Manchester City hosts Chelsea at the Etihad this Sunday, and there’s no hiding it—they want all three points. After that goalless draw at Sunderland, City are itching to get back on track and remind everyone why they’re contenders.

You can expect Pep Guardiola to roll out his usual 4-3-3. He’s likely to shake things up a bit, maybe starting Jeremy Doku and Josko Gvardiol this time.

Let’s look at the back. Gianluigi Donnarumma takes his spot in goal, fresh off a clean sheet. Ruben Dias links up with Gvardiol in the centre of the defence, aiming to keep things tight. Matheus Nunes gets a shot at right-back, trying to prove he belongs. Over on the left, Nico O’Reilly will be looking to impress too. Both fullbacks will pick their moments to push forward, but don’t expect them to forget their defensive duties.

Nathan Ake stays on the bench, ready to jump in if needed.

In midfield, you’ve got Phil Foden, Nico Gonzalez, and Bernardo Silva running the show. That trio brings energy and creativity, and they’ll want to take control early. Tijjani Reijnders waits for his chance from the bench. If things need shaking up in the second half, he’ll be ready.

Up front, Jeremy Doku brings his pace to the left wing, and Rayan Cherki works the right. Both guys love running at defenders, so Chelsea’s back line needs to watch out. Erling Haaland leads the line through the middle, and you know he’s always a threat in the box. He’ll be hunting for any sniff of a goal.

Reigan Heskey sits on the bench, maybe coming on late if City needs a spark. If the game’s tight near the end, look for him to get involved.

All in all, City wants to bounce back. They’ll go for it at home, and you can bet the Etihad will be rocking.

Pep Guardiola isn’t going anywhere—at least, that’s what he keeps saying. When asked about rumours that Enzo Maresca talked to people at Manchester City about possibly replacing him, Guardiola just shrugged it off. “I’ve said it a million times,” he told reporters. “I have a contract. I know you’re all tired of hearing from me after ten years. Maybe you want me gone. I get it. But I’m happy here. I’m fighting with my team. The club’s leadership has always backed me, even when we went months without a win last season. They stood by me. So what else can I say? I’ve got another year on my contract, and I want to stay. We’ll see how things go.”

This all comes as Chelsea heads to Manchester to face City, still dealing with the fallout from Maresca’s sudden exit. Calum McFarlane, who used to coach City’s academy, is filling in for now. Maresca had two separate stints at City, once as the Under-23 coach and then as Guardiola’s assistant for a year. One big reason for his departure from Chelsea? He told the club he’d spoken to City folks three times this season about taking over from Guardiola. That didn’t sit well with Chelsea’s higher-ups.

City does have backup plans for when Guardiola eventually leaves, and people at the club really respect Maresca. Asked about those rumoured conversations between Maresca and City, Guardiola just said, “No idea. Honestly, you all probably know more than I do.”

Losing Maresca is tough, Guardiola admitted. “Chelsea lost an incredible manager and an incredible person,” he said, still sounding like he’s on good terms with his old colleague. But as he put it, “That’s up to Chelsea’s leadership.” Was he surprised by Maresca’s exit? Guardiola just smiled. “All I know is I’m lucky. I was lucky then, and I’m still lucky now to be at this club. My club is extraordinary.”