Chelsea fans’ preferred lineup against Manchester City: Lukaku and Werner together!

Chelsea have been on fire this season and now go into perhaps our biggest fixture so far. We came out on top against Manchester City three times at the tail end of last season, and it would be more than sweet to see Thomas Tuchel outsmart Pep Guardiola yet again.

THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE

It’s been a while since there’s been any question about the formation or the choice of goalkeeper among the WAGNH community. The 3-4-3 (53%) did win the vote as usual, but the 3-5-2 (41%) came very close indeed. Meanwhile, the uncertainty about Édouard Mendy’s fitness saw an in-form Kepa Arrizabalaga receive 31% of the votes — not quite enough to oust Mendy, who’s since been declared fit to start.

Thiago Silva is a cheat code, so he naturally starts together with the in-form Antonio Rüdiger and Andreas Christensen in the back three. César Azpilicueta moves out to right wing-back. Marcos Alonso keeps his spot on the left, meaning that Reece James (60%), Trevoh Chalobah (3%) and Ben Chilwell (14%) miss out.

Mateo Kovačić (55%) doesn’t come close to the duo of N’Golo Kanté and Jorginho in midfield voting, but he’s still leagues ahead of Ruben Loftus-Cheek (3%), Saúl Ñíguez (2%), and Ross Barkley (1%).

Up front, Romelu Lukaku garnered a near unanimous vote — (ed.note: 13 of the 2019 votes did not choose Lukaku; please explains yourselves down in the comments) — and he will be lfanked by Kai Havertz and Timo Werner. Mason Mount (42%) has been confirmed out with injury, the same continues to be the case for Christian Pulisic. Hakim Ziyech (12%) and Callum Hudson-Odoi (2%) are to make an impact as substitutes perhaps.

Note: technically, both James and Kovačić got more votes than Werner, but unless we want James or Alonso to play in attack, or Kanté to play as one of the No.10s, there’s no realistic way to shoehorn them into our usual 3-4-3 formation. A 3-5-2 would be a different story, but that wasn’t the preferred formation.

3-4-3 (53%)
Mendy (69%) | Rüdiger (99%), Silva (89%), Christensen (67%) | Alonso (82%), Jorginho (87%), Kanté (93%), Azpilicueta (76%) | Werner (51%), Lukaku (99%), Havertz (62%)

MY PREFERRED CHOICE

If he’s ready to start, then Mendy must be given the start. He’s been simply magnificent under Tuchel and while Kepa really has made some improvements recently, there’s very little debate here.

I’m aware Ziyech hasn’t been crushing it, but I feel like he’s always up for the occasion and good for a goal against City; so it’s him over Werner for me. But that’s the only change as the community’s lineup is ace. That back three looks impenetrable and Lukaku has been on fire. What more could a we want right now?

COME ON, YOU BLUES!!!

3-4-3
Mendy | Rüdiger, Silva, Christensen | Alonso, Kanté, Jorginho, James | Havertz, Lukaku, Ziyech