Arie Eric De Jong – Will Manchester City Win The Champions League
Manchester City, since their huge investment in 2008 by Sheik Mansour, have completely changed as a team and as a club. Throughout the years since that investment they have won many league titles and domestic cups, but there has been one trophy which has thus far eluded them. This trophy is of course the Champions League, and this year they are in the final of the competition. Manchester City will face Chelsea in the All-English final, and I have been chatting to football expert Arie Eric de Jong about what their chances are of finally lifting this coveted trophy.
The Risk They Face
Make no mistake about the fact that Chelsea are very much at the final based on merit following a blistering campaign. Admittedly they were given some luck in the draw in both the last 16 and the last 8, but having to face Real Madrid in the semi-finals was no small task. What Chelsea did to Madrid over those two legs was incredible and they really made the Spanish giants look average in both matches.
City will face a Chelsea team which is in both the final of the FA Cup and who look set to finish in the top 4, so they’ll be high on confidence. This Chelsea team under Tuchel look strong and organized, and their flare players are really coming into the fore now. Kai Havertz, Timo Werner, Christian Pulisic and Mason Mount are all playing very well, and they can certainly do some damage against City.
Keys to Victory
In the first leg City didn’t look amazing against PSG, until a fluke of a goal from Kevin de Bruyne changed their fortunes. In the seance leg against the French team however City were ins sensational form and they will need to play that way against Chelsea if they wish to get any success. The key to City’s victory, and the player they will need to produce again, was Ruben Dias. This defender has come on leaps and bounds and looks every bit the player City bought. The attacking options for City are not in question, they have so many players who can do great damage. It is down to Stones and Dias however to really resist that Chelsea counter attack and give Cit the backbone which they need.
Will They Win It?
There is no doubt that on paper Manchester City most certainly should win this final, but this is Chelsea and this is 90 minutes of football, and nothing more. For my money I think City should win it but if I were a gambling man I would be taking Tuchel’s Chelsea over Pep’s City. i think that with the balance that Chelsea have, they will eventually become victorious in this game and the grandest of all European trophies will once again elude the Blues from Manchester.
What do you think will happen once the final rolls around?