Manchester City vs Chelsea: Without a Coach, The Blues are Threatened to Become Victims at the Etihad

Erling Haaland, ready to bring three points for Manchester City (photo: x @ManCity)

Jakarta - Manchester City is in a superior position ahead of the duel against Chelsea in the 20th week of the English League at the Etihad Stadium, Sunday, January 4. This match is getting heavier for the visiting team after Chelsea decided to part ways with coach Enzo Maresca, making them travel to the home of the defending champions without a permanent captain.

Chelsea have not been able to defeat Pep Guardiola's troops since the 2021 Champions League final. Since then, City has recorded 11 unbeaten matches against the Blues in all competitions, a record that is very likely to continue this weekend against a Chelsea that is experiencing instability.

Drama again enveloped Stamford Bridge at the start of the new year. Maresca officially left the coach's seat after 18 months, despite presenting two trophies, namely the UEFA Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup. However, disappointing domestic performance, with only two league wins from the last seven matches, made the management take a firm step.

Overall, Chelsea have only recorded two wins from the last nine games in all competitions. This record is getting bitter considering their away record to the Etihad, where Chelsea have never won in the last seven visits since the 2-1 victory in May 2021 in the era of Thomas Tuchel.

Currently Chelsea is in fifth place in the standings, three points behind Liverpool in fourth place. However, the point gap in the middle of the table is very close. The Blues are only one goal ahead of Manchester United, one point ahead of Sunderland, and two to three points ahead of a number of other competitors. A loss in Manchester could potentially complicate their top four ambitions.

Manchester City themselves come with added motivation. The pace of six consecutive victories in the English League was halted after being held without a goal by Sunderland in the last match. The result makes Arsenal now leading the title race by four points, and has the opportunity to go further before City plays, so victory is a death penalty for Guardiola's team.

Even though it ended in a draw, City still showed competitive performance. The meeting record also favors the hosts, with 11 unbeaten matches against Chelsea since the consecutive defeats in 2021. Chelsea's internal situation which is not yet stable further increases City's chances to dominate again.

In terms of the team, City must be aware of a number of injury problems. Savinho and Nico Gonzalez had physical problems in the last match and could follow Oscar Bobb, John Stones, and Mateo Kovacic to the treatment room. Omar Marmoush and Rayan Ait Nouri are also absent because they defend their respective countries in the African Cup of Nations. However, the return of Rodri to full minutes was an important injection. Erling Haaland, who was barren in the last match, remains the main threat after scoring two goals in the previous home match.

Chelsea also came up with a list of absences that was not light. Levi Colwill, Romeo Lavia, Dario Essugo, and Jorrel Hato are confirmed to be absent, while Marc Cucurella is still under observation. The absence of Moises Caicedo due to card accumulation is a big blow in the midfield. Interim coach Calum McFarlane is expected to continue to rely on Cole Palmer as the attack engine from the second line.

With the condition of both teams, City is considered to have a significant advantage, both in terms of stability, quality, and momentum. Chelsea is predicted to still find it difficult to match the intensity of the home game.

The score prediction leads to Manchester City's 3-1 victory, a result that could extend City's dominance over Chelsea to 12 games unbeaten.

The line-up:

Manchester City: Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O'Reilly; Silva, Rodri, Reijnders; Cherki, Foden; Haaland

Chelsea: Sanchez; Acheampong, Fofana, Chalobah, Gusto; James, Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Garnacho; Pedro