In what could be a thrilling match, the reigning Premier League champions will face off against Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium. Pep Guardiola’s team has gained momentum with ten consecutive victories in all competitions, including Erling Haaland and his teammates. Chelsea, despite a slow start, has shown signs of improvement with three wins in their last five games. The previous encounter between these two teams ended in a heated 4-4 draw, with Cole Palmer, a former Manchester City player, scoring the equalizer for Chelsea in the 90+6th minute.
Manchester City has been dominant in their recent matches, consistently finding the back of the net. Although they have faced setbacks in their past ten games, they have managed to come back and secure victories. Chelsea, on the other hand, has made significant progress, but could face a tough challenge from City. Considering all factors, it is likely that Pep Guardiola’s team will comfortably secure three points at the end of the match.
Player to watch: Erling Haaland
Prediction: Manchester City 4 – 1 Chelsea
Manchester City to win: 1.85
Chelsea to win: 4.64
Draw: 5.60
Manchester City will be without Bernardo Silva, Jack Grealish, and Josko Gvardiol due to minor injuries sustained during the game against Copenhagen. Sergio Gomes and Mateo Kovacic are also unavailable due to extended injuries. Meanwhile, Chelsea will be missing veteran defender Thiago Silva, as well as Benoit Badiashile, Wesley Fofana, Robert Sanchez, Marc Cucurella, Reece James, Romeo Lavia, and Lesley Ugochukwu, who are all sidelined with lengthy spells out.
Predicted line-ups:
Manchester City: Ederson; Walker, Dias, Stones, Ake; Rodri; Bobb, De Bruyne, Alvarez, Foden; Erling Haaland.
Chelsea: Petrovic; Gusto, Disasi, Colwill, Chilwell; Fernandez, Caicedo; Palmer, Gallagher, Jackson; Nkunku.
The match between the defending champions and Chelsea will take place at the Etihad on February 17, 2024. Kick-off is scheduled for 12:30 PM EST, and fans in the United States can watch the live action on Peacock’s streaming network. In the United Kingdom, the game will be broadcasted live on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League, and Sky Sports Ultra HDR, starting at 5:30 PM (UK time).
According to the Source essentiallysports.com