Having ended Tottenham’s unbeaten start to the Premier League (PL) season with a 4-1 win on Monday, it’s a swift one-two for Chelsea who face the other side to start the round in the top-two, Manchester City. Officiating controversy shrouded Chelsea’s win against Spurs, with two red cards helping them overturn a 1-0 deficit, which is something they’ve had to do in their last two PL victories.
They likely won’t be afforded the same chances for redemption here, and considering the last four PL meetings have all ended 1-0 in City’s favour, scoring the first goal here could be key. That’s perhaps where Chelsea run into an issue, as they haven’t netted in any of their last six H2Hs since their UEFA Champions League (UCL) win in May 2021 and have worryingly blanked in three of their last four home league games this season (D1, L3).
City’s defence of their UCL crown continues to gather momentum after they beat Young Boys 3-0 in midweek to secure their spot in the knockout stages. Turning attention back to domestic matters, City actually have Chelsea to thank for the fact they come into this round top of the PL, with their victory against Spurs ensuring Pep Guardiola’s men spent most of the week looking down on the rest after their 6-1 demolition of Bournemouth last weekend.
After a late September/early October wobble that saw them lose three of four games (W1), City look to have hit their stride again, winning five in a row since their last defeat. It’s hard to find may deficiencies in this City juggernaut, but one does perhaps come in Guardiola’s struggles to win away at Pochettino-managed sides, with the City boss coming out on top in just three of the last six such outings (L3), suggesting this clash is more finely poised than the table suggests.
Players to watch: Having made the summer switch from City to Chelsea, Cole Palmer has netted all three of his goals since his move from the penalty spot. Moving the other way, Mateo Kovačič hasn’t had quite as big an impact goal scoring wise, but he has on City’s disciplinary record, collecting a yellow card in his last two PL away starts.
Hot stat: Chelsea have conceded six of their seven PL home goals this season after the break.
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