Manchester City breathed a sigh of relief on Saturday afternoon ending the weekend with their deficit to Premier League leaders Arsenal trimmed to five points.
Arsenal’s 1–1 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge was the ideal result for Pep Guardiola’s side, but many would suggest that the Cityzens currently aren’t reliably producing a level of performance that will thrust them to another league title.
They’ve had issues away from home, too. City have won just a third of their Premier League fixtures on the road this season, but this is a game they seldom struggle in. Fulham haven’t beaten the Sky Blues since 2009, with City winning the last 18 head-to-head meetings.
A busy schedule means Guardiola will surely tinker with the team that initially started so well against Leeds, but there won’t be wholesale changes. Here’s how the visitors could line up at Craven Cottage.
Man City Predicted Lineup vs. Fulham (4-1-4-1)
GK: Gianluigi Donnarumma—Guardiola will hope his towering goalkeeper avoids a fifth yellow card on Tuesday, because he’ll need the Italian between the posts for Sunderland’s visit this weekend.
RB: Abdukodir Khusanov—Matheus Nunes has enjoyed a prolonged run in the Premier League XI, but it was his mistakes that brought Leeds back into the game on Saturday. Thus, there could be a switch at right back in the week.
CB: Rúben Dias—Continuity has been important for Guardiola at the heart of his defence. Although City were troubled by Leeds’s direct approach in the second half at the weekend, Dias will likely keep his place.
CB: Joško Gvardiol—The Croatian international had an up-and-down game last time out. He’s generally been excellent this season, but he struggled in the second half on Saturday. Raúl Jiménez presents a tricky test.
LB: Nico O’Reilly—The burgeoning fullback is keeping summer arrival Rayan Aït-Nouri out of the team.
DM: Nico González—With Rodri absent, González has become a hugely important figure in City’s engine room.
RW: Oscar Bobb—Bernardo Silva is a booking away from a suspension, so Pep may preserve the experienced Portuguese for the weekend. Bobb could get the nod instead, with Savinho falling out of favour again.
CM: Phil Foden—Foden was City’s saviour at the weekend, with his brace bookending a mixed display from his team. He’s reemerging as a superstar within Guardiola’s framework.
CM: Rayan Cherki—City’s central combinations aren’t quite as proficient with Cherki out of the side. The Frenchman teed up Foden’s superbly taken winner last time out.
LW: Jérémy Doku—Doku hasn’t hit the heights of his Liverpool performance after the November break, but the Belgian will likely keep his place down the left.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Man City Predicted Lineup vs. Fulham: Cherki Starts at Craven Cottage.
