Big Match Breakdown: Manchester City v Chelsea

Team news, stats and tips ahead of PL clash

Manchester City will be looking for their third win in a week when they face Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium this afternoon.

The Citizens have beaten Arsenal 3-0 in back-to-back encounters to secure the Carabao Cup and tighten their grip on the Premier League.

Chelsea, on the other hand, have slipped to fifth in the table and require three points to ramp up the pressure on Tottenham Hotspur in fourth.

The Coral News Team have looked over all of the key areas in another Big Match Breakdown…

Head-to-Head

There hasn’t been a lot to split these two in recent years. Both sides have won three games apiece since the start of the 2015/16 season. Only one of City’s wins has come at the Etihad – a 3-0 success in 2015.

Earlier this season, Kevin De Bruyne scored the only goal of the game as the Citizens secured a narrow 1-0 success at Stamford Bridge.

Likely XIs

Pep Guardiola could keep with the same team which saw off Arsenal on Thursday night. Nicolas Otamendi and Vincent Kompany are expected to retain their positions at centre-half. Meanwhile, Ilkay Gundogan should continue to deputise in the absence of Fernandinho. Raheem Sterling is pushing for a first start since 13^th February.

Chelsea have no new injury problems to deal with ahead of today’s game. David Luiz, Ross Barkley and Tiemoue Bakayoko all remain out. Cesc Fabregas could replace Danny Drinkwater in midfield, while Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud are vying for the sole spot up-front.

Key Battles