Manchester City vs Chelsea: Predicted lineup, injury news, head-to-head, telecast

Published at :February 15, 2024 at 2:46 PM

Modified at :February 15, 2024 at 2:46 PM

The reverse fixture was an 8-goal thriller at Stamford Bridge

The Etihad Stadium hosts Manchester City are rolling really well in the Premier League. Having played a game less than league leaders Liverpool, they are just 2 points away from the top. After securing a 3-1 win in the first leg of their Round of 16 UEFA Champions League fixture against FC Copenhagen, Pep Guardiola’s men will turn to league business against Chelsea.

The visitors, Chelsea are currently in a mid-table position in the English first tier among the 20 clubs participating. Mauricio Pochettino’s men are plagued with injury crisis although they have managed to pull out to two back-to-back 3-1 wins of late in all competitions. The task to upset treble winners may sound daunting but the Blues had fought for a 4-4 draw back in November 2023.

Kick-Off:

Saturday, 17 February 2024 at 5:30 PM UK (11:00 PM IST)

Location: Etihad Stadium

Form

Manchester City (in all competitions): W-W-W-W-W

Chelsea (in all competitions): W-W-L-L-D

Players to Watch

Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)

Having the Belgium midfielder is like going into a match already 1-0 up at the moment. Kevin De Bruyne scored just inside the 10-minute mark last game in UCL. Since coming back from injury, the number 17 has assisted in every league game of 2024.

Cole Palmer (Chelsea)

Could a Man City youth product come back to haunt his old club? Maybe. Cole Palmer has only played for two clubs in his career. Before making a switch to the Blues of West London in the summer of 2023, Palmer was in the ranks of the Sky Blues of Manchester. The attack-minded player already has 10 goals and 6 assists this PL season

Match Facts

The Cityzens are on an 11-game winning run in all competitions
The visitors have scored 6 goals in their last two matches, winning 3-1 each, in all competitions
Their last meeting ended in a 4-4 draw at Chelsea’s stomping ground

Injury & Team News

Everything is positive for the hosts at the moment apart from a few injuries. Jack Grealish was again found troubled with his groin last match and is likely to miss out on this action. Bernardo Silva also hurt his ankle and his action might be limited. City will have to do without Josko Gvardiol, Sergio Gomez and Mateo Kovacic.

The Blues have a very lengthy first-team injury list. The names on the list are – Benoit Badiashile, Reece James, Lesley Ugochukwu, Marc Cucurella, Robert Sanchez, Rome Lavia, Thiago Silva and Wesley Fofana.

Head to Head

Total Matches – 176

Manchester City wins – 65

Chelsea wins – 71

Draws – 40

Predicted Lineup

Manchester City predicted lineup (4-1-4-1):

Ederson (GK); Walker, Stones, Dias, Akanji; Rodri; Foden, De Bruyne, Alvarez, Doku; Haaland

Chelsea predicted lineup (4-2-3-1):

Petrovic (GK); Gusto, Disasi, Colwill, Chilwell; Caicedo, Fernandez; Palmer, Gallagher, Nkunku; Jackson

Match Prediction for Manchester City vs Chelsea

The Cityzens are very stubborn at the moment. All past 11 games concluded as a win. And as they are in a prime position in the league, it is less likely for them to gear down the title chase. Although the Blues have managed to win their last two fixtures, City just might humble them at the Etihad Stadium.

Prediction: Manchester City 3-1 Chelsea

Telecast for Manchester City vs Chelsea

India – Star Sports, Disney+ Hotstar

UK – Sky Sports, TNT Sports, Amazon Prime Video

US – NBC, USA Network, Peacock

Nigeria – SuperSport, NTA, Canal+ Afrique

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