Manchester City vs Chelsea: Preview, Team News & Predictions
Manchester City and Chelsea are set to rub shoulders on Saturday, February 17th at the Etihad stadium in arguably the most anticipated match of the weekend.
Two giants heading in opposite directions will come together again as Pep Guardiola’s side vie for the top spot in the Premier League table.
It’s that time of the season again, where Man City seems to hit another gear, and the team has all the answers to everything thrown at them. Guardiola’s men have yet to drop points in 2024 and are on an 11-match winning run; a run of form all-too-familiar at this juncture of the season.
They played out an instant PL classic with Chelsea the last time these sides met. Surprisingly, the Blues displayed a level of strength akin to the Chelsea we associate with from the late 2000s.
The gap between the teams is clear as day, as the lighter shade of blue has left a more prominent touch than the royal, with six wins in the last eight league home games. Chelsea have collected back-to-back victories, both being 3-1 results, against Aston Villa and Crystal Palace.
Playing at the Etihad will be a true test of mettle for Chelsea, and if they can walk away with any sort of promise, it will be invaluable for Mauricio Pochettino’s squad.
Team News
Manchester City
Unfortunately for Manchester City, Josko Gvardiol has been ruled out for three weeks with an ankle injury, which boosts Nathan Ake’s probable minutes against his former employers.
Jack Grealish has also picked up a muscle injury, while Bernardo Silva’s involvement also looks to be in jeopardy after Guardiola confirmed that he sustained a ‘big knock’ midweek. While Pep stopped short of ruling Silva out of the contest, he’ll need to clear a few medical hurdles before being given the green light to suit up.
Alvarez was rested in the 3-1 win over Copenhagen and should come straight back into the XI. The Argentina international scored the only goal of the game in City’s last home match against Chelsea, in May.
Chelsea
Thiago Silva’s sliding block at Selhurst Park saw him pull his groin muscle, and he could join Benoit Badiashile at the medical bay. The latter is also nursing the same injury.
That means Levi Colwill and Axel Disasi will mostly form the heart of defense.
The West Londoners’ long list of injuries includes Wesley Fofana, Reece James, Romeo Lavia, Lesley Ugochukwu, and Marc Cucurella.
Cole Palmer will return to the Etihad in what he conceded to be a ‘strange’ return. It’ll be worth seeing where he is deployed, having been tasked with a false nine role in recent weeks.
Predicted XI
Manchester City (4-3-3): Ederson; Stones, Dias, Akanji, Ake; Bernardo Silva, Rodri, De Bruyne; Alvarez, Haaland, Foden
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Petrovic; Gusto, Disasi, Colwill, Chilwell; Fernandez, Caicedo; Palmer, Gallagher, Jackson; Nkunku
Match Prediction
Pochettino’s Chelsea have earned draws against Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester City. And although they have what it takes to go toe-to-toe with the league’s best teams, one never really knows what version of Chelsea will show up on matchday.
They’ll come out to press and play, and that could very well play into the hands of Man City. The hosts will hold width, disrupt the communication between the Blues’ center-halves and punish them masterfully.
Alas, it could prove to be another stern lesson to learn for Pochettino and co.
Predicted score: Manchester City 4-1 Chelsea
-Roy Akarshak
Twitter: @RoyAkarshak
Photo: Vojta.zurek This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.