Man City or Chelsea? Guardiola vs. Tuchel, Foden vs. Mount, expert predictions

Man City or Chelsea? Guardiola vs. Tuchel, Foden vs. Mount, expert predictions.

Pep Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel go head-to-head in the Premier League era, as Manchester City hosts Chelsea at the Etihad, with both managers having won league titles at their previous clubs. Last season, City’s previous incumbent Manuel Pellegrini beat Tuchel’s Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final, while the German won the Bundesliga with Dortmund in 2015. So, what’s the difference? For a start, Guardiola has been at City for more than a decade, compared to Tuchel’s 11 years at Dortmund.

Welcome to the first of our expert predictions for the 2017-18 Premier League season! Our expert panel will be providing our readers with various interesting features throughout the year, including their views on the following topics: ● Do Pep Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel have what it takes to lead Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain to the title? ● Can Phil Foden become an unstoppable force for Manchester City? ● Can Marcos Alonso continue his development as a player at Chelsea?. Read more about phil foden stats and let us know what you think.The final game of the 2020-21 season is upon us as the fate of the UEFA Champions League is decided in Portugal this Saturday. Will Manchester City’s super team finally win the only trophy they’ve ever held? (It would also allow Pep Guardiola to end 10 years of drought, his last win coming in 2010-11 with Lionel Messi and Barcelona). Or will it be Chelsea, who have beaten City twice in recent weeks (once in the FA Cup semi-final and the second time in the Premier League) but are going through a difficult time? (Thomas Tuchel, who lost the final to Paris Saint-Germain last season, will also try to erase the grief of the loss against Bayern).

Ahead of the final Premier League game of the season, many stories are emerging.

Go to : Man City attack|can Tuchel win? | Foden vs. Mount | Ruben Diaz is an X factor? | Predictions

Chelsea’s defence against Man City’s attack

Chelsea and Manchester City reached the final thanks to reliable defending. Both clubs had to deal with four goals each against Porto. City have only conceded one goal in six games in the group stage – in their opening game against FC Porto in October – while Chelsea, led by Frank Lampard, have only conceded two goals in the group.

Ironically, the only team to break the records of City and Chelsea this season is Porto, the club based at the Estadio do Dragao, where the final will be played on Saturday. The Portuguese are the only team to have beaten Chelsea in the Champions League this season. They won their second quarter-final 1-0 at neutral Sevilla in April, while Sergio Conceicao’s side are the only team to have kept City from a win this season, with a 0-0 draw at home against Pep Guardiola’s side in December.

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In terms of goals scored, City have scored 25 and Chelsea 22 en route to the final, but Thomas Tuchel’s side could have a psychological advantage having won their last two home games against City.

Last month’s 1-0 victory in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley Stadium was preceded by a 2-1 win at the Etihad Stadium as Chelsea overturned a 1-0 defeat to take the three points. In both cases, Chelsea’s counter-attack proved decisive. Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech and Mason Mount exploited the gaps in City’s defence and presented Guardiola with a tactical problem for Porto to solve.

Chelsea’s prospects depend on positive momentum following the fitness problems of goalkeeper Edouard Mendy and midfielder N’Golo Kante. Both played a crucial role in Chelsea reaching the final, and Kante in particular will be vital in defending the back three and nipping City’s attackers in the bud.

Dan Thomas is joined by Craig Burley, Shaka Hislop and others to bring you the latest developments and discuss key storylines. Broadcast on ESPN+ (US only).

There is no frustration or stress this week. Since joining the club, he’s been more relaxed than ever. There was laughter at practice, lots of laughter, and throughout the week he tried to convey this new calm and serenity to his players. He knows all too well, after his last season with Paris Saint-Germain, that you don’t start a game like this stressed. The players can’t be stressed for such an incredible game. They should enjoy the event, make the most of it and be themselves.

That’s the message Tuchel gave to his players. Sure, it still exerts pressure, but a positive pressure. Basically, you’re 90 minutes (or a little more) away from winning the biggest prize in club football. You have already beaten Manchester City twice in recent weeks – in the FA Cup (1-0) at Wembley and out at the Etihad in the league (2-1), showing great team play in the second half.

Tuchel has been communicating positively and confidently with his squad since the end of Sunday’s Premier League match. He has learned a lot from Bayern’s loss against PSG last season, a game that Tuchel had prepared perfectly and in which his team was better for 90 minutes but lost due to a lack of composure : Bavaria was clinical when Paris was profligate.

In the two games Tuchel has won against Pep Guardiola and City since coming to Chelsea, his team has been very clinical. They will have to do it again on Saturday.

Besides him, only Thiago Silva and Mateo Kovacic have been in this position before. Silva lost his Champions League final with Tuchel, while Kovacic won it three times with Real Madrid under Zinedine Zidane! They also set an example this week that everyone in the Chelsea team is ready with the right attitude. — Julien Lawrence

Foden vs. Mount

There are many obvious similarities between Mason Mount and Phil Foden, two point guards who may face each other this weekend, but will face each other at the European Championships. They are two brilliant English midfielders who are nowhere near their prime. Both play mainly on the left side. Both are responsible for some of their teams’ most dangerous attacking moments.

