Will there be nothing for the very young Blues against City again?
The top flight in the English Premier League is very diverse. The top four teams are separated by just three points. Nevertheless, it has been a familiar picture at the top of the table since the previous week. Defending champions Manchester City have taken over the place in the sun and can thank Chelsea FC, who helped them to a 4-1 win at previous leaders Tottenham last Monday evening.
On Sunday afternoon, the last two English Champions League winners will go head-to-head, but it feels like they are worlds apart at the moment. While the in-form Citizens are once again well on their way to taking control of the championship race, the Blues from London are once again in danger of slipping into PL mediocrity.
The Sky Blues have generally struggled against the capital club in recent meetings at national level. City have won all four of their most recent direct league encounters 1-0. If you believe that this curious series of results will continue, you can play a corresponding Chelsea vs Manchester City prediction for the favorite’s next 1:0 online at Oddset, among others. Incidentally, Chelsea have not lost five Premier League games in a row against the same opponent for around 30 years. That could change on Sunday at the end of matchday 12 on the island
Chelsea – statistics & current form
If you take results as a yardstick, you would be amazed at Chelsea Football Club. The 2021 Champions League triumphants won their away game at Tottenham 4:1 last Monday, achieving a statement victory that was hardly thought possible.
The truth is, however, that the Blues also benefited from two red cards and Spurs’ unconventional outnumbering tactics. Ange Postecoglou, despite having two men less on the pitch, allowed his team to continue defending high up the pitch and therefore conceded three goals in the closing stages through the quick-as-an-arrow Nicolas Jackson, who exploited the lack of defensive depth. However, we are far from overestimating this away win in the London derby. Pochettino’s side showed their usual weaknesses in equal numbers and, under normal circumstances, would have been on course for defeat.
Chelsea have taken one point from their last four PL home games
Despite their success in the north of the capital, the former English champions still only have four wins this season after eleven matchdays. They are only in tenth place in the table and the gap to the top quartet has also grown to nine points.
To make matters worse, they continue to struggle at home at Stamford Bridge. The Blues have already lost eight Premier League home games in the 2023 calendar year alone. Chelsea have also lost three of their last four matches in front of their own fans. Pochettino’s side lost 2-0 to Brentford, 1-0 to Aston Villa and 1-0 to Nottingham. With only six goals scored, the capital club has one of the weakest home offensives in the league.
In addition to the hard facts, it should be mentioned that Chelsea have a very young squad that was completely rebuilt in the summer. Jackson and Co. show flashes of potential time and again, but there are still too many lapses and lack of concentration, especially in defense. We therefore do not trust the home side to counter the Citizens’ pressure for 90 minutes without making mistakes. A commanding away win would therefore be the logical consequence.
Predicted Chelsea line-up:
Manchester City – Statistics & current form
Young winger Jeremy Doku stole the limelight in last weekend’s 6-1 win over Bournemouth. The Belgian recorded four assists, becoming the first City player ever to do so in the Premier League. The Sky Blues also leapt back to first place in the table thanks to their resounding victory over a completely overstretched Cherries and are now back at the top of the table.
In general, the reigning champions and Champions League winners are in great shape. Following the last international break in October, coach Pep Guardiola’s team played five competitive matches and won five of them. The remarkable tally is rounded off by 17 goals scored. Four of these five victories came with a handicap (-1), with an average winning margin of almost three goals
How often does Haaland score at Stamford Bridge?
It is also particularly impressive that the Citizens have only lost one of their last 68 Premier League games in which they have taken a 1-0 lead (61 wins, six draws). So if Guardiola’s side score the first goal again on Sunday, there is every reason to believe that they will win. It is also conceivable that the Sky Blues will score in both halves. A corresponding bet would have always gone through in the last three competitive matches.
Erling Haaland, meanwhile, is of course a potential goalscorer. After a temporary mini-slump with two Premier League games without a goal, he has recently been able to score at will again. The Norwegian has scored twice in three of his last four matches for Manchester City. Seven goals have been scored in the last five matches. During the week, the force of nature scored another brace in the 3-0 home win against Young Boys from Bern, despite being substituted after 60 minutes. In general, the league leaders were able to save their strength and can now rely on a rested team for the complicated visit to London.
Predicted Manchester City line-up:
Chelsea – Manchester City head-to-head comparison / H2H result
Manchester City have turned out to be a real scary opponent for Chelsea Football Club in recent years. The Citizens have not only won their last six head-to-head meetings in all competitions, but have also kept all of them scoreless (10-0). The Sky Blues have also won four in a row in the Premier League, all of them by the same scoreline of 1-0. Three PL away wins at Stamford Bridge round off the reigning champions’ outstanding record in the capital, supporting the prediction of a three-goal win for the visitors between Chelsea and Manchester City.
Chelsea – Manchester City betting tip
On paper, the rematch of the 2021 Champions League final still reads like a real cracker. Realistically, however, these two prominent teams are now (perceived to be) worlds apart. The Blues have to make do with tenth place in the table; Manchester City, on the other hand, took over at the top of the table last weekend and have already picked up twelve more points in the first eleven matchdays than their upcoming opponents from the capital.
We were therefore somewhat surprised to see respectable betting odds of 1.78 on an away win for Chelsea against Manchester City. Value is definitely on offer in our eyes, especially as the Sky Blues have won all of their last six head-to-head duels against the Blues. In the Premier League alone, City have taken all three points at Stamford Bridge three times in a row
In addition, there are obvious advantages in form, which cannot be denied by Chelsea’s 4-1 win at Tottenham on Monday evening. In general, this clear victory against Spurs, who were doubly outnumbered, should be put into perspective. Pochettino’s team is still very young, weak at home and inconsistent. Not good conditions to be able to survive against perhaps the best club team in Europe.
Between Chelsea and Manchester City, we even tend to bet that Guardiola’s team will score at least one goal in both halves. The top odds are 2.62 and are therefore worth a cautious bet of four units
