At this point, Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel is probably in the head of Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola. After losing the first meeting to City in 2020-21, when Frank Lampard was still in charge, the Blues, with Tuchel at the helm, won the next three.
That said, the bookmakers seem to see this one was more even Steven, and not heavily favoring the London club. Both sides are priced at +165 to win, with a draw backed at +220.
Chelsea vs Manchester City FYIs:
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Kick-off time: 12:30 PM GMT, 25 September Saturday, Stamford Bridge
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Starting XI Prediction: Chelsea Manchester City
Team News: Chelsea Manchester City
Form Guide (All Competitions): Chelsea (DWWWW) Manchester City (WWWDW)
Chelsea FC Team News
The big concern here is goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, who has missed the last two matches due to an unspecified, but admittedly painful injury. He could be in contention to be back in between the sticks here.
Said Tuchel: “We’ll try and do everything for Saturday and to reintegrate him tomorrow in individual training and hopefully Thursday for team training. But not yet.
“I think it’s possible [against Man City] but it’s a race against pain and time, so let’s see. If team training goes well he can be ready for Saturday, but I don’t know right now.”
This looks like the match that will see Christian Pulisic finally return to the Chelsea bench. He hasn’t played since August, having contracted covid-19 and then suffer an ankle injury shortly after he conquered the coronavirus.
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.
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