Who’ll come out on top in the curtain raiser for the 2018/19 Premier League season!
Chelsea players Jorginho (L) and Pedro (Photo: AFP)
The stage is set for Chelsea vs Manchester City, the 2018 FA Community Shield, and the lineups for Sunday’s clash of the Premier League giants at Wembley Stadium in London have been revealed.
Chelsea, under new head coach Maurizio Sarri are lining up in what promises to be their customary formation for the new season:
Here is the Blues’ starting 11! 💪
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Just one hour to go… #CommunityShield pic.twitter.com/zdjHSHaEhv
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 5, 2018
With Thibaut Courtois unavailable after his World Cup exertions, Willy Caballero starts in goal behind a four-man defence of Marcos Alonso, Antonio Rudiger, David Luiz and Cesar Azpilicueta.
Summer signing Jorginho is the man in the engine room, with Cesc Fabregas and Ross Barkley for company.
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Club-record acquisition Alvaro Morata leads the line for the Blues and the Spaniard is flanked by Pedro and 17-year-old Callum Hudson-Odoi to complete the 4-3-3.
Your @HaysWorldwide #cfcvcity, Community Shield line-up!
CITY XI | Bravo, Walker, Stones, Aguero, Laporte, Sane, Bernardo, Mendy, Fernandinho (c), Mahrez, Foden
SUBS | Ederson, Kompany, Gundogan, Otamendi, Jesus, Diaz, Gomes pic.twitter.com/SQvs5apXFI
— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 5, 2018
Pep Guardiola has, perhaps unsurprisingly considering his affinity towards tinkering, started Claudio Bravo in goal and regular keeper Ederson warms the bench.
Benjamin Mendy, Aymeric Laporte, John Stones and Kyle Walker feature in the four-man defence while Fernandinho anchors their three-man midfield.
Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden are supposed to be proving the Brazilian hardman with support in midfield, while Leroy Sane and Riyad Mahrez flank Sergio Aguero.
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Chelsea, last season’s FA Cup champions, are slight underdogs but will be raring to get the Sarri era in West London off to a flyer.
City are favourites, even if they have named an unusual XI for the tie in the English capital.
Chelsea: Caballero, Azpilicueta (c), Rudiger, Luiz, Alonso, Barkley, Fabregas, Jorginho, Hudson-Odoi, Morata and Pedro.
Manchester City: Bravo, Mendy, Laporte, Stones, Walker, Fernandinho, Mahrez, Foden, Silva, Aguero and Sane.
Match kicks off at 1930 GMT.
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