Manchester City and Chelsea meet on Saturday with both sides looking to gain an advantage in the chase for UEFA Champions League competition in the English Premier League, with both unlikely to reignite their former title hopes. These two already met at Stamford Bridge earlier this season with Pep Guardiola’s men winning 2-0 and now they meet again at Etihad Stadium with his side needing a response to their midweek defeat away at Paris Saint-Germain.
It was not the Citizens’ first capitulation of the season in Paris, with three goals shipped in 22 minutes as part of a 4-2 loss which leaves them in danger of failing to reach the knockout phase. Guardiola and his players have a tough run of Chelsea, Arsenal, Newcastle United, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest in the English Premier League. City have lost their three EPL games immediately after a European game in midweek, but they are unbeaten in seven against the Londoners with five wins.
Chelsea stole a point late on against Bournemouth before seeing off Wolverhampton Wanderers with relative ease to end a five-game winless run in the EPL. The Blues have failed to win any of their last 10 encounters with City across all competitions since their UCL final win back in 2021. Enzo Maresca’s side have taken more points on the road than at Stamford Bridge this term but are without a win in three away from home having kept just one clean sheet from 16 road games at City while failing to score seven times.
Here’s our storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
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How to watch and odds
- Date: Saturday, January 25 | Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Etihad Stadium – Manchester, England
- Watch: Peacock Premium
- Odds: City +100; Draw +300; Chelsea +225
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Season so far
City’s six-game inbeaten streak with 23 goals scored and just four conceded came crashing down in Paris as Guardiola watched his side throw away a two-goal lead and lose 4-2. The Citizens have also failed to win from nine games across all competitions when they were in the lead. After a tricky run around the turn of the year, Chelsea have won two and drawn one from three games which is enough to return to the top four and ahead of City in fifth by two points.
Team news
City: Ruben Dias is a doubt along with Nathan Ake while Jeremy Doku and Oscar Bobb are also not expected to be ready. Rodri is out long-term while Kyle Walker is in the process of joining Milan. Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis have all joined the club and could feature here although unlikely from the start. Jack Grealish will be hopeful of a start after his midweek showing while Savinho and Kevin De Bruyne could also provide backing for Erling Haaland.
Possible City XI: Ortega; Lewis, Stones, Akanji, Gvardiol; Kovacic, Bernardo; Foden, De Bruyne, Savinho; Haaland.
Chelsea: Romeo Lavia, Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile and Mykhaylo Mudryk are all out while Levi Colwill and Enzo Fernandez are also doubts. Robert Sanchez should continue in goal ahead of Filip Jorgensen despite some recent mistakes while Reece James might not be fit enough to start consecutive games yet so Malo Gusto could return. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall could pair with Moises Caicedo in the middle while Jadon Sancho will be hoping to start ahead of Noni Madueke or Pedro Neto and Cole Palmer should continue behind Nicolas Jackson against his former club.
Possible Chelsea XI: Sanchez; Gusto, Tosin, Colwill, Cucurella; Dewsbury-Hall, Caicedo; Neto, Palmer, Sancho; Jackson.
Prediction
Although Chelsea have the quality to possibly take all three points, City need to react after their Parisian nightmare so expect to see an improved effort which should be enough for a point. Pick: City 1, Chelsea 1.
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