Manchester City have set their eyes on another Premier League title, but that won’t be easy as Liverpool have basically the same plan. This means that there’s no rest for Man City till the end of the season. They need to keep on winning everything. And this includes one of the best Premier League teams, Chelsea, which comes to the Etihad on Sunday afternoon. If you want to make some money betting on this game, make sure to read our Manchester City vs Chelsea prediction & betting tips!
Manchester City
City lost to Newcastle on the final Tuesday in January, which came as a warning that they need to be 100% focused on every match in order to get the much-needed points. Obviously, the game with Chelsea is big on its own, but they need to be extra careful at the back. Although City’s center-backs are fantastic, they’re obviously not too strong. In the defeat to Newcastle they struggled to tame Salomon Rondon; can they handle Gonzalo Higuain?
The thing about Manchester City is that they like to keep the ball in their possession. And that is the main reason why they haven’t allowed more goals. Right now, they’re the second-best team in the Premier League when it comes to defense. The fact is that their weakest point is their defense, especially when playing against teams from the top 6. Actually, Man City have allowed at least a goal in every match against the teams from the top 6 places since October when they beat Tottenham 1:0.
Speaking of their record against the top 6 clubs, they lost to Chelsea in the first half of the season. It was 2:0 for the Blues. Still, that game was played at the Old Trafford and Man City are much better when playing at home. Actually, they’re the best home team with 12 wins and only 1 defeat.
Chelsea
Chelsea are still flying very high, even though their form in the last couple of weeks hasn’t been that impressive. Actually, January was a month they’d like to forget. They played 0:0 with Southampton in their first match of 2019. Some two weeks later, they lost the London Derby to Arsenal and finally, in their last game in January, Chelsea got hammered by Bournemouth 4:0.
The good news is that they’ve bounced back right away by beating Huddersfield 5:0. Surely, thrashing the worst team in the league isn’t much of an achievement but the win has certainly given them a big confidence boost. We saw Gonzalo Higuain scoring twice in that game, which made Chelsea fans optimistic about this future in the club.
In the same game, we also saw Eden Hazard back in his favorite position. Instead of playing a false nine, he’s back on the win, playing as an inside forward. And same as Higuain, he also scored twice in that game.
Team News
Manchester City absentees:
- Vincent Kompany (injury)
- Benjamin Mendy (injury)
Chelsea absentees:
- None
Possible Lineups
Manchester City
Ederson – Stones, Otamendi, Walker, Laporte – Fernandinho, David Silva, Gundogan – Bernardo Silva, Sane, Aguero
Chelsea
Kepa – Luiz, Rudiger, Azpilicueta, Alonso – Kante, Jorginho, Barkley – Willian, Hazard, Higuain
Manchester City vs Chelsea Prediction
According to the bookies, Man City are the favorites here. Still, I think this is going to be a very close game. Chelsea have a belief in themselves that they can beat any opponent with such a powerful final third, so I expect them to attack from the very beginning. And such a game can go either way. So, better stay away from betting on the outcome; better bet your money on goals!
Manchester City vs Chelsea Betting Tips
- BTS @1.75 (bet365)
- Over 2.5 Goals @1.64 (1XBET)