Just three days before Chelsea’s FA Cup tie with Man City at the Etihad, the aristocrats welcome Pep Guardiola’s men to west London.
A trip to the City Ground before the New Year ended Chelsea’s terrible three-game losing streak and five-game losing streak, but the side then suffered another setback – a draw against Nottingham Forrest.
It only takes one glance at the Premier League table to make Blues head coach Graham Potter feel even more pain as his side languish in ninth place in the mid-table. Even lower than London counterparts Brentford and Fulham. Seven points separate Chelsea from a place in the top four.
While David Datro Fofana and Andrei Santos have been hailed as up-and-coming talents, another newcomer to the club, Benoit Badiashile, is set to step up. Fans are also awaiting the arrival of Argentine star Enzo Fernandez in the English capital.
As for Manchester City, Guardiola’s side lost points in the final round of the league against Everton. After Erling Braut Haaland scored his daily goal to take the Premier League season to 21 goals, Gray landed a well-placed shot into the top corner to deny City the win.
The failure to beat the Toffees saw Man City enter the new year seven points behind Arsenal in the table. That gap has since widened to eight following the Gunners’ goalless draw against Newcastle United, leaving the Magpies also one place behind the champions.
City will be buoyed by their away record ahead of the game against Chelsea, with just 1 defeat in their last 25 appearances. And the townspeople haven’t lost the first New Year’s game for 10 years.
Moreover, Manchester City knocked Chelsea out of the EFL Cup with a 2-0 victory in the third round shortly before the World Cup. The two Premier League meetings between the two sides in the 2021-22 season also ended in 1-0 wins for Guardiola’s men.
Soccer. APL. Chelsea-Manchester City. Direct
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I’m Scott Moore, a professional writer and journalist based in the US. I’ve been writing for various publications for over 8 years now, and have been working as an author at athletistic for the past five years. My work has been featured by some of the leading sports websites and magazines across Europe.
