Without a doubt, the headliner fixture of the weekend is Manchester City at Chelsea FC, a series in which none of the last 12 meetings have ended in a draw, surprisingly. And while Chelsea have won the last three, the advantage over that 12 results shows City with the advantage, 7-5.
Thomas Tuchel’s side are no doubt strong Premier League title contenders, in the eyes of most keen observers, but in order to become the champs this season, they’ll first have to beat the current champions.
Chelsea vs Manchester City FYIs:
Premier League Watch Party/Book Signing: Come join The Sports Bank Founder, Paul M. Banks, at Fado in Chicago for the North London Derby on Sunday. He’ll be signing copies of his new book Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America.
Kick-off time: 12:30 PM GMT, 25 September Saturday, Stamford Bridge
Weekly Premier League Preview Podcast: go here
Starting XI Prediction: Chelsea Manchester City
Team News: Chelsea Manchester City
Form Guide (All Competitions): Chelsea (DWWWW) Manchester City (WWWDW)
Let’s take a look at who the German may select for his first team in this one. Honestly, it’s a pretty straight-forward selection motif at this point, I think Tuchel has figured out his best team, and he only has two potential selection issues in goalkeeper Edouard Mendy and winger Christian Pulisic.
Chelsea FC Starting XI Prediction vs Manchester City
Mendy; Christensen, Silva, Rudiger; Azpilicueta, Kante, Jorginho, Alonso; Mount, Havertz, Lukaku
Prediction: Chelsea 2, Manchester City 1
Until we finally see the recent trend change, there is no reason not to pick against Tuchel’s Chelsea when they play City.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, 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,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune.