Manchester City vs Chelsea Predictions

• City have won eight straight home Premier League games, scoring 25 goals
• The Cityzens have scored exactly three goals in their last five home league games
• Managerless Chelsea have a raft of defensive absentees after a poor string of results
• Erling Haaland has 11 goals in nine league outings at the Etihad this term

Chelsea ownership hit new low

Chelsea’s poor December form saw them drift 11 points shy of second-placed Manchester City, but Thursday’s shock dismissal of Enzo Maresca on the eve of a trip to the Etihad is only expected to widen that gap.

The rash nature of the decision is summed up by the fact that interim boss Calum McFarlane – who arrived as Under 21 head coach only six months ago – needed to have his access pass amended on Friday morning so he could enter the senior side’s training centre and attend the pregame press conference.

Manchester City’s interest in having Maresca succeed Pep Guardiola was reported to be part of the decision to sack him, part of a campaign of briefings to smear a coach who won the club two trophies last season.

Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior is the odds-on favourite to succeed Maresca. That should have been a straightforward deal to do, given Chelsea’s BlueCo ownership group also owns the French club. However, the transfer market disruptors haven’t been able to tie up that deal with themselves in time for Sunday’s key Premier League game.

City are on song at home

Manchester City have won each of their last eight home Premier League games, scoring at least three times in seven of those matches. They’ve scored exactly three times in five straight home league games, which has included wins over Liverpool and Sunderland.

Chelsea have conceded twice in each of their last three games, with Nick Woltemade and Ollie Watkins each scoring braces against them during that stretch. Erling Haaland heads into this clash with 11 goals in nine home Premier League appearances, while he’s scored four goals across his last four meetings with Chelsea.

Selection issues add to Chelsea’s woes

One of the many leaked reasons for Maresca’s departure was that the Italian was overplaying stars like Cole Palmer and Reece James, against the advice of the medical team. If those two have their minutes limited here, then Chelsea could look quite stretched this weekend.

Moises Caicedo is ruled out through suspension, which is a massive blow to Chelsea’s midfield, with Romeo Lavia and Dario Essugo both ruled out. Marc Cucurella is a doubt, while both Wesley Fofana and James are injury risks if they feature more than once per week.

With Benoit Badiashile joining long-term absentee Levi Colwill on the sidelines, the error-prone Robert Sanchez will likely lineup behind a makeshift back four against the league’s most potent forward line. Add in the lack of a true holding midfield cover and their limited preparation, and Chelsea’s prospects look dim.