Manchester City faces Chelsea in their first home match of 2026, aiming to get back to winning form at the Etihad Stadium this Sunday evening.
The Blues had their eight-game winning streak halted last weekend when Pep Guardiola’s team was held to a goalless draw against a determined Sunderland side at the Stadium of Light. As a result, Arsenal has now increased their lead at the top of the Premier League to four points.
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City can’t afford many more mistakes as they vie for position against the strong Gunners, who demonstrated their title aspirations with an impressive 4-1 victory over third-placed Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium last week.
The January transfer window is open, and Manchester City is anticipated to finalize the signing of Antoine Semenyo next week. Discussions with Bournemouth and the Ghanian forward’s representatives are nearing completion.
City lost Nico Gonzalez and Savinho to injuries during their game with Sunderland. Ballon d’Or winner Rodri made his highly awaited return, stepping in for Gonzalez at halftime after being sidelined due to a hamstring issue since October.
Jeremy Doku came on for Savinho, marking his return after missing four matches due to an injury suffered prior to Manchester City’s 3-0 win over Crystal Palace in mid-December.
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Guardiola is in need of all available players, as John Stones and Oscar Bobb were not part of the squad against Sunderland. Manchester City’s director of football, Hugo Viana, is expected to keep a close eye on the ongoing transfer market for additional signings beyond Semenyo, who is set to join Guardiola’s squad soon.
As Sunday’s 17:30 UK kick-off time approaches for the match between Manchester City and Chelsea, here are the confirmed lineups from both teams at the Etihad Stadium.
Manchester City
Starting XI: Donnarumma, Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly, Rodri, Silva, Reijnders, Foden, Cherki, Haaland
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Substitutes: Trafford, Ake, Doku, Khusanov, McAidoo, Mukasa, Lewis, Mfuni, R. Heskey
Chelsea
Starting XI: Jorgensen, Acheampong, Chalobah, Badiashile, Gusto, James, Fernandez, Estevao, Palmer, Neto, Joao Pedro
Substitutes: Slonina, Merrick, Tosin, Hato, Santos, Garnacho, Gittens, Delap, Guiu