Are the Citizens closing the gap on Arsenal?
Two days after the outstanding final at the 2023 World Darts Championship at the Ally Pally, fans on the island can look forward to another real treat. In the course of the 19th matchday of the English Premier League an absolute top match is on the agenda, because at Stamford Bridge it comes to the remake of the Champions League final of 2020/21. However, with Chelsea against Manchester City the tip on the reigning title holders from Manchester is clearly favoured.
A look at the current betting odds on this thriller duel shows an extremely unusual picture. That odds of well over 5.00 are offered for a home win in a Chelsea home game is an absolute rarity. But the recent performances of the Potter eleven certainly justify this clear role as underdogs. In addition, Guardiola’s team can close the gap to the top of the table after Arsenal’s slip-up on Tuesday (0-0 against Newcastle). All in all, there is a lot to be said for predicting a win for the visitors in the top match between Chelsea and Manchester City
However, not only Manchester City desperately need points in their fight for the title, but Chelsea are under even more pressure. As the current tenth in the table, the Blues are far behind their own expectations. The match kicks off at Stamford Bridge on Thursday evening at 20:45.
Chelsea – Statistics & current form
Even before the re-start after the World Cup break, Chelsea officials have taken pressure off Graham Potter. After his brilliant start as Blues head coach, a lot of sand got into the gear in the last few games before the break. Although the first game after resumption was won, the 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest in the last game of 2022 was the next disappointment.
After 16 completed games, Chelsea have just 25 points on the credit side. This is the lowest tally since the horror season of 2015/16, when the Blues, then still under Thomas Tuchel, had a full eleven points more to show for it. The attacking play in particular is a bitter disappointment in 2022/23. Havertz & Co have scored just 20 goals this Premier League season. That is one goal less than Manchester City top striker Erling Braut Haaland has scored so far.
Continue to have major injury worries
Meanwhile, 47-year-old Graham Potter is only averaging 1.75 points per game (Tuchel averaged 2.07 points after 99 games). After the brilliant start (nine games without defeat), Chelsea conceded four defeats in the last seven competitive games (two wins, one draw). Qualifying for the Champions League again will be a difficult task, given the ten-point gap to fourth place.
One reason for the many disappointing performances is certainly the major injury worries. Graham Potter will also have to do without Wesley Fofana, Ben Chilwell, Reece James, N’Golo Kante and Armando Broja for the clash with the Skyblues. And especially up front, a player with goal guarantee is missing, ex-City player Raheem Sterling is the Blues’ top scorer with four goals.
The Blues are currently going through a very difficult phase and basically nobody expects anything countable in the top match on Thursday. Although at first glance the odds look lucrative on Chelsea v Manchester City, any prediction on the Potter eleven is discouraged.
Predicted Chelsea line-up:
Arrizabalaga – Cucurella, Thiago Silva, Koulibaly, Azpilicueta – Mount, Jorginho, Zakaria – Pulisic, Havertz, Sterling
Last matches played by Chelsea:
Premier League
01/01/2023 – Nottingham Forest 1 – 1 Chelsea FC
28/12/2022 – Chelsea FC 2 – 0 Bournemouth
Club friendlies
11/12/2022 – Chelsea FC 0 – 1 Aston Villa
Premier League
13/11/2022 – Newcastle 1 – 0 FC Chelsea
Carabao Cup
10/11/2022 – Manchester City 2 – 0 FC Chelsea
Manchester City – Statistics & current form
36 points after 16 games is a haul that is in the range of recent years. Nevertheless, Guardiola’s eleven is currently eight points behind league leaders Arsenal. The pressure is already enormous in the battle to successfully defend the title. With an away win, the gap would still be within the realm of the acceptable, but eight points would already be a huge burden.
13 January games without defeat
There are many arguments why betting on the Skyblues will be successful between Chelsea and Manchester City. Among other things, the direct comparison speaks in favour of Guardiola’s eleven (details below), but also statistics such as the fact that Manchester City have won the first league game of the year in each of the last ten years. The last time the Citizens lost a point was in 2012, when they were beaten 1-0 by Sunderland.
However, it is not only the first competitive match of the year that is usually successful for the reigning title holders, but in general there is hardly an upset in the month of January. City have been unbeaten for 13 Premier League games in January and have celebrated eleven wins and two draws in this period. In addition, the Skyblues have conceded only one defeat in their last 25 PL away games.
Compared to the disappointing 1-1 draw against Everton, Guardiola will rotate players such as captain Ilkay Gündogan, Joao Cancelo and Phil Foden back into the starting line-up at Stamford Bridge. Up front, the “elemental force” Erling Braut Haaland will once again provide danger. His 21 goals in only 15 appearances are breathtaking. Last year, a total of 23 goals was enough to win the goal-scoring crown, and it is quite possible that Haaland will reach that figure on Thursday. With his goalscoring prowess, betting on Haaland to score between Chelsea and Manchester City (betting odds around 1.80) is not the only option, but betting on Haaland to be the first goalscorer (betting odds up to 3.60) is also highly interesting.
Predicted Manchester City line-up:
Ederson – Ake, Akanji, Stones, Cancelo – de Bruyne, Rodri, Gündogan – Foden, Haaland, Bernardo Silva
Last matches played by Manchester City:
Premier League
31/12/2022 – Manchester City 1 – 1 Everton
29/12/2022 – Leeds 1 – 3 Manchester City
Carabao Cup
23/12/2022 – Manchester City 3 – 2 Liverpool FC
Friendly club matches
17/12/2022 – Manchester City 2 – 0 Girona
Premier League
12/11/2022 – Manchester City 1 – 2 Brentford
Chelsea – Manchester City Direct Comparison / H2H Record
In the final of the UEFA Champions League 2020/21, Pep Guardiola conceded a bitter defeat against the Blues from London and had to bury the dream of the trophy once again. Otherwise, the Blues have been a welcome opponent for the current title holders in recent years. Manchester City have won seven of the last ten direct duels in the English Premier League. In comparison, the Skyblues previously needed 25 games to celebrate seven victories.
Last season, Guardiola’s side won both games en route to winning the title and on Thursday night they could claim three straight victories over Chelsea for only the second time in PL history. In addition, City have won their two most recent guest appearances at Stamford Bridge, including back in the 2022 calendar year when their guest appearance at Chelsea was the first competitive game of the year (3-1 to Manchester City). Only against Blackburn (1993/94 to 1995/96) and Arsenal (2020/21 to 2022/23) have Chelsea lost three in a row to the same opponent in front of a home crowd. Statistics to encourage Chelsea in the top-of-the-table clash are not to be found in the direct comparison.
Chelsea – Manchester City Tip
The starting position for this clash has not been as clear-cut as it is on this Thursday evening for a long time. Even though Guardiola’s eleven stumbled in the last game, there is hardly an argument against predicting the visitors between Chelsea and Manchester City. Chelsea just can’t get going so far and find themselves in no-man’s land in the table.
Erling Haaland alone has scored more goals than the entire Blues squad this season. The offensive power of the visitors is enormous, a rattled Chelsea team will not be able to stop them. In this respect, not only is the bet on the away win recommended, but for Chelsea against Manchester City, the odds for HT/FT 2/2 have great appeal. Five units are recommended for this bet
