The Premier League top dogs collide on Saturday as in form Chelsea face a daunting task of overcoming one of the most inform teams in Europe, Manchester City, who are keen on making an early impression in the Premier League title race this season. Both teams will be hopeful for a win, which will propel them to an excellent start to the campaign.
Defending champions Chelsea come into this game, with an unbeaten streak of eight games in all competitions. Antonio Conte’s men registered their most recent victory against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League. The Blues were trailing for most period of the game before Morata’s strike levelled the scoreline.
Just when it was looking like a certain stalemate, substitute Michy Batshuayi scored the winner in the final minute of the game to hand Chelsea three valuable points against the Spanish giants.
Chelsea currently stand third on the table but a win can propel them to go level on points with league leaders Manchester City. Though, they’ll still presumably trail the Sky Blues thanks to an inferior goal difference.
Speaking of goal-difference, Manchester City have the highest GD than any team in the league at the moment. Furthermore, Pep Guardiola’s men are finding the back of the net at will this season. They are scoring at a whopping rate of 3.5 goals per game and Chelsea needs to be tidy at the back, if they are to see past this terrifying Manchester City squadron.
The visitors will look to maintain their status as table toppers with a win against the defending champions and hope for a Manchester United setback, which could potentially give them a three-point lead at the top come to the end of this matchday.
Team News
Antonio Conte will have the privilege to choose from an almost fully fit Chelsea squad. However, new signing Danny Drinkwater does remain out of contention with a suspected calf injury. He is yet to make his Chelsea debut, following his deadline day switch to Stamford Bridge from previous champions Leicester City. He may recover after the international break.
Pedro had a slight niggle in the game against Arsenal, but that didn’t stop him from making the bench against Atletico in midweek. He should be available for selection in the crucial game this weekend. While star player Eden Hazard marked his return to the squad in emphatic fashion as the Belgian was one of the star performers for the Blues in their win over Atletico Madrid. Abdul Rahman Baba remains the only long-term absentee for the Blues. He is not expected to return until late October or even early November.
However, David Luiz’s absence could be a big blow for Antonio Conte. He is suspended for the game, after picking up a red card against Arsenal last week.
As for Manchester City, they suffered a big blow when star player Benjamin Mendy was diagnosed and eventually ruled for the rest of the year. Fabian Delph is poised to deputize the Frenchman in his absence, though Danilo also remains an option for Guardiola. Captain Vincent Kompany is also unlikely to start, despite being back in training. While Ilkay Gundogan is back into contention after recovering from a knock picked up against West Brom in the Carabao Cup.
To make things worse for Pep Guardiola, star striker Sergio Aguero was involved in a car crash in Amsterdam, per reports. Unverified claims on Friday morning said the 29-year-old fractured a rib after the taxi in which he was traveling in Amsterdam struck a pillar. He will be ruled out for the clash on Saturday night.
Predicted Lineups
Chelsea(3-5-2 lineup): Thibaut Courtois; Azpilicueta, Antonio Rudiger, Gary Cahill; Victor Moses, N’Golo Kante, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Cesc Fabregas, Marcos Alonso; Eden Hazard, Alvaro Morata.
Manchester City(4-2-3-1 lineup): Ederson Moraes; Kyle Walker, Nicolas Otamendi, John Stones, Fabian Delph; Fernandinho, Ilkay Gundogan; Kevin de Bruyne, David Silva, Leroy Sane; Gabriel Jesus.
You can read a more detailed preview of the lineups using the links given below
Click here for projected Chelsea starting XI vs Manchester City
Click here for projected Manchester City starting XI vs Chelsea
Betting Odds:
Chelsea: 8/5
Draw: 5/2
Manchester City: 9/5
Prediction
Chelsea 0:2 Man City
