LONDON: Mauricio Pochettino has promised his Chelsea side will attack Manchester City when they travel to the Premier League champions’ Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
Chelsea and City drew a memorable game 4-4 at Stamford Bridge in November, with former City player Cole Palmer scoring a penalty in stoppage time for the hosts to snatch a point.
Chelsea have endured mixed fortunes since, losing half of their 12 league fixtures, though they could climb to a season-high seventh place with victory against Pep Guardiola’s side, depending on results elsewhere.
With 14 games to go, Chelsea have already scored three more league goals than they managed in the whole of the previous campaign, when only four sides netted fewer.
Chelsea manager Pochettino insisted there was no chance his team would sit and wait for City, who have lost just once at home in the English top flight in almost two years, to come on to them.
“If we go there and wait to see what’s going on, it’s a team that can dominate you and will make you suffer,” the Argentine said on Friday. “The most important thing we realized is that we need to attack, be able to run and to make the effort all together.
“The most important thing is to go there and be brave, to challenge them.”
Saturday’s game will be the first time Palmer has returned to the Etihad since his £40 million ($50 million) move to west London in September.
Before making the switch, the 21-year-old scored for City in this season’s Community Shield, which was lost on penalties to Arsenal, and in the UEFA Super Cup win over Sevilla.
He is top scorer for his new club, with 12 in all competitions, and has been arguably the standout success of co-owner Todd Boehly’s £1 billion transfer spend.
Palmer had previously hinted he joined Chelsea because he feared he would not get sufficient game time at City.
“He’s not the type of player that needs to prove anything,” said Pochettino. I think he really is very grateful for his period at Manchester City, (but) he left the club because he wanted to find another challenge and to have the possibility to play more.
“Man City have an amazing squad. (Clubs) make decisions that we think are the best for the team. It doesn’t mean someone is not a good player.
“Sometimes the circumstance doesn’t match. Players want to leave, and you can’t stop them because you can’t provide the game time.”
Guardiola, speaking at his own pre-match press conference on Friday, said it was no surprise that Palmer had done so well.
“The stats and the way he is playing, he is already an exceptional player,” he said. “He got the minutes he wanted, and it was just a question of time — he has shown his quality.”
Pochettino vows Chelsea will attack Man City
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Pochettino vows Chelsea will attack Man City
- Chelsea and City drew a memorable game 4-4 at Stamford Bridge in November
- “The most important thing is to go there and be brave, to challenge them,” said Pochettino
Watkins goal earns Villa win at Lille, Bologna and Roma draw
- Porto won 2-1 at VfB Stuttgart and Panathinaikos beat Real Betis thanks to a late penalty
- Watkins netted his first European goal of the season
VILLENEUVE-D’ASCQ, France: Aston Villa came away from Lille with a 1-0 win thanks to Ollie Watkins’ goal in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie on Thursday, while Bologna and AS Roma played out a 1-1 draw in the all-Italian clash.
Porto won 2-1 at VfB Stuttgart and Panathinaikos beat Real Betis thanks to a late penalty after playing the final half hour with 10 men.
Watkins netted his first European goal of the season and Villa take a slender lead back home for next Thursday’s second leg.
The only shot on target in a cagey opening half came late on with Romain Perraud’s effort from distance which Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez failed to hold, but defender Pau Torres was there to clear before Lille could take advantage.
Moments earlier Villa had another escape when Lille striker Olivier Giroud was unable to direct his glancing header goalwards from close range.
Villa took the lead six minutes into the second half when Ezri Konsa sent a long ball forward which Emiliano Buendia headed on for Watkins to send a looping header over the keeper.
Amadou Onana hit a curling shot from outside the area which clipped the top of the upright as Villa pushed for a second, with Martinez making a save at the other end from Matias Fernandez-Pardo.
ITALIAN DRAW
In Italy, Bologna went in front five minutes after the break when Jonathan Rowe made a mazy run into the box before laying the ball off to Federico Bernardeschi who whipped a first-time shot in off the far post.
Donyell Malen hit the post for Roma minutes later, and it was his poked pass which set up Lorenzo Pellegrini for the 71st-minute equalizer, with the substitute firing into an empty net.
Malen had a deflected shot come off the post and Roma’s Martin Vitik saw a header from a free kick hit the crossbar as neither side could find a winner.
Porto took the lead through Terem Moffi in the 21st minute, Moffi playing a neat one-two with Borja Sainz before rifling his shot into the corner of the net.
Six minutes later 18-year-old Rodrigo Mora doubled the lead, leaping to volley home Zaidu Sanusi’s cross from the left.
Stuttgart pulled one back five minutes from the break, Deniz Undav capitalizing on a deflected pass with a half-volleyed shot on the turn.
Angelo Stiller thought he had levelled for the hosts with 20 minutes left but the goal was disallowed for offside.
Panathinaikos went down to 10 men with Anass Zaroury picking up a second yellow card and their keeper Alban Lafont kept Betis at bay with a number of fine saves before the hosts netted the winner with two minutes left.
Diego Llorente was sent off after earning a second booking for a foul on Karol Swiderski and Vicente Taborda made no mistake from the penalty spot.
