Manchester City and Chelsea will be desperate to return to winning ways when they lock horns at the Etihad on Sunday.
Gameweek 20 of the 2025/26 Premier League will conclude on Sunday as the games continue to come thick and fast. The action on an action-packed day will start with the match between Leeds United and Manchester United at Elland Road before ending with Manchester City vs Chelsea at the Etihad.
Manchester City’s excellent winning run ended earlier this week as a resolute Sunderland held them to a goalless draw at the Stadium of Light. The result was a blow to the Citizens’ Premier League title aspirations, and they have fallen four points behind Arsenal heading into Gameweek 20. So, Pep Guardiola will push his charges to return to winning ways this weekend.
On the other hand, Chelsea’s disappointing run continued earlier this week, as Bournemouth held them to a 2-2 draw. Enzo Maresca has since lost his job as the head coach, and the search for the West London club’s next head coach has begun. In the meantime, Calum McFarlane will take interim charge of the first team against Manchester City, leaving the Blues in a spot of bother.
The corresponding fixture last season saw Manchester City come from a goal down to beat Chelsea 3-1 after Noni Madueke put the Blues in front in the third minute. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester City
Pep Guardiola has new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Manchester City manager may be bereft of the services of at least half a dozen players vs Chelsea on Sunday.
Guardiola is sweating over Nico Gonzalez’s fitness after he sustained a knock in the game against Sunderland, and he faces a late fitness test to determine his availability. John Stones (muscular), Mateo Kovacic (ankle), Oscar Bobb (hamstring), and Savinho (unspecified) are in the treatment room. Meanwhile, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Omar Marmoush are at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Gianluigi Donnarumma is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Manchester City lining up in a 4-3-2-1 formation in front of him vs Chelsea on Sunday. The backline will feature Matheus Nunes, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, and Nico O’Reilly.
As for the midfield unit, Rodri will return to the starting eleven for the first time in months, lining up alongside Bernardo Silva and Tijjani Reijnders in the middle of the park. Finally, Erling Haaland will lead the line for Manchester City against Chelsea, with Rayan Cherki and Phil Foden completing the numbers in the offensive unit.
Probable Lineup (4-3-2-1): Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Silva, Rodri, Reijnders; Cherki, Foden; Haaland
Chelsea
Like his counterpart in the Manchester City dugout, Calum McFarlane has a new issue to worry about ahead of the trip to the Etihad. Chelsea’s interim head coach may be without as many as seven first-team players on Sunday.
Moises Caicedo is the latest absentee, and he will serve his second suspension of the 2025/26 Premier League season this weekend. Levi Colwill (knee), Romeo Lavia (hamstring), and Dario Essugo (thigh) remain in the treatment room.
Additionally, Mykhailo Mudryk’s suspension continues after he failed a doping test over a year ago. Meanwhile, Marc Cucurella (hamstring) and Jorrel Hato (knock) face late fitness tests to determine their availability.
Robert Sanchez will take his usual spot between the sticks, with Chelsea lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Manchester City on Sunday. The backline will feature Josh Acheampong, Trevoh Chalobah, Benoit Badiashile, and Malo Gusto.
As for the midfield unit, Reece James will pair up with Enzo Fernandez in the double pivot. Cole Palmer will reprise the no. 10 role, with Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho being the two wide attackers. Finally, Joao Pedro will spearhead the Chelsea attack against Manchester City on Sunday, with Liam Delap dropping to the bench.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; Acheampong, Chalobah, Badiashile, Gusto; James, Enzo Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Garnacho; Joao Pedro
Key Stats
- Manchester City are unbeaten in their last eight Premier League games vs Chelsea (W6 D2), their joint-longest run without defeat against the West London club in their league history (also eight between 1936 and 1949). City have only failed to score in one of their last 22 Premier League games against Chelsea, losing 2-0 at Stamford Bridge in December 2018.
- Chelsea have won their first league game in just one of the last nine calendar years (D6 L2), beating Fulham 1-0 in 2024.
- Manchester City have won their last eight Premier League home games, netting three or more goals in seven of those, including the five most recent clashes at the Etihad. They last scored three or more times in more consecutive home league games between April and October 2022 (10).
- Chelsea have won just one of their last seven Premier League games (D4 L2), having won five of their previous six (L1).
- Chelsea have dropped 15 points from winning positions in the Premier League this term, as many as in the whole of 2024/25. They last dropped more in 2022/23 (18). However, 13 of these 15 points dropped have come at Stamford Bridge.
- Cole Palmer’s last nine Premier League goals for Chelsea have come in London. The English international has not scored outside of the capital since December 2024 (vs Southampton), and he has not found the back of the net north of London since August 2024 (vs Wolves).
Player to Watch
Erling Haaland
While Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro, and our top FPL transfer recommendation Rayan Cherki were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Erling Haaland as the Player to Watch for Sunday’s Premier League clash between Manchester City and Chelsea at the Etihad.
Haaland has scored 11 goals in eight Premier League home games for Manchester City this term, netting twice in five different games. The last player to score twice or more in more home matches in a season was Haaland himself in 2022/23 (6). With such numbers, it is hardly surprising that the Norwegian international is the go-to player for Pep Guardiola and our resident captaincy candidate in FPL.
Prediction
Manchester City 3-0 Chelsea
Chelsea’s recent performances against Manchester City have often left a lot to be desired. So, after parting ways with Enzo Maresca and adding to the chaos around the club, the struggles should amplify. Additionally, the hosts are in superb touch, their goalless stalemate with Sunderland notwithstanding.
So, while Cole Palmer and his teammates will take the game to Manchester City, they may not be in the right state of mind to get anything from the game. Meanwhile, Erling Haaland, Rayan Cherki, and Tijjani Reijnders will deliver the goods for the home side. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-0 win for Pep Guardiola and his charges.