Their differences speak volumes about Manchester City and Chelsea: This table lists the appearances in Premier League and Champions League games in the 2020-21 season (over 90 minutes).

Foden vs. Mount

Foden’s work is fairly simple to describe. In possession, he embraces the touchline and links up with the left-back (increasingly Oleksandr Zinchenko), midfielders Ilkay Gündogan and Rodri, and Joao Cancelo, at the position he occupies from minute to minute. When a quick breakthrough occurs, he becomes James Worthy’s Riyad Mahrez Magic Johnson and delivers a decisive pass that allows Mahrez to throw the ball at goal or, if he has enough space, score himself with his angled right foot. He makes fewer one-on-one attempts than Mount, but earns a much higher percentage.

Since the start of 2021, City have returned to form, thanks in part to Foden being allowed to do a bit more in attack. Since 1. In January, he created an average of 2.1 chances and 0.54 xG+xA per 90 games, and the adjusted role suits him perfectly.

Mount, meanwhile, creates less defensively but helps Chelsea more. Since Tuchel’s appointment, Mount has created more than twice as many chances as any other player on the team in the Premier League and Champions League – he has 45, while Reece James is second with 27 – and his expected number of assists (which measures the likelihood of a given pass turning into a goal, according to Stats Perform) is 4.5, much higher than Christian Pulisic’s in second place (3.1).

In the games Mount has played under Tuchel, Chelsea have averaged 2.4 points per game when they have created at least two chances and 1.4 when they have had none. Chelsea’s attack also works best when the ball is spread all over the pitch, not just on the left wing. (See below for an overview map of the season).

Foden is arguably a more dangerous player than Mount and allows City to create more scoring chances vertically and at a high percentage. But Mount is Chelsea’s engine: If the Blues score or beat City this weekend, he will no doubt have played a key role in that result. — Bill Connelly

The resurrection of Ruben Dias Will he be the X-factor for Man City?

Just over two years ago, Guardiola considered the departure of talented captain and defender Vincent Kompany. It will be very difficult to replace Vinny, he said. They essentially lost the heart of their defense, but City has a new leader in Ruben Diaz.

Guardiola has long been on the hunt for the right combinations in the backline and has already spent more than £400m on defenders, with Diaz, 24, the most expensive after leaving Benfica for £62m last September. The high price tag has caused confusion, especially given the financial constraints of the coronavirus pandemic, but Diaz’s first season in the Premier League has impressed so much that he was named FWA Player of the Year and has already been named by Guardiola as a future City captain.

Whether Guardiola plays with John Stones or Aymeric Laporte this weekend, you’ll see and hear a lot from Diaz.

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Shaka Hislop explains why Man City’s Ruben Dias is the best player in the Premier League this season.

In City’s 2-0 victory over PSG in the second half of the semi-final, Diaz made three of nine saves – the most in a game under Guardiola – and two goals went straight to him. City’s march to the Premier League title was underpinned by a solid defence that suffered the fewest goals against in the top division (32). Diaz’s passing game is also paying off. His 93.2 percent success rate is all the more remarkable given that he has provided more assists (2,713) than any other Premier League defender.

But it’s the intangible qualities that attract Guardiola. When he described Dias as unstoppable in February, he was referring to the Portuguese defender’s influence on his teammates. He’s not just a player who plays well, he’s a player who makes others play well too, Guardiola said. It’s 90 minutes of discussion, 90 minutes of communication, 90 minutes of telling them what to do for each specific action.

Guardiola has also noticed that Diaz has been generous in his approach to the game lately. He constantly advises and replaces his defensive partners, wingers or defenders. He is a boy who is always ready to come to the rescue in a difficult moment, he knows how to communicate on and off the pitch, Guardiola said of Diaz in May. He’s a leader. Being a leader is not something that is given to you by the club; it comes from within, it comes naturally.

He still thinks he can do better. That’s why he’ll succeed.

City have a new Kompany and with him the dream of immortality in European football built on a rock. — Tom Hamilton.

Predictions

Man City 2, Chelsea 0: City have the best team, the best squad and the best manager. The recent defeats against Chelsea will have left the players in doubt, but they have learned their lessons and should come away with a solid win in this match. — Ogden.

Man City 0, Chelsea 1: I think the Blues will cause Manchester City problems with their defensive shape and their play up front. — Lawrence.

Man City 2, Chelsea 0: The city is the only thing that made sense this year. This is his time. (Either that, or a Chelsea win in extra time thanks to Werner’s quick breakthrough). — Connelly.

Man City 2, Chelsea 0: Two weeks ago, I would have preferred Chelsea to have provided a Tuchel-like surprise. But after their recent slump in form, Manchester City should be triumphant on Saturday. — Hamilton.

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