Man City XI vs. Chelsea: Forward Weapons Locked and Loaded

Manchester City fight for their eighth FA Cup title on Saturday, but must conquer Chelsea at Wembley to secure their second trophy of the season.

The Cityzens are playing a record fourth successive FA Cup final, seeking revenge for defeats in the showpiece event to Manchester United and Crystal Palace during the past two campaigns. Having already triumphed at Wembley this term—beating Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final—confidence will be sky high.

Man City are expected to put a struggling Chelsea side to the sword, but must avoid complacency in the capital. Pep Guardiola will demand his players maintain their standards following eight wins from the past nine matches.

Rodri Dilemma Persists

City’s only real fitness concern heading to Wembley is Rodri. The Spaniard has been absent with a groin issue since the Premier League win over Arsenal last month, and remains a doubt this weekend despite his recent return to training.

Abdukodir Khusanov returned from his brief setback during the midweek win over Crystal Palace, during which Guardiola made significant changes. Joško Gvardiol is another to have made his comeback against the Eagles, a first appearance since fracturing his leg against Chelsea back in early January.

James Trafford will replace Gianluigi Donnarumma as City’s cup goalkeeper of choice, while Erling Haaland, Jérémy Doku and Rayan Cherki will all return to the XI after being benched on Wednesday night.

⚠️ Key absentees, doubts: Rodri
🔢 Predicted formation: 4-2-3-1

Man City Predicted Lineup vs. Chelsea (4-2-3-1)

GK: James Trafford—Guardiola will retain faith in backup goalkeeper Trafford, who underscored his credentials with a fine triple save in March’s Carabao Cup final.

RB: Matheus Nunes—Nunes will spend his day out at Wembley bombing up and down the right wing, although he will have to keep close tabs on compatriot Pedro Neto.

CB: Abdukodir Khusanov—Khusanov’s City career began with an error-strewn performance against Chelsea, but the young defender has come on leaps and bounds since. He’s a worthy starter at Wembley despite competition from the likes of Rúben Dias, John Stones and Nathan Aké.

CB: Marc Guéhi—Guéhi lines up against his former club as he looks to win back-to-back FA Cup titles. The Englishman was instrumental to Palace’s triumph over City in last term’s final.

LB: Nico O’Reilly—City’s Carabao Cup final hero will aim to deliver on the big stage once again. Powerful forward forays into the penalty area will require special attention from Chelsea.

CM: Bernardo Silva—A 19th piece of silverware as a City player awaits Silva on Saturday in what will be his last ever final for the club. It would be a fitting farewell for the Portuguese maestro.

CM: Nico González—Guardiola would love to call upon Rodri for the final, but might have to lean on Nico, City’s semifinal match-winner, to marshal the midfield instead.

RW: Antoine Semenyo—Semenyo notched his 19th goal of the campaign against Palace midweek, the Ghana international deservedly earning a nomination for Premier League Player of the Season, too.

AM: Rayan Cherki—Cherki’s showboating caught the eye in the Carabao Cup final and he certainly has the capacity to be the decisive figure at Wembley this weekend. A brief cameo on Wednesday means he’s well-rested.

LW: Jérémy Doku—Doku has spearheaded City’s recent charge for silverware, and the explosive Belgian winger now has seven goals involvements in as many matches. He scored in the 2023–24 FA Cup final defeat for City and netted a crucial equalizer in this year’s semi.

ST: Erling Haaland—Haaland doesn’t have an inspiring record in cup finals, never finding the net in one for City. That could change on Saturday, especially given his recent goalscoring form and Chelsea’s iffy defensive record.

READ THE LATEST MAN CITY NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FC

Add us as a preferred source on Google