Even with Euro 2024 going on, the hype about the English Premier League is no less. The official fixtures for the 24/25 season have been released by the Premier League, and the first few match days are huge. According to schedule, Monday, August 18, 2024, will see Chelsea face Premier League champions Manchester City. This will be the very first match where Enzo Maresca will be taking charge of the sidelines at Stamford Bridge. This also marks Maresca going against his former boss Pep Guardiola and his former club, the Sky Blues, and the Italian manager is compelled to start Axel Disasi as a centre back for Chelsea. There have been several talks about the defender moving away from the club. However, with the current situation of a bleak defence after the departure of Thiago Silva, that seems unlikely. The starting home game will be very difficult for the Blues.
Axel Disasi to start for Chelsea against Manchester City
To say Chelsea is running late on their luck would be an understatement. In the 23/24 campaign, however, Chelsea were pleased more or less with every performance they had against City. In their first game against City, the Blues drew 4-4, while the reverse fixture too ended in a 1-1 draw. Chelsea and City have shared points whenever they meet in the Premier League, unlike in the FA Cup. It was probable for Chelsea to go through if Nicolas Jackson was on his strong side. Point being, Chelsea, even after having a not-so-good season, always handled the champions with calm feet.
One player who stood out for Chelsea against City was the French defender Axel Disasi. This was their last encounter with City in the FA Cup. As per WhoScored, the central defender made 16 clearances, more than any other player on the pitch. Disasi also won four aerial duels in the match, leaving certain fans at Eitihad in awe. This was also the highest number of duels won by any player on the Chelsea team. Such a performance even garnered critical acclaim from the legends of the game. Gary Linekar called Disasi “fantastic.”
With a lot of key defenders missing and a lot new, Disasi is the only player who has experience at Stamford Bridge to start in a big game. Fofana is returning from a serious injury, and Tosin Adarabioyo, who is a complete new addition to the English side, only makes Disasi a probable leader in the backline. He will probably start alongside Levi Colwill or Benoit Badiashile. Given the fact that the defender is able to deliver a masterpiece performance like before, he might just make it into Maresca’s cut.
As featured on ChelseaNews.com
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