After squandering a two-goal lead to lose 4-2 against PSG in the Champions League midweek, Manchester City must dust themselves off for Chelsea’s visit to the Etihad in Saturday’s late Premier League kick-off.
The PSG defeat means City head into the final UCL matchday outside the playoff spots, facing the very real possibility of crashing out at the league phase.
With their Premier League title defence effectively over, City’s best hope of Champions League football next season lies in a top-four finish. Pep Guardiola will need to rally his squad to ensure they can at least manage that, and victory over a top-four rival like Chelsea would go a long way toward achieving that goal.
While City have 67 wins to Chelsea’s 71 out of their 179 meetings, the Citizens have dominated this fixture recently, staying unbeaten in their last seven Premier League games against the Blues.
The last time Chelsea won at the Etihad was in May 2021, and since then, City have established themselves as the superior side in this fixture, and they’ll be optimistic about continuing that trend on Saturday.
Unlike in Europe, where City’s malaise shows no signs of abating, they’ve fared better in the Premier League, having picked up 10 points from their last 12 league outings. Four wins in their last six matches across all competitions and four or more goals scored in three of those games show just how dangerous they can be when things click.
However, City’s defensive issues remain a big concern. With Nathan Aké and Ruben Dias both unavailable and a midfield struggling without Rodri, their defence could be too exposed.
Neither Ilkay Gündogan nor Mateo Kovačić has really stepped up to fill the void, and that lack of a midfield shield could make things tricky for City here.
Etihad Test for Blues’ Attack
For Chelsea, City’s defensive problems will be a welcome sight, especially considering their poor scoring record at the Etihad. The Blues have failed to score in seven of their last 16 visits to the Etihad but will feel confident of avoiding that fate here, especially with former City man Cole Palmer in their ranks.
Palmer has been Chelsea’s most consistent attacking threat this season, with 0.92 xG+xA per 90 minutes. Considering how central he is to their attack, he looks the likeliest candidate to supply the Blues with goals here.
However, beyond Palmer, Chelsea’s support cast of Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke has struggled for consistency, and the Blues can’t keep relying solely on the former City man if they want to get a result here.
Meanwhile, even as they lick their lips at the prospect of getting at City’s weak underbelly, the visitors will do well to also think about how to shore up their own defence, having kept just one clean sheet in their last 16 visits to the Etihad.
Betting Tips: Man City Win or Draw & Both Teams to Score; Cole Palmer to Score Anytime
25/01 18:30 Manchester City – Chelsea Man City Win or Draw & Both Teams to Score @ 1.83; Cole Palmer to Score Anytime @ 2.60 (Bet9ja)
This clash has all the makings of an end-to-end battle, with both sides able to score but struggling to keep goals out.
While Chelsea lead the overall head-to-head, Manchester City have been unbeaten in their last seven Premier League encounters with the Blues.
City might not be at their imperious best this season, but their recent dominance over Chelsea makes it hard to see them losing here.
Guardiola’s side have also scored in 15 of their last 16 meetings with Chelsea at the Etihad, a stat that only strengthens their case. After putting two past PSG midweek, City will fancy their chances of finding the net against this Chelsea defence.
At the same time, it’s equally difficult to see Chelsea failing to score, given City’s tendency to concede in nearly every game.
Therefore, we recommend betting on the combo of Man City Win or Draw & Both Teams to Score (Goal/Goal) at 1.83 odds on Bet9ja.
Manchester City vs Chelsea - Man City Win or Draw & Both Teams to Score @ 1.83Another bet we really like is Cole Palmer to score anytime at 2.60 odds on Bet9ja.
Players often have a knack for scoring against their former clubs, and Palmer should be no exception.
Coming into this game with an impressive 0.92 xG+xA per 90 minutes, his attacking stats are superb. Add in the motivation of facing his old side and City’s porous defence, and he becomes a very logical choice for an anytime goalscorer bet.
Manchester City vs Chelsea - Cole Palmer to Score Anytime @ 2.60If you’re considering combining these bets, Bet9ja doesn’t currently offer a bet builder feature. However, Betano does, and you can get 4.10 odds for combining both options using their bet builder.
Manchester City vs Chelsea - BetBuilder: Man City Win or Draw & Both Teams to Score; Cole Palmer to Score Anytime @ 4.10Possible Lineups:
- Manchester City: Ortega (GK); Lewis, Stones, Akanji, Gvardiol; Kovacic, Bernardo; Foden, De Bruyne, Savinho; Haaland
- Chelsea: Sanchez (GK); Gusto, Tosin, Colwill, Cucurella; Dewsbury-Hall, Caicedo; Neto, Palmer, Sancho; Jackson
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These are the games to predict this weekend:
- Atletico Madrid – CF Villarreal
- Napoli – Juventus
- Liverpool – Ipswich Town
- Fulham – Manchester United
- Manchester City – Chelsea
- Wolves – Arsenal