Key events
Jonathan Wilson
Antoine Semenyo, it seems likely, will soon join Manchester City from Bournemouth for a fee of £65m. Given how well Rayan Cherki and Phil Foden have played from the right this season, it is not immediately obvious why City need him, but the modern game is the modern game, the rammed calendar makes large and flexible squads essential and Pep Guardiola may have some esoteric plan for the Ghanaian anyway. But perhaps what is most striking about the deal is the fee – or, more precisely, how little attention it has drawn.
English football has become inured to big transfers. The fee feels about right. Semenyo is 25. He has four and a half years left on his contract. He is quick, skilful, intelligent and works hard. He is disciplined, but has the capacity to do the unexpected. Of course a player of his ability costs that much. Yet £65m would make him the third-most expensive player in Bundesliga history. He would be the seventh-most expensive in Serie A history, the 14th-most expensive in La Liga history. Only nine non-English clubs have paid a fee higher than that. Even in Premier League terms, Semenyo sneaks into the top 25.
Will Unwin
Chelsea’s visit to Manchester City will be a homecoming for members of the travelling party. Five Chelsea players were nurtured at the academy that sits a few hundred yards from the Etihad Stadium, on the other side of a bridge.
The London club’s recent recruitment has been heavily influenced by City’s teaching of players and coaches. Tosin Adarabioyo, Cole Palmer, Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens and Roméo Lavia were members of City’s youth ranks, most working there under Enzo Maresca. If one thread was unpicked this week when Maresca dramatically departed Chelsea, the link remains strong because Sunday’s caretaker, Calum McFarlane, was formerly the under-18s assistant manager at City.
Team news
Josko Gvardiol, Rodri and Tijjani Reijnders return to the City side in place of Nathan Ake, Nico Gonzalez and Savinho.
Five changes for Chelsea. Filip Jorgensen, Benoit Badiashile, Reece James, Pedro Neto and Joao Pedro come in for Robert Sanchez, Wesley Fofana, Moises Caicedo, Alejandro Garnacho and Liam Delap. Caicedo’s absence through suspension is a big blow to Chelsea.
Man City (possible 4-1-4-1) Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Rodri; Cherki, Bernardo Silva, Reijnders, Foden; Haaland.
Subs: Trafford, Ake, Doku, Khusanov, McAidoo, Mukasa, Lewis, Mfuni, R Heskey.
Chelsea (4-2-3-1) Jorgensen; Acheampong, Chalobah, Badiashile, Gusto; James, Fernandez; Estevao, Palmer, Pedro Neto; Joao Pedro.
Subs: Garnacho, Guiu, Hato, Santos, Bynoe-Gittens, Delap, Adarabioyo, Merrick, Slonina.
Referee Michael Oliver.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of Manchester City v Chelsea at the Etihad. It’s not a must-win game for City, because this is January and there are still over 50 points to play for in the Premier League season, but it’s not far off.
Arsenal’s victory at Bournemouth last night moved them seven points clear of City, who have today’s game in hand. City have been a bit fragile in away games, so their home form is even more important than usual.
Chelsea are dangerous opponents, even when they are in disarray after starting the new year by breaking up with the manager who made them world champions a few months ago. In the circumstances, this game is a bit of a free hit. For City, it’s anything but.
Kick off 5.30pm.
