Chelsea are meeting last season’s Premier champions Manchester City in a Carabao final match. The game is watched all over and football pundits see it as the match decider for sack-threatened Maurizio Sarri but Kante, French and Chelsea mid fielder is of a different thought.
N’Golo Kante insists Manchester City are beatable – despite their Etihad humiliation. Chelseaface Pep Guardiola’s reigning champions at Wembley in the Carabao Cup final just a fortnight after losing 6-0 at City in their worst ever Premier League defeat.
But despite the thrashing which put Maurizio Sarri’s job in danger, Kante claims they can beat City having beaten Guardiola’s men at Stamford Bridge in December after losing the Community Shield last August.
Chelsea midfielder Kante, whose said: “I think it’s possible. They are not unbeatable. We need to go with a lot of hope and to prepare for the game in the best way.
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“They are a great team. We played them three times this season. In the last three months we played them at home and away. They were two different games.
“The manager will come up with a plan for the game. We need to know that we can win like at Stamford Bridge, or we can lose as at the Etihad. Everything is possible. It gives us more awareness of this team.
“After our last result against Man City, it was difficult to accept the defeat. We lost again against Manchester United. The victory (against Malmo) is good to give us confidence and look forward to the final in the best way and to be ready, to hopefully win the final.
“Every defeat like this is difficult to accept as a player. At Chelsea we are not used to that. It was difficult to accept.”At the end we cannot change it. We need to accept it and go forward and do better. That’s what we try to do.”
Kante has also found himself under the spotlight this season as, despite winning back-to-back titles with Chelsea and Leicester as a hugely successful midfield anchorman, he has been shunted forward to make way for Jorginho in Sarri’s tactics.
But World Cup winner Kante insists he enjoys the role even though Chelsea appear to be missing the defensive side of his game.
Kante said: “It is something possible but the manager decides. It’s fine, it’s fine. Like I say, I like this position. I’m with the manager and I’m enjoying the way I’m playing now.
“Sometimes the manager wants me to play in this position. It is a position I used to play when I was in France. I’m enjoying participating more in the offensive positions to change the game. I am enjoying it.”