Match Preview: Manchester City vs. Chelsea – Prediction, H2H Stats, Team news, lineups

Manchester City and Chelsea meet at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday for a Premier League match three months after their thrilling 4-4 draw at Stamford Bridge. The Citizens are trying to catch Liverpool at the top, while West London are trying to finish in the top seven.

As they chase another historic triple, Man City have plenty more fixtures, but Pep Guardiola’s side have had no trouble putting together another winning streak in the second half of the season. The Citizens have won their past 11 matches across all competitions, starting with a Club World Cup win in mid-December and ending with a 3-1 away win over Copenhagen in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 matchup on Tuesday.

Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, and Phil Foden gave Man City a two-goal lead heading into their second leg at home in three weeks. They now focus on closing the two-point gap between them and leaders Liverpool, who could move five points clear if they beat Brentford on Saturday lunchtime.

Man City have three home games in their next four and will appreciate a return to the Etihad, where they have won their past 22 Premier League games. They have also won six of their past eight top-flight home matches against Saturday’s opponents Chelsea, keeping a clean sheet in five. However, Guardiola’s side have conceded in 11 of their last 13 Premier League games, and they cannot afford to show any defensive frailties this weekend against a Chelsea side that scored four goals in the reverse fixture and eight in their last three games this month.

Chelsea’s mid-table mediocrity has been caused by their frustratingly inconsistent form, but after two four-goal defeats to Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers, head coach Mauricio Pochettino has had some relief after two crucial 3-1 away wins over Aston Villa and Crystal Palace.

Five days after beating Villa in an FA Cup fourth-round replay with their best performance of the season, the Blues trailed Palace at halftime after failing to register a shot on target despite 80% possession at Selhurst Park. After the break, Chelsea changed their approach, and ex-Eagles player Conor Gallagher scored twice before Enzo Fernandez secured the win in stoppage time.

Few can be surprised to see Chelsea in 10th place after 24 Premier League games with 10 wins, four draws, and 10 defeats, but they are only two points behind Newcastle United in seventh and seven points behind Manchester United in sixth, two teams Chelsea yet to play at home.

Pochettino and co. must find consistency quickly to climb the table, but Saturday could be difficult as they have lost all seven of their last seven matches with Man City since winning 1-0 in the 2021 Champions League final and conceding in 18 of their last 19 Premier League matches with the Citizens.

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Team News

Guardiola has stated that Jack Grealish (groyne) and Josko Gvardiol (ankle) will miss two to three weeks, while Bernardo Silva (ankle) will be evaluated before start. Although Sergio Gomez has returned to first-team training, Mateo Kovacic, who missed the past two games with a slight knee injury, is available for selection.

Ruben Dias might be joined at centre-back by John Stones or Manuel Akanji, who could also play in midfield alongside Rodri, with Nathan Ake continuing on the left side of defence in Gvardiol’s absence. In Grealish’s absence, Jeremy Doku and Foden will compete for a left wing start, while Julian Alvarez will try to return to the first team after being rested in midweek. If fit, De Bruyne and Bernardo could play behind Erling Haaland, who scored a brace at Stamford Bridge earlier this season.

Due to Thiago Silva’s groyne injury versus Palace, Levi Colwill will return to the first team to join Axel Disasi at centre-back for Chelsea. In the treatment room are Benoit Badiashile (groyne), Wesley Fofana (knee), Marc Cucurella (ankle), Reece James, Romeo Lavia, and Lesley Ugochukwu (all hamstring). Carney Chukwuemeka hurt his ankle in training this week and is out for selection

After recovering from a knee injury, keeper Roberto Sanchez will replace Dorde Petrovic in the Blues’ goal.

In recent weeks, Pochettino has used former Man City man Cole Palmer as a false nine, but the Argentine could move the youngster, who scored a last-minute penalty against the Citizens earlier this season, back to the right flank to allow Nicolas Jackson or Christopher Nkunku to lead the line. Nkunku scored a hat-trick with former club RB Leipzig in his last visit to the Etihad.

Manchester City possible starting lineup:
Ederson; Walker, Dias, Ake; Stones, Rodri; Bernardo, De Bruyne, Alvarez, Foden; Haaland

Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Sanchez; Gusto, Disasi, Colwill, Chilwell; Fernandez, Caicedo; Palmer, Gallagher, Jackson; Nkunku

Prediction

Manchester City 3-1 Chelsea

Head-to-head

• Chelsea are winless in seven league and cup games against Manchester City since beating them 1-0 in the 2021 Champions League final.
• November’s 4-4 draw at Stamford Bridge ended a run of six consecutive City victories in all competitions in this fixture.

Manchester City

• City are vying for a 12th consecutive win in all competitions and a seventh successive league victory.
• Pep Guardiola’s team are unbeaten in 22 home league fixtures (W18, D4), with the 2-1 defeat by Brentford in November 2022 the only loss in their past 36 top-flight matches at the Etihad Stadium.
• They have gained 17 points from losing positions this season, three short of their highest figure in a Premier League campaign, set in 1993-94. Only Liverpool have come from behind to win more points in 2023-24.
• City are three shy of scoring 600 league and cup goals under Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium. They officially already have 599 in designated ‘home’ games, having netted twice in a Champions League match staged in Budapest in 2021 because of coronavirus complications.
• They have scored in each of their past 44 home fixtures, amassing 135 goals in this run.
• The reigning champions have the chance to record back-to-back Premier League clean sheets for the first time since their opening two games of the season.

Chelsea

• The Blues have won six and lost six of their 12 top-flight matches since drawing 4-4 with Manchester City on 12 November.
• November’s 4-1 win at Tottenham is their only away league victory this season against a side currently above them in the table.
• Mauricio Pochettino has only won one of his 12 league and cup away matches as a manager against Pep Guardiola (D2, L9) – Espanyol’s 2-1 victory at Barcelona on 21 February 2009.
• Chelsea have accumulated a league-high 75 yellow cards this season, including nine for striker Nicolas Jackson.
• Conor Gallagher has netted three goals in Chelsea’s last two matches in all competitions, as many as he managed in his first 75 appearances for the Blues.
• Both Raheem Sterling and Cole Palmer scored for Chelsea against former club Manchester City in November’s reverse fixture – no player to have previously played for City in the Premier League has scored home and away against them in a single season.