January 25. 7:30 p.m. Manchester. Etihad Stadium
Premier League. 23rd day
Manchester City – Chelsea (Londres)
Injuries: None
Suspensions : Oscar Bobb, Rodri, Nathan Ake – Enzo Fernandez, Levi Colwill (both – uncertain), Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile
Bookmakers for Manchester City against Chelsea
Everything has changed since these teams clashed for the last time in the first round, which ended with a 2-0 victory by Manchester City! At the time, City was the big favorite for the title, while Chelsea was simply to secure a place in the Europa League. Now Manchester City and Chelsea are direct rivals in the race for a place in the Champions League, separated by only two points in the classification, adding an additional meaning and intensity to this duel.
The intrigue is further reinforced by the presence of Chelsea coach, Enzo Maresca, who was assistant from Pep Guardiola to Manchester City in the previous season.
Chelsea
Chelsea has finally ended her five -game series without victory. Enzo Maresca team defeated Wolverhampton 3-1 on Monday on Monday, which hopes the coach, will give Londoners a new momentum for the rest of the season. The Blues had not tasted the Premier League victory since December 15, when they had won a 2-1 tight victory against Brentford. This setback series had dropped them from second place outside the top four, but the victory against the Wolves allowed Chelsea to return to the Champions League area.
In the match against Wolverhampton, the Londoners did not show their best shape. They took the advantage thanks to a goal from Tosin Adarabioyo, who has found the net regularly lately (the central defender had marked a double against Morecambe in FA Cup). However, the Wolves equalized before the break following an error by the Chelsea goalkeeper, Robert Sanchez. In the second half, the Londoners took control of the meeting: Marc Cucurella gave his team the advantage and Noni Madueke sealed the victory for the Blues.
-The return to the top four comes at a crucial moment, before a serious test against Manchester City, which does not let go Chelsea. The reigning champions accuse a delay of only two points, but gradually regain their rhythm and improve their classification. After an unexpected fall in November and December, the Pep Guardiola team scored 20 goals in their last four games.
Manchester City
Manchester City dazzled in his outside match against Ipswich. The reigning champions crushed the newcomers of the Premier League with an incredible score of 6-0, and the team leaders, Erling Haaland, Kevin de Bruyne and Phil Foden, show signs of return to their best form. The latter also scored a double for the second consecutive match by adding a decisive pass to his number of achievements. However, as the PSG match in the Champions League shows, the Pep Guardiola team only took advantage of the weaknesses of its opponent, because it is still far from its optimal form.
At the start of the second period, the Citizens led 2-0 in Paris but lost control of the match, which led to their defeat. The meeting against PSG marked the ninth match this season when Manchester City could not keep its advantage, including three in their last four outings in the Champions League. After the match, Pep Guardiola admitted that the opponent was tactically better prepared. The Parisians saturated the midfielder and created a digital advantage in this key sector, which prevented the Citizens from establishing control over the ball:
“They were very fast, winning the duels. Our best defense is the possession of the ball, but we could not establish this.”
Guardiola’s words confirm that the main problem that Manchester City faces this season, especially due to the absence of Rodri, is the lack of speed and physical power in the midfield. As long as this problem is not solved, it will be extremely difficult for Citizens to find their best shape.
Manchester City against Chelsea: planned alignments
Manchester City against Chelsea: Author’s prediction
Recently, clashes between Manchester City and Chelsea did not produce a plethora of goals. During the last four of the last five games between these teams, all competitions, no more than two goals were scored. The only exception was a thrilling 4-4 draw in November 2023 at Stamford Bridge. It will be difficult for Manchester City and Chelsea teams to reproduce such a spectacle. However, given the problems encountered by the two teams, especially in defense, a match rich in goals seems likely this time. My prediction is that Manchester City will not lose + total above (2.5).
