reflecting upon the matches that we find most memorable.
You can’t really do that when the fixtures are incessant, with little downtime in between. Now comes the League Cup, or at leas the first round of the competition with the big boys in it.
Chelsea FC at Manchester City EFL Cup FYIs
Competiton: EFL Cup, 3rd Round
Kickoff: Wed Nov 9, 8pm, Etihad Stadium
After Extra Time Pod: Apple Spotify
Team News: Chelsea Manchester City
Starting XI Predictions: Chelsea Manchester City
TV: UK-Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football
At this point, we’re the Christmas goose, as they just keep shoving stuffing up our football consuming esophagus.
Chelsea at Manchester City is the headliner of the League Cup’s third round slate, and it’s a rematch of the 2018/19 EFL Cup Final, where City won a thrilling penalty shootout. A full 90 minutes, plus an additional 30 minutes of extra time, couldn’t settle it.
Are we set for another instant classic like this? Who knows, we’ll just have to see, but for now let’s try and play Pep Guardiola, as he fills out his team sheet.
Manchester City Starting XI Prediction vs Chelsea FC (EFL Cup)
Ortega; Stones, La Porte, Akanji, Lewis; Dias, Palmer, Silva; Grealish, Mahrez, Alvarez.
Paul M. Banks is the Owner/Manager of The Sports Bank and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly contributed to WGN News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast. You can follow the website on Instagram.