A mouthwatering showdown in the Barclays Premier League takes place on Saturday as third-place Manchester City host league-leaders Chelsea in a top-three clash at the Etihad Stadium.
Pep Guardiola‘s side have won back-to-back league fixtures for the first time since September after defeating Crystal Palace 2-1 and most recently Burnley 2-1 both away from home. Sergio Aguero was the hero last Saturday netting twice on two tap-ins to give Manchester City all three points at Turf Moor.
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Chelsea started out a tad slow, but really have kicked it in gear, winning seven straight fixtures in the league. Most recently, Antonio Conte‘s side defeated Tottenham 2-1 at Stamford Bridge a week ago in a London Derby. Goals from Pedro and Victor Moses cancelled out Christian Eriksen‘s opener.
Both sides are in good form at the moment and are fighting to stay in the title race as early as possible. Manchester City are level with Chelsea on 29 goals so far this season, which is good for second in the league, behind Liverpool (32). Defensively, Chelsea are tied with Tottenham for the fewest goals allowed so far this season (10).
Diego Costa (10 goals, four assists) is playing like a man possessed and is tied for the league lead in goals with Aguero. He has been able to score some beauties for the team but is also willing to stick his nose into the dangerous areas too. Eden Hazard (seven goals, one assist) is looking like the player of old, running the offense through himself while also scoring when needed for the team.
According to BBC Sport, players like John Stones, Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan and David Silva all could see recalls to the starting line-up this weekend, while Raheem Sterling will be monitored after suffering a knock at Burnley a week ago. Meanwhile for Chelsea, John Terry remains sidelined while John Obi Mikel‘s muscular problem with be assessed.
With a huge clash this weekend that is quickly approaching, we take a look at my three things to watch for!
1.) In the recent past, Manchester City have owned Chelsea at the Etihad.
The good news for Manchester City is that they have defeated Chelsea in six of their last eight meetings with them at the Etihad in league and cup matches. In two matches against Chelsea last season, Sergio Aguero netted four goals against the Londoners. However, this looks like a different Chelsea side under Conte. After switching to a 3-4-3 formation, Chelsea have claimed six clean sheets out of their last seven-league wins, holding a strong defensive front in-front of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. David Luiz, Gary Cahill, and Cesar Azpilicueta have been used the most in defense, and should be tough to break down.
2.) Defensively, Man City need to defend against a quick attacking front.
In years past, Manchester City’s defense has been questioned for not being good enough. In 2016, it looks like that question has been answered with Nicolas Otamendi and John Stones forming a consistent partnership. Alex Kolarov has also been forced into some playing time at CB which has allowed Pep to keep a veteran in the defense. Going up against explosive wing-backs Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso will be a test for the defenders of Manchester City. Both players bring pace and speed down the flanks, while Hazard, Pedro, and Costa lurk around the middle. To beat the best you have to defend strong against the best and Saturday will be a tough test for Manchester City defensively.
3.) Offensively, KDB has to run the show in the middle of the pack.
Last season, Kevin De Bruyne exceeded all expectations in his first season with Manchester City. In this fixture a season ago at Stamford Bridge, De Bruyne was superb, making strong runs and helping Aguero net his hat-trick by delivering neat passes. He has been a little under the radar so far this season, but with a lot of talented teammates next to him, KDB isn’t going to have all the spotlight. I feel that with him in the starting 11 will help the Manchester City attack get after the Chelsea back-line and cause problems for the over-aggressive defenders. Partnered with either SIlva or Gundogan is a must in this fixture.
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My prediction for this match is a 2-2 draw at the Etihad. I feel both sides will be strong and after 90+ minutes a draw and a share of the points will suit both teams. Be sure to check back following the match for all the news, updates, and opinions from this huge EPL showdown.