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After the 1970-71 season, Chelsea and Manchester City will be locking horns for the first time on the European stage. The newly crowned Premier League Champions, Manchester City, have entered their first-ever Champions League Final after beating the resilient Paris Saint Germain. Whereas, Chelsea pulled an upset by beating Real Madrid.
With the bar set beyond the sky, which blue side will emerge victorious? And most importantly who are the key players for both teams who can create the difference?
In this article, We will talk about the top 5 players that could make a difference in the Champions League final between Chelsea and Manchester City.
1. Kevin De Bruyne
The leading Ballon D’Or contender, Kevin De Bruyne was the backbone for Manchester City’s triumph over PSG in both the semi-finals legs. From his long-range pace to his maneuverer inside the box, the Belgium international holds the responsibility to take his side to Champions League glory.
2. Phil Foden
When you replace the likes of Raheem Sterling in the starting XI, there is no need for an introduction. Such is the case for England’s youngster, Phil Foden, who has time and again fulfilled Pep Guardiola’s expectations by scoring vital goals. Having power in both his foot, Foden has the ability to score from outside the box as well.
3. Mason Mount
If there is one wing, which Chelsea would want to exploit to create an abundance of chances, it will be from the right, where Mason mount has posed threats. After extreme hard work and drainage in consecutive games, this will be a perfect opportunity for Mason to seize the big stage with Chelsea.
4. Christian Pulisic
One of the United States’ brightest players, who comprise of sheer pace, talent, strength, agility, endurance and vision. With Mount on the other wing, Pulisic has found regular succession, when both these players have been able to inter-change flanks to cause a severe headache for defences.
5. N’Golo Kante
He might have not scored a goal in the Champions League for a long time, but N’Golo Kante is the mid-field backbone of Chelsea. If the boys from Stamford Bridge are to reach their penultimate goal, Kante has to be the formidable pillar to stop Kevin De Bruyne and Gundogan.
Given that Kante has the skill to outplay and outperform the best midfielders in the world, there is no better time than the UEFA Champions League Final to extend upon his legacy.
If City are a powerhouse on the offensive end, then they sure have some defensive vulnerabilities. Which Chelsea have made use of in the past two meetings in the season between the teams. In simpler words, if City have to win, they need to perform well defensively, but Chelsea is going to leave no stone unturned with their pace which will involve Ederson in a lot of action-packed saved.