Premier League Showdown: Manchester City vs. Chelsea
Clash of Titans at Etihad Stadium
The most exciting Premier League match on paper this weekend comes at the Etihad Stadium. Manchester City welcome Chelsea and it is a game that they will need to manage carefully, as the Blues have proven themselves as dangerous opponents at times this season. They recently went to Villa Park and won in the FA Cup, which will give them confidence that they can beat good teams on the road. That said, City are a class apart and the Blues will need to find another level to take the three points on Saturday.
Manchester City’s Title Race Focus
Manchester City are lurking ominously in the Premier League title race. They have the recent experience and are generally considered as the best team in the world. The returns of Kevin de Bruyne and Erling Haaland have boosted them, with both players making key contributions in recent weeks. If City win their game in hand, they will move to the top of the table. They are clear title favourites, but Guardiola won’t want to see them drop points this weekend.
Chelsea’s Quest for Consistency
There were rumours around Mauricio Pochettino’s future following the recent loss to Wolves, but back-to-back wins on the road have earned him some more time. The Argentine has yet to completely settle on his strongest team and there has been a lot of inconsistency this season. The last two matches have given them some confidence and it is important that they don’t lose momentum on Saturday. Their recent away performance at Anfield was very poor. Pochettino will be hoping to see a much better display on Saturday even if they do end up losing the game.
Interesting Stats
- Manchester City have won six of their last eight home matches against Chelsea in the Premier League.
- Chelsea have a poor defensive record in this fixture, keeping just one clean sheet in their last 19 Premier League meetings with Manchester City.
Key Men
Haaland
It was great to see Erling Haaland back in the starting eleven last weekend and he immediately found his form against Everton. The Norwegian international scored twice and underlined his quality. There may have been some concerns that it would take him time to get back to his best form, but his clinical finishing was on display. The match was a tough one for City, as Everton frustrated them for long periods. Therefore, Haaland proved the worth of having a world class striker as it was his contributions that earned the points. This season, he now has 16 goals in the Premier League, in addition to five assists. He won’t surpass his total from last season unless there is an incredible run of scoring, but he continues to be one of the league’s best and most consistent performers.
Palmer
There is only one player that will be on people’s minds this weekend when it comes to the Chelsea team. That is Cole Palmer, who makes his first return to the Etihad Stadium. It is surprising that City didn’t fight harder to keep him, as his performances this season have shown that he is easily good enough for the top level. However, Guardiola couldn’t promise him minutes and he decided to go elsewhere. In the last 18 months, players have struggled to make an impact for Chelsea after signing. Palmer hasn’t faced the same issues and has immediately emerged as the talisman for the club. His return of ten goals and six assists is incredible, with a goal involvement every 93.7 minutes. Even if you take into account that he takes penalties, that is remarkable consistency. Palmer has a point to prove and will be the player that City are most concerned about.
Team News
Mateo Kovacic is nearing a return to action, but Bernardo Silva and Jack Grealish will both be unavailable after getting injuries during the week. Josko Gvardiol won’t be back for a couple of weeks.
Thiago Silva is a doubt with a groin issue. Benoit Badiashile, Marc Cucurella, Reece James, Remo Lavia and Robert Sanchez remain on the injury list.
Verdict
Based on Chelsea’s recent away performance against Liverpool, it is difficult to see them going away to one of the best teams in the league and getting anything from the game. They were better at Villa Park in the FA Cup, but Aston Villa’s recent run suggests Chelsea faced them at a good time. City have been excellent in recent weeks and should have more than enough to claim the three points.
