Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City will look to continue their dominance when they square up against an inconsistent Chelsea at home.
Irrespective of their recent form, when Manchester City squares up against Chelsea it always promises to be a high-voltage fixture. City have put together a great run of results of late and they are very much in the race for the league title.
This fixture could prove to be very important for the defending champions in the race to retain their title. As far as Chelsea are concerned, a win against Guardiola’s men will not only help them climb up the table but it will also be a huge morale boost for them.
City are second on the points table with 52 points out of their 23 matches. They are just two points behind the league leaders Liverpool with a game in hand. They were not really doing that great in the first half of the season but as we head into the business end they have managed to get things together.
Guardiola’s team have won each of their last 11 games in all competitions and they are heading into this fixture on the back of a 3-1 win over Copenhagen. They will be confident about their chances given the kind of form they are in and the fact that the Blues are not yet back on track.
Chelsea’s struggles haven’t ended despite the number of signings they have made and the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino ahead of the start of the season. The Blues have been struggling and they are currently 10th in the Premier League.
Only a dream run from here on could help them finish in a European spot and they will be hoping for it. Out of their last five league games, they have won three and lost two. The London club are heading into this fixture on the back of a 3-1 win over Crystal Palace.
The Blues had a great day at work and they managed to claim all three points. They will be hoping they produce their best against City because that is the only way to stop the defending champions. Meanwhile, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester City
Pep Guardiola will be without the services of summer signing Josko Gvardiol. Meanwhile, the availability of Jack Grealish, Bernardo Silva, Mateo Kovacic and Sergio Gomez will depend on a fitness Test ahead of the fixture.
City could go ahead with the 3-2-4-1 formation where Ederson Moraes will be in goal. The back three will be made up of Kyle Walker, Ruben Diaz and Nathan Ake.
They will look for a clean sheet and will have the support of John Stones and Rodri who will be the two defensive midfielders in front of the back line.
Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden will provide the width to their attacks and they will have the support of Kevin De Bruyne and Julian Alvarez who will feature in a more central role.
The four will not only look to create chances for their star striker Erling Haaland but they will also have an eye for goal. This 3-2-4-1 formation is all about having the majority of the ball and pushing the opposition back and that is exactly what City will look to do.
Probable Lineup (3-2-4-1): Ederson; Walker, Dias, Ake; Stones, Rodri; Bernardo, De Bruyne, Alvarez, Foden; Haaland
Chelsea
Thiago Silva is the latest name on the injury list for Chelsea as he was forced off against Palace last time out. He joins Benoit Badiashile, Marc Cucurella, Wesley Fofana, Reece James, Lesley Ugochukwu, Robert Sanchez and Romeo Lavia on the sidelines.
Despite these many injuries Chelsea still have enough options to choose from and they do have a boost as Levi Colwill is in contention to return to the XI alongside Axel Disasi.
The Blues will stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation where Djordje Petrovic will be in goal. Malo Gusto and Ben Chilwell will be the full-back duo. They will provide much-needed support to their centre-back pairing of Disasi and Colwill.
Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo will form the double pivot in front of the backline. They will not only look to shield them but will also look to ensure they dictate the pace of the game.
Conor Gallagher will be the attacking midfielder. He will look to link up with Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson who will feature out wide on the flanks. While Jackson prefers playing number nine, Christopher Nkunku will be leading the line in this fixture.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Petrovic; Gusto, Disasi, Colwill, Chilwell; Fernandez, Caicedo; Palmer, Gallagher, Jackson; Nkunku
Key Stats
- Chelsea have won 71 out of the 176 matches against Manchester City who have 65 wins to their name.
- City are currently on an 11-match unbeaten run in all competitions.
- Pep Guardiola’s team have won six out of their last eight home matches against Chelsea in the league.
- The reverse fixture between the two teams ended in a 4-4 draw, it was their first draw after 16 matches without one.
- The Blues have only kept one clean sheet in their last 19 matches against City in the league.
Player to Watch
Christopher Nkunku
Nkunku was a marquee signing for Chelsea, he was expected to be the leader of their attack but the 26-year-old attacking midfielder hasn’t had the kind of start he would have wanted.
Since making the move to the London club in the summer, he has suffered because of injuries and has only racked up 315 minutes of first-team action in his eight outings. Nkunku has scored two goals for the Blues so far and he will be eager to prove himself against a strong opposition like City
Prediction
Manchester City 4-1 Chelsea
When the two teams met earlier in the season, the fans witnessed a high-scoring draw as both teams found the back of the net on four occasions. Both Chelsea and City were inconsistent back then and a lot has changed since.
City are on a dominating run, they have won each of their last 11 games while the Blue have been struggling. Given the kind of form the home team are in and the fact that the Blues will be without quite a few of their key players, The Hard Tackle predicts an easy 4-1 win for Guardiola’s team.
