It’s very hard to lose to the same team four times in the same season, right? Well, with Frank Lampard in charge of Chelsea right now, I could definitely see it happening this Sunday when they visit Manchester City.
The Blues lost the reverse fixture, 1-0, on January 5, with the Sky Blues then knocking the southwest Londoners out of the FA Cup, besting them 4-0, just three days later. That third round exit was mirrored in the EFL Cup, back in November, when City won that match 2-0. So on aggregate, City has a 7-0 advantage over Chelsea this season.
Chelsea FC at Manchester City FYIs
Kickoff: Sunday May 21, 4pm, Etihad Stadium
Team News: Chelsea Manchester City
Starting XI Predictions: Chelsea Manchester City
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
“Fun” Fact: City eliminated Chelsea from both cup competitions this season.
Head to Head: Man City wins: 64, Draws: 39, Chelsea wins: 71
Although it is worth noting that the Blues still have the all-time advantage, as you can see from the statistic listed above.
Blues Team News
The extremely injury prone N’Golo Kante is hurt (groin issue) once again, as he’s now been shut down for the rest of the season. He joins the likes of Mason Mount, Armando Broja and Reece James. At this point, you can say that they’re the lucky ones.
Elsewhere Mateo Kovacic may be joining that group soon, as he was subbed off at halftime of the Nottingham Forest disaster with an unspecified issue. Nothing is really known about his condition at this time, but he’s a doubt to say the least.
Finally, Marc Cucurella is expected to return, either here or next week, from the thigh issue that forced him to miss out against the Tricky Trees.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.