Manchester City have announced their side to play host to title rivals Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League this afternoon.

 

The Citizens sit top of the Premier League table with 53 points from their 21 games, while Chelsea are second, having picked up ten fewer points from the same number of matches.

 

 

The last meeting between the two teams saw Manchester City grab a 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge in September, but prior to that game they had lost their previous three meetings with the Blues.

 

Riyad Mahrez is not available for selection due to being at the Africa Cup of Nations.

 

 

For today’s game, Manchester City have Ederson in goal, while the back four is Kyle Walker, John Stones, Aymeric Laporte and Joao Cancelo.

 

Further up the pitch the hosts deploy Rodrigo and Kevin De Bruyne, while Bernardo Silva and Raheem Sterling also start. Phil Foden plays, as does big money summer arrival Jack Grealish.

 

If Pep Guardiola needs to make changes he can look to his bench, where options include Gabriel Jesus and Ruben Dias.

 

 

Manchester City Team vs Chelsea

 

Ederson, Walker, Stones, Laporte, Cancelo, Rodrigo, De Bruyne (c), Bernardo, Sterling, Foden, Grealish

 

Substitutes: Steffen, Dias, Gundogan, Jesus, Fernandinho, Mbete, McAtee, Lavia, Wilson-Esbrand