We beat them last season 1-0 and we managed a 0-0 draw with them as well. Can we do the same this season? I'd like to hope that we can manage to get a draw so Ill be positive on this one and predict a 1-1 draw. Hopefully the defence will be stronger for this match than when we played Wigan. Regarding injuries, I think that the only main injury we have is Mills, but is Musampa injured? He hasn't played for awhile and he was injured awhile ago but I can't remember if he still is or not. Injuries for Chelsea are Essien and Carvalho. I don't know who is going to be our strikers for this game. Sibierski is in fine form and both him and Andy Cole scored against Wigan, but perhaps Pearce will go with the Vassell and Cole partnership? I would go with Vassell and Cole up-front as the two strikers and perhaps bring Sibierski in as an offensive midfielder just behind the strikers. Sinclair on the right, Barton in the middle and Sun Jihai/Musampa on the left. I would drop Reyna to the bench for this match to see if this formation works. For our defence, I would leave Sommeil on the right, Dunne and Distin in the middle and Thatcher on the left. I would give Stephen Jordan a chance in some of the upcoming matches as well in the left back position. My formation:
Mourinho Expects Major Test Wed 28 Dec, 8:09 AM Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho is braced for a major test against Manchester City as his champions revisit the scene of last season's solitary Barclays Premiership defeat. Advertisement The Blues were edged 1-0 at Eastlands with Nicolas Anelka converting a penalty and Mourinho, who recalls a towering display from goalkeeper David James, is looking for revenge. "Man City have a good team and caused us a lot of problems last season," he said. "In the defeat in Manchester and the draw at Stamford Bridge they had a giant in goal who saved everything and performed like the best goalkeeper in the world. "But it is not just David James, they have a good team and will give us a good game. We go there with our spirit and we trust we can get a result." Chelsea have already negotiated one tricky encounter during the Christmas schedule with Hernan Crespo's 74th-minute strike clinching a 3-2 victory over Fulham. It was a stunning finish from Crespo but Mourinho has told the Argentina striker there is no guarantee he will start against City as he also plans to use Didier Drogba over the next six days. Mourinho said: "It was a wonderful goal by Crespo. I felt sorry to take him off but at the time we were playing a crazy system. I wanted to bring Geremi on and keep Didier Drogba there because he was fresh. "Hernan was magnificent and started the game well, almost scoring at the far post. He had a great shot at the end of the first half. He showed movement and quality on the ball. "I am very happy with my two strikers. I have in Crespo and Drogba different players and I have to choose the best game for each one of them. "But in this period of four matches I am thinking of rotating them and giving them two games each." Crespo looked lively and confident against Fulham, in contrast to Shaun Wright-Phillips, who was hauled off at the interval following an ineffective first half. The misfiring England winger is operating well below his best but Mourinho has promised he will soon be given another chance to prove himself. "In this period I will rotate players so Shaun will play again for sure and will get confidence if he gives a good performance," he said. Ghana midfielder Michael Essien will miss the trip to Eastlands with a heel injury while defender Ricardo Carvalho has also been ruled out because of an Achilles problem. -------------------------------------------------------------------- http://uk.sports.yahoo.com/051228/4/fss5.html
We lost 1-0 to Chelsea. It isn't surprising but a bit disappointing because we held on until the 79th minute when Joe Cole scored. We have to bounce back again from two defeats in a row when we go to Middlesbrough on Saturday!
Pearce proud of his team By Andy Clarke - Created on 28 Dec 2005 Manchester City manager Stuart Pearce said he was proud of his players after their 1-0 defeat to Chelsea at Eastlands. City began brightly but with John Terry commanding in defence and Joe Cole inventive in attack, Chelsea gradually got to grips with the game. And it was Cole who scored the only goal in the 79th minute, gaining just reward for his fine display when he tapped in after David James had parried Eidur Gudjohnsen's deflected shot. For City, it was a fourth defeat in sixth Premiership matches, but Pearce said he could not ask for any more from his players. "I don't think you anticipate things in football, you hope, but probably the endeavour my players put in and the way we set them up, I'm sad for them," Pearce said. "I think it had 0-0 written all over it but all credit to Chelsea they're a good side and they took their chance when it fell to them. "I just think we tactically got it right, right through the team, I'm disappointed on behalf of the players that they've not got anything out of it. "In some ways, while I don't want to glorify in getting beat, from the players' point of view they can walk out of the stadium with their heads held high. "But they're a smashing side Chelsea, you know they've got a lot of money to spend and they've got great players from one right through to 11 and on the bench as well. "But I see that as a challenge, we've got to take these teams on." Pearce was full of praise for midfielder Joey Barton, who had another fine game but missed City's best chance in the 15th minute, when he shot at Petr Cech's legs. "It was a tactical game with few chances, but if Joey had sunk his chance early in the first half things might have been different," said Pearce. "When you do get your opportunities, you've got to sink them. "But I thought Joey was excellent tonight, I think the last five minutes he got a touch wayward with his passing but, in the main, he was excellent as were most of my players. "With a bit more devilment about us when we passed the ball, maybe we could have got something this evening."
Cole paid tribute to City for the way they stuck to their task, but felt Chelsea did enough to claim the spoils at Eastlands. "That is the toughest game we have had all season, credit to Manchester City who played well, but I think we did enough to win," added Cole. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Some good news then