MANCHESTER CITY TACTICAL PREVIEW—GUARDIOLA CONFIRMS GVARDIOL AND DOKU STARTS FOR SUNDAY
Manchester City host Chelsea at the Etihad! Discover Pep Guardiola's starting XI, including Erling Haaland and Phil Foden.
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.
BERNARDO SILVA TO LEAVE MANCHESTER CITY; LIJNDERS CONFIRMS "END OF THE STORY"
Bernardo Silva prepares for a Man City farewell. See the latest on Barcelona links and Elliot Anderson rumours.
Pep Lijnders, Manchester City’s assistant manager, dropped a pretty big hint that Bernardo Silva’s time at the club is wrapping up. After Saturday’s 4-0 win over Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-final, Lijnders said, "Every good story comes to an end.” It sounds like Silva’s nine-year run at City is almost over.
Silva’s contract ends this season, and he hasn’t signed a new one. He’s being linked with Barcelona, Juventus, and even some American teams, so it feels like everyone’s expecting a move.
Lijnders was front and centre with Pep Guardiola banned from the touchline. He went on about how important Silva is to City, saying, “You never replace a player with the same kind of player because they don’t exist. Bernardo Silva is unique in the way he controls games, how he moves, receives the ball, leads the team, and finds solutions. All of that.”
Lijnders made it pretty clear: when Silva isn’t out there, City misses him. Sometimes, sometimes you notice it even after just one game. Imagine a whole season without him. But"Everyded, “every good story comes to an end,” and he hopes Silva enjoys his last few weeks and gets the proper send-off he deserves.
Silva joined City from Monaco back in 2017. Saturday’s match was his 450th appearance, and he’s racked up 18 trophies since he arrived. Guardiola’s always bfan; a huge fan, he’s picked Silva more than any other player in his career, and after Kevin De Bruyne left last season, Silva got handed the captain’s armband.
People are already speculating about who could come in next. City’s been linked with Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, but Lijnders pointed out that the club doesn’t look for like-for-like replacements. They focus on whaneeds: team needs someone who’ll fit right into the starting lineup. He also kept saying how much he values City’s Academy and the young talent breaking through.
He summed it up: the young academy players need to make the step up and grow into those midfield positions, but it’s vital to keep the senior guys around for stability. else, anything else, new signings or academy promotions, builds around that core.
HOW PEP GUARDIOLA’S ROTATION IS SABOTAGING PHIL FODEN’S 2026 WORLD CUP DREAMS
Thomas Tuchel admits Phil Foden is "struggling" and offers no guarantee for a World Cup spot after poor England form.
Phil Foden just hasn’t found his groove with the England squad lately. After friendlies against Uruguay and Japan, manager Thomas Tuchel pointed out that Foden isn’t in top shape, and it might cost him a World Cup spot.
Even at Manchester City, Foden’s spot in the starting lineup isn’t a sure thing anymore. Still, Tuchel picked him for the internationals and put him in the starting eleven both times. Instructions first, behind Doand's instructions, and Dominic Solanke for the Uruguay match, then behind Morgan Rogers when they faced Japan. But neither game saw Foden really come alive for England.
Tuchel didn’t hide his disappointment. “He tried everything,” he said. “He was outstanding in training, but once the game started, he just couldn’t bring that same energy to the pitch.”
Tuchel also mentioned that Foden just hasn’t been getting enough minutes at City. Even so, he arrived at the training camp in good spirits and looked sharp during the sessions. “I honestly thought he’d bring that spark into the games. But he’s struggling to show what he’s capable of.”
When reporters asked if he’d really take a player who isn’t playing much for his club, isn’t in form, and hasn’t been making an impact for England, Tuchel was upfront: “Yeah, I can take him. The question is whether we actually will. There’s no guarantee he’ll make the squad.”
Now, Foden has about two months to turn things around before Tuchel names England’s World Cup squad. “I’m always learning,” Tuchel said. “Every training session, I see how the team fits, how the players respond to times applied and instructions, how quickly they catch on. Instructions were followed time and time again, and then applied during matches.”
Everything’s still up for grabs. The priority now is for the players to finish strong with their clubs, then come back ready for England training camp. That’s when Tuchel and his team will make the final calls.
