EPL - Chelsea v. Man City
11:00 AM ET
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Good day footy fans! I'm David Esposto and welcome to theScore Live Blog's continuing coverage of the English Premier League. Today's clash features Chelsea welcoming Manchester City to Stamford Bridge, in Rafa Benitez's first game as Blues boss, albeit on the interim. -
Here is a bit of a preview:
And so it begins - The Rafa Benitez era at Chelsea. After the midweek dismissal of Roberto Di Matteo, the Spaniard, and former Inter Milan and Liverpool manager welcomes Manchester City to Stamford Bridge in a baptism of fire of sorts for the interim boss.
Can Benitez start his Chelsea career with a win? Or will City play spoiler?
Tune into theScore Live Blog to find out! -
Here are your starting XIs, formations and available substitutions for both sides:
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech; Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, Luiz, Cole; Ramires, Mikel; Mata, Oscar, Hazard; Torres. Subs: Turnbull, Ferreira, Cahill, Bertrand, Romeu, Moses, Marin,
Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Nastasic, Kolarov, Barry, Y Toure, Silva, Milner, Dzeko, Aguero. Subs: Pantilimon, Maicon, K. Toure, Nasri, Javi Garcia, Tevez, Balotelli -
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20 mins: Chelsea with a throw in deep on the left in the City half. It's played in quickly, but the guests start on the counter following a bad pass. City on the edge of the area now. Zabaleta tries to pick out Silva with a cross from the right, but its headed over the bar from the Spaniard.
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24 mins: City on the ball now with Milner down the left. He tries to slide the ball through for Kolarov, but there is too much pace down the wing, where he can't find Kolarov. But upon further review, the referee missed the touch from the Chelsea defender that would've given City the corner.
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27 mins: Good defending by Azpilicueta to come across and get a foot in on Aguero who was looking for Dzeko with a pass. It's a City throw in deep on the right. It's taken by Zabaleta, but Cole works hard to win a throw for Chelsea. But just as I type that, City have a throw in.
The visitors take the throw, but its given away to Oscar. He plays it to Mikel, but he loses the ball too. Bit disjointed early on here from the Bridge.
