Manchester City v Chelsea big match guide: Betting preview and tips, statistics, odds, pundits' predictions and more for Premier League clash
The headline fixture in the Premier League this weekend comes from the Etihad, as Man City host Chelsea in Saturday's evening kick-off.
Pep Guardiola's Manchester City will be hoping to bounce back from their disappointing defeat at Anfield last time out, to avoid falling even further behind in the title race - they are currently nine points adrift of Liverpool.
The Citizens have already lost more times in the opening 12 games of this term than during their entire 100-point campaign in 2017/18 and slipped to fourth, below the visitors. The trip to the north-west will be a big test for Frank Lampard's youthful Blues.
They will be hoping to continue their red-hot form by winning a seventh successive Premier League match.
Here, we put together everything you need to know for the huge clash...
Latest odds (via Sky Bet)
Man City - 4/9 | Draw - 19/5 | Chelsea - 5/1
Price Boosts
- Tammy Abraham and Raheem Sterling both to score - 7/1
- Manchester City to win 3-2 - 20/1
Click here to check out the latest markets
Odds correct as of 1500 GMT on 22/11/19
What the managers say
- Pep Guardiola (Manchester City):
"Chelsea in the last many years have been an incredible top team. Lampard is consistent in his ideas - the results are there. I'm happy for him. I don’t know him very well, but I've had a little bit and got information of him here and he is an excellent person."
- Frank Lampard (Chelsea)
"I still see them as the same strength. I've watched them a lot this international break. They've had their injury problems but they are a great team and still as big a threat as they always have been.
"It's a great test tomorrow, head to head, to see where we're at. But anyone can go to Manchester City, play at their best and still lose.
"So I won't be making huge judgements, win or lose, without a doubt. Our story is three months in the making. Their story has been four years and more of hard work from top to bottom."
Team news
- Manchester City
To appear here
- Chelsea
Christian Pulisic is in contention for Saturday's Premier League trip to Manchester City, with the United States forward back in full training after a groin concern.
Callum Hudson-Odoi could miss out however due to a minor hamstring issue picked up on England duty.
Predicted XIs
Man City: Ederson; Walker, Stones, Fernandinho, Mendy; De Bruyne, Rodri, David Silva; Mahrez, Aguero, Sterling.
Chelsea: Kepa; Azpilicueta, Zouma, Tomori, Emerson; Kante, Jorginho, Mount; Willian, Abraham, Pulisic.
How to watch it
The Etihad clash will be live on Sky Sports Premier League/Main Event, kicking off at 1730 on Saturday, November 23.
Alternatively, if you cannot watch it, fear not. We will be covering the match with our live blog on SportingLife.com from around 1715. Then at full-time, we will have a report, video highlights, reaction and stats.
Betting preview
- By Paul Higham
It's the big one of the weekend and about as intriguing as big games get as Manchester City go into the game in unfamiliar circumstances, coming off a bad defeat and sitting in fourth in the table - looking up at Chelsea a point above them.
City's defence was a shambles at Anfield and, as good as they are going forward, if they're that bad against Frank Lampard's flying Blues then they'll have their hands full again. Chelsea have won six on the spin in the league and are the top scorers on the road - while nobody has scored more at home than City.
Everywhere you look there are goals - amazingly Chelsea's away games average five goals per match this season, and with Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount and Christian Pulisic all looking dangerous they'll fancy their chances up at the Etihad.
City always seem to score though, and Pep Guardiola normally gets a response out of his side after a loss, although he's had a little too much practice of that this season already. It's tough to call, and 5/1 on a Chelsea win looks huge given the run they're on, but preference always has to go to City at home - probably even more so when they've a point to prove.
So while we're not quite confident enough to predict a Chelsea win, there's at least a goal here for them, maybe more, and with City coming flying out of the traps, that goal could well come on the break early, in what we're anticipating to be a breathless first 45 minutes.
Prediction: Manchester City 3-1 Chelsea (Sky Bet odds: 10/1)
The Tactics
Alex Keble looks at how the tactical battle between Frank Lampard and Pep Guardiola will be played out in Manchester City's clash with Chelsea.
Read more by clicking here, or the image above.
Pundits' predictions
The Soccer Saturday panel make their predictions for Saturday's big Premier League game as Manchester City play Chelsea at the Etihad.
Read more by clicking here, or the image above.
Nothing certain for title-chasing Reds
Former Liverpool defender Phil Thompson says it's too early to crown the Reds as Premier League champions, and sets out his plan for them to end their long title drought.
Read more by clicking here, or the image below...
Opta stats
- Manchester City have won five of their last eight Premier League meetings with Chelsea (L3), as many as they had in their previous 21 against them in the competition (W5 D4 L12).
- Chelsea have lost three of their last four Premier League away games against Man City (W1), including suffering their biggest ever defeat in the competition in this exact fixture last season (0-6).
- This is just the fifth time in the last nine seasons that Manchester City are facing Chelsea in a Premier League game while below them in the table – the Citizens haven’t won any of the previous four in that time (D2 L2).
- Manchester City have already lost three Premier League games this season – just one fewer than they did in the whole of 2018-19, and one more than they did in 2017-18.
- Chelsea are looking to win eight consecutive away games in all competitions for the first time in their history.
- Manchester City (19) are the highest home goalscorers in the Premier League this season, while Chelsea (18) have scored more on the road than any other side. The Blues have scored at least twice in their last five away league games, last having a longer such run in December 2008 (7).
- In his entire managerial career, only against Liverpool (5) has Man City boss Pep Guardiola lost more games in all competitions than he has against Chelsea (4).
- Man City striker Sergio Agüero has scored more Premier League goals against Chelsea than any other player in the competition’s history (10). The Argentine has netted eight goals in his last six against the Blues, including a hat-trick in this exact fixture last season.
- Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic has scored five goals in his last three Premier League games, and is looking to become the first ever American player to score in four consecutive appearances in the competition.
- Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham has scored the first goal in five different Premier League games this season, at least two more than any other player. The England forward is also the highest away scorer in the league in 2019-20, netting as many or more goals on the road than 15 of the other 19 clubs in the division (7).
Podcast: Premier League weekly
We may have been without top-flight action last weekend but there's still plenty to discuss in the latest episode of our Premier League Weekly podcast.
Tom Carnduff, Paul Higham and George Pitts dissect England's performance in their European Championship qualification group, alongside those nations that have caught the eye over the international break.
We look ahead to the latest round of Premier League games, where Manchester City's clash with Chelsea is the headline act. Pep Guardiola's side will know the latest situation with Liverpool facing Crystal Palace at 3pm.
There's plenty of pressure around the league currently with five managers potentially facing the sack. We look at huge games between Arsenal and Southampton alongside West Ham's meeting with Tottenham.
All that and much more in the latest episode!
Listen:
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