Manchester City Vs Chelsea Preview: Probable Lineup, Team News, Prediction

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Manchester City welcome struggling Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday as they look to seal the 22/23 Premier League title.

Manchester City Vs Chelsea Preview: Probable Lineup, Team News, Prediction

A victory against The Blues will be enough to see them crowned champions of the Premier League for a third successive season.

Chelsea on the other hand are looking to get a revenge having already lost three times against City this season, including a 1-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge in January thanks to a second-half strike from Riyad Mahrez.

Match Preview

Noisy neighbors Man City are poised on winning the treble this season after watching their city rivals Manchester United win it 24 years ago.

The Citizens are on the verge of winning three trophies of their own this season and writing their name into footballing history.

Pep Guardiola has successfully guided his City side to the second Champions League final after thrashing Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate.

Bernardo Silva (2), Manuel Akanji and Julian Alvarez all scored to set up a final showdown with Inter Milan in Istanbul on June 10.

Manchester City have also booked their place in the FA Cup final in what will be an unprecedented Manchester-derby final at Wembley.

But it is looking like Manchester City’s primary focus are on increasing their league points n Sunday that will ensure the Premier League trophy remains in their grasp for a third season.

This will see City achieve a remarkable feat only achieved twice previously by Man United between 1998 and 2001 and between 2006 and 2009.

Guardiola’s side are currently four points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand above second-placed Arsenal.

And City are currently enjoying one of their customary winning runs at the perfect stage of the season, claiming all three points in each of their last 11 Premier League games.

Manchester City Vs Chelsea Preview: Probable Lineup, Team News, Prediction

The Premier League Champions are also having a mad home form in all competition, as they have won all 16 matches at the Etihad since the turn of the year, scoring 56 goals and conceding only seven in the process.

The last time Chelsea and Man City met in the FA Cup, City thrashed Chelsea 4-0 in the third round early in January.

That win made it five times since Man City beat Chelsea after the 2021 Champions League Final in Porto where The Blues emerged Champions.

Should they win Chelsea and win the Premier League on Sunday, they will now focus on hunting down two more pieces of silverware next month.

Chelsea appear to be heading for their first bottom-half finish in the Premier League since 1995-96 after being forced to play out a 2-2 draw with relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest last weekend.

Manchester City Vs Chelsea Team News

Man City’s only injury concerns is for defender Nathan Ake who has missed the last three games with a hamstring injury but has been perfectly replaced by Manuel Akanji.

Guardiola is expected to make a few changes to his starting lineup, with either Aymeric Laporte joining in defence at the expense of Akanji or Kyle Walker.

Mahrez has scored four goals in his last three meetings with Chelsea and might start in place of Bernardo Silva on the right flank.

Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez are also hoping to find their way back into the first XI after beginning on the bench in midweek.

Ilkay Gundogan, who has scored four goals in his last two league games, will pair up with Kevin De Bruyne, who has registered seven assists in his last nine matches.

They are both expected to start again in advanced roles in behind the Premier League’s top scorer Erling Braut Haaland.

Chelsea on the other hand are battling with an injury plagued players, Reece James, Ben Chilwell, Marc Cucurella (all hamstring), Mason Mount (pelvic), N’Golo Kante (groin) and Armando Broja (knee) are all ruled out.

Manchester City Vs Chelsea Preview: Probable Lineup, Team News, Prediction

Kalidou Koulibaly (hamstring) and Mateo Kovacic (unspecified) are both doubtful and but are likely to be assessed ahead of kickoff.

Lampard is still trying to know if he will stick with Edouard Mendy in goal or recall Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Wesley Fofana could be handed a start in central defence alongside Thiago Silva and Benoit Badiashile should Lampard go for a back three formation.

Kai Havertz, Joao Felix, Noni Madueke, Mykhaylo Mudryk and Hakim Ziyech will all fight for a place in the frontline with ex City star Sterling, who will surely start following his recent run of goals for the Blues.

Probable Lineup

Manchester City probable starting lineup:

Ederson; Walker, Dias, Laporte; Stones, Rodri; Mahrez, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Grealish; Haaland

Chelsea probable starting lineup:

Kepa; W. Fofana, Silva, Badiashile; Azpilicueta, Kovacic, Fernandez, Gallagher, Hall; Sterling, Havertz

Manchester City Vs Chelsea Prediction

Man City have the strength in depth to dispatch a Chelsea outfit even if Guardiola decides to rotate his team as the Blues have struggled all season.

Man City have won their final home league fixture in eight of the last nine seasons and here at Futballnews, we expect them to win comfortably.

We say the game will end with Manchester City winning Chelsea 3-0, but you can never overrule the element of surprise.

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