Man City vs Chelsea Prediction

🔊 Will the central match of the tour meet expectations? It will take place on January 25th at the “Etihad,” where Manchester City, still struggling with a crisis, will host Chelsea. Despite all circumstances, bookmakers see Guardiola's team as the favorite. However, the “Blues” are higher in the table and definitely do not intend to give up their place in the top-4 to the “Citizens.” In our prediction, we will discuss whether they will remain in the Champions League zone by the end of the 23rd round, and also select the optimal bet for the upcoming match.

📊 Head-to-head

Last season, Chelsea twice took points from the “Citizens” (1:1; 4:4) in the Premier League and gave them a competitive match in the FA Cup semi-final, losing 0:1. In the first round of the current EPL season, the “Blues” failed to achieve the desired result (0:2), but once again looked very respectable. Man City has significantly declined since then, while the Londoners have become a formidable force. Therefore, it is worth considering a bet on the visitors not losing.

⚪ Manchester City

Just as the “Citizens” managed to delight fans with a total thrashing of Ipswich (6:0), they immediately shocked them again. During the week, the team lost to PSG (2:4), despite having a two-goal lead early in the second half. The defense of the English champions still looks like a sieve, so the long-awaited exit from the crisis is postponed. The management is actively working in the transfer market, spending solid money on promising Abduqodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis, but young defenders are unlikely to integrate into the squad quickly. However, quick adaptation of experienced Omar Marmoush can be expected. The Egyptian should soon start making an impact in the attacking actions of the “Sky Blues,” at least that’s what Pep hopes for. The Spaniard would surely like to rely on Rodri, Bobb, and Ake, but they cannot take to the field. Also in doubt for the upcoming game is Jeremy Doku.

🔵 Chelsea

Unlike the “Citizens,” Chelsea has already dealt with European competition matters. The team finished their participation in the group stage of the Conference League back in December, comfortably taking 1st place in the table. However, this did not help them avoid a dip in domestic performance. The victory over Wolverhampton (3:1) was the “Blues’” first in six recent rounds. Enzo Maresca's charges typically created a large number of scoring chances (3.15xG) and deservedly came out on top, maintaining their position in the top-4. It’s worth noting that due to injuries to Benoît Badiashile and Wesley Fofana, the “Blues” recalled Trevoh Chalobah from loan, and he delivered an excellent match against the “Wolves,” becoming its best player. Apart from the aforementioned central defenders, suspended Mudryk will not play in the upcoming meeting, and there are doubts over Enzo, Colwill, and Lavia.

⚽️ Goal Prediction

In matches against strong opponents, Man City's defense is falling apart, as was recently demonstrated by PSG players. That’s why we do not consider a low-scoring scenario possible. We believe total over 2.5 goals will play out again, as it did in 6 of the last 7 home matches of the “Citizens.”

🚩 Corner Prediction

While City has slumped in results, they maintain their standard when it comes to corners, being the most corner-taking team in the league (an average of 7.91 corners per game). Guardiola's team has delivered at least 5 corner kicks in 5 consecutive matches and in their last 5 head-to-head encounters with Chelsea in the EPL. Our bet is total over 4.5 corners by the hosts.

📝 Match Prediction

Enzo Maresca is unlikely to insist on possession, so Man City will probably take control of the ball. But whether they will benefit from it is a big question. Meanwhile, Chelsea's reactive attacking group will tear apart an unusually vulnerable home defense on quick breaks. We do not consider the “Citizens” favorites and expect that the “Blues” will not only take points from them but also win, perhaps with a score of 2:1. However, we don't need such risks, so as a key proposal we suggest one of the bets mentioned above - Chelsea will not lose. Right now, for Guardiola and company, the Champions League is more important, where there is a chance of sensationally not making it to the playoffs. The Londoners, preparing for a game within a weekly cycle, will be better prepared both physically and psychologically, which should ensure them the necessary result.