Chelsea vs Manchester City Predictions

• Chelsea’s five meetings with sides in the top-eight have seen just five goals in total
• Chelsea have scored once in five clashes with the top-eight
• City have scored 18 goals fewer than at this stage last season
• The visitors have seen under 2.5 goals in 86% of their away games in the league

City tight-lipped on missing men

With Man City returning to training on Wednesday, this big Premier League clash looks set to go ahead. While the Citizens are struggling with several – as yet unnamed – quarantined absentees, they arguably want to play this one more than Chelsea.

The Citizens have serious concerns about fixture congestion ahead. Meanwhile, Frank Lampard’s side could have been given extra time to get Hakim Ziyech back to fitness. In the many inquests into the Blues’ patchy form this term, the fact that they’ve only impressed with Moroccan on the pitch has been largely unnoticed.

Tough test for Lampard

Even if Ziyech makes it back, this is a tough test for Lampard. After finishing 2020 with just one victory from five, their expensively assembled squad isn’t delivering.

Lampard has averaged 1.70 points per game as Chelsea manager, the same record as Andre Villas-Boas at the club in the Premier League. The pressure is growing on the Blues’ boss, which leaves him likely to resort to his usual approach for big games.

Chelsea’s meetings with the sides from ninth and below this term have seen an average of four goals scored per game. However, their bigger tests have averaged a goal per game – only one of which scored by a Chelsea player. Clashes with Tottenham and Manchester United have finished 0-0, showing an improved defensive set-up along with limited creativity.

City’s scoring woes

City may still be playing with their usual style, but scoring goals hasn’t come easy for them so far. They’ve scored 21 times in 14 games so far, having hit 30, 44, 43 and 39 goals by this point in Guardiola’s first four campaigns at the Etihad.

This season, just 21% of City’s games have finished with three of more goals scored. On the road, 86% of their matches have seen fewer than three goals. City haven’t scored more than once in any of their last six Premier League trips. With Chelsea clicking into defensive mode for this big clash we are backing under 2.5 goals as our first prediction.

Neither of these two have beaten a fellow top-eight side this season. Chelsea have drawn three of those clashes, with two 0-0s. Given how the pair are looking in attack, we’d expect this one to play out the same way.

Chelsea injuries and team news

Chelsea are sweating on the fitness of Hakim Ziyech, while Reece James is considered a doubt.

Man City injuries and team news

The club have confirmed that both Kyle Walker and Gabriel Jesus have COVID, but they haven’t revealed any further first-team players who are isolating.