Will Manchester City successfully defend their Premier League title this season? The next few weeks may be the determining batch of matches. Man City welcomes Chelsea FC into the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, ahead of a March that will certainly be a proving ground.
The third month of the season will see City taking on the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool, Brighton & Hove Albion and Arsenal.
Chelsea FC at Manchester City FYIs
Kickoff: Saturday Feb. 17 , 5:30 pm, Etihad Stadium
Starting XI Predictions: Chelsea FC Man City
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
PL Form, Standing Chelsea WWLLW, 10th, 34 pts Manchester City WWWWW, 2nd, 52 pts
Google Result Probability: Chelsea FC 12% Draw 16% Manchester City 72%
First things first though- they need to get a result against a very high priced Blues side that has been very up and down all season. The visitors from southwest London currently sit mid-table, indicative of the overall manner in which their season has gone.
However, all that big money talent in the squad has shown an ability to come together, at times, and get a very big result.
Could that happen again here?
Manchester City Starting XI Prediction vs Chelsea FC
Ederson; Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake, Josko Gvardiol; Rodri, Mateo Kovacic, Kevin De Bruyne; Julian Alvarez, Phil Foden, Erling Haaland
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor 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 currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Twitter.