Unless heavy snow spoils it, we’re about to witness a super-exciting game on Sunday. Manchester City vs. Chelsea is not only a clash between two top-class Premier League teams, but a clash between two different football philosophies. On one side, you have Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, a team all about scoring as many goals as possible. Antonio Conte’s Chelsea, on the other hand, does not care much about the goal difference – a win is a win, regardless of the score.
Still, this doesn’t mean they don’t score a lot. Chelsea have scored 50 goals this season, which is a pretty impressive record, of course, not when compared to 82 goals which is how many Man City have scored. In fact, 50 is the number of goals scored by City players this season at the Etihad only!
So, is there a chance for Conte’s side to make a huge upset on Sunday? Well, read this preview to find out! As a bonus, you have a betting tip at the bottom of the page to help you out win some money this weekend.
Manchester City
Manchester City have 22 points more than their next opponent, Chelsea. They’re at the top of the table, with 16 points more than the 2nd-placed Man United. What this means is that the title race is practically over. Only 10 more rounds are left before the official end of the season, meaning that Manchester City need to win just a couple of more games to ensure the Premier League trophy goes to them.
This whole season, Manchester City games are really enjoyable to watch. Not only have they been very efficient in front of the goal, but they’ve been pressing all over the pitch in every single game. That’s why it’s not a surprise they had no problems beating Arsenal 3:0 at the Emirates two times in a row, once in the League Cup final and once in the Premier League.
Another indicator that we’ll see another fantastic Man City performance on Sunday is the fact that this team has a pretty relaxed schedule after the Chelsea game. Next week they play Basel in the Champions League, after beating the Swiss 4:0 in Switzerland two weeks ago. Man City also have some pretty easy Premier League games to play in March – against Stoke and Everton.
Chelsea
Currently on the 5th spot of the Premier League, Chelsea have bigger ambitions than getting a spot in the Europa League. This team wants to earn their place in the Champions League next season. But, in order to do that, they either need to win it this year or end the Premier League season on one of top 4 spots.
The latter option seems much more reasonable, as Chelsea plays against Barcelona in the 1/8 finals of 2017/2018 Champions League. In the first match, in London, the result was 1:1, meaning that the Blues would need a victory in Barcelona to advance in the competition. They probably realize this, which is why it wouldn’t be a surprise if they moved their focus entirely on improving their position in English Premier League. They still have a good chance to end up on the 2nd place at the end, but the problem is that their schedule is pretty difficult. In the last 10 games of the season, the Blues take on heavyweights like Tottenham, Liverpool, and of course, Manchester City.
Team News
Manchester City absentees:
- Fabian Delph (suspension)
- Fernandinho (injury)
- Benjamin Mendy (injury)
- Raheem Sterling (doubtful)
- Kyle Walker (doubtful)
Chelsea absentees:
- David Luiz (injury)
- Tiemoue Bakayoko (doubtful)
- Ross Barkley (doubtful)
Manchester City vs. Chelsea Possible Lineups
Manchester City: Ederson – Otamendi, Kompany, Zinchenko, Danilo – Gundogan, David Silva, De Bruyne – Sane, Bernardo Silva, Aguero
Chelsea: Courtois – Azpilicueta, Christensen, Rudiger – Fabregas, Kante, Moses, Alonso – Willian, Hazard, Morata.
Manchester City vs. Chelsea Prediction
Manchester City seem unstoppable at the moment, even for such a quality team like Chelsea. Everything but a home win would be a surprise. I would against betting on goals as rough weather conditions might make players feel uncomfortable on the pitch.
Manchester City vs. Chelsea Betting Tip
Manchester City @1.61
