Man City looks to remain in control of their title destiny as they welcome Chelsea to The Etihad in a Sunday morning (AEDT) kickoff in Premier League play.
Pep Guardiola has recaptured the advantage atop the English top flight standings, sitting second on 52 points but with a game in hand on both Arsenal and Liverpool and only a two-point deficit from the summit.
Both challengers have games against bottom-third sides this weekend, and thus the pressure is on City to maintain their slim advantage.
Chelsea are barely clinging to a top half position, sitting 10th in the table on 34 points after topping slumping Crystal Palace last time out, but only two points ahead of 11th-placed Wolves. With the EFL Cup final to come in 10 days, the Blues must keep focus here and not let themselves wander towards that chance to secure silverware on the horizon.
Odds via Unibet.
Man City vs Chelsea prediction, odds
- Moneyline lean: Man City ($1.36)
- Score prediction: Man City 3-1 Chelsea
Chelsea looked to have turned their season around in December, with performances that seemed to foreshadow a coming run of form. That never came to light, and instead the Blues have dipped right back into their old habits.
Their dominant FA Cup win over a struggling Aston Villa last weekend seemed a positive, but they left it extremely late in the road win over Crystal Palace, needing two stoppage-time goals to secure three points. The Blues have been especially hapless on the road this year, and having suffered four consecutive defeats at the Etihad, all coming without a single goal, it's hard to see that streak ending.
Get on a same game Multi with Unibet
| Unibet (AU) | |
| Man City win | $1.36 |
| Draw | $5.75 |
| Chelsea win | $8.00 |
| Both teams to score Y/N | $1.68 / $2.14 |
| Over / Under 3.5 goals | $2.10 / $1.74 |
| Man City -1.5 goals | $1.96 |
| Chelsea +1.5 goals | -$1.87 |
Man City vs Chelsea match facts
- Date: Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024 (Sun. Feb. 18, 2024 AEDT)
- Kickoff Time: 5:30 p.m. local (4:30 a.m. AEDT / 12:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 a.m. PT)
- Location: Etihad Stadium (Manchester, England)
- Referee: Andrew Madley, VAR: Peter Bankes
- Last meeting: Chelsea 4-4 Man City (Nov. 12, 2023 | Premier League)
Man City vs Chelsea: best bet
Pick: Chelsea under 0.5 goals
Odds: $2.38 (Unibet)
Over the past few years, the Chelsea attack has gone completely silent inside the Etihad Stadium walls. The Blues have played four straight matches at this venue — two in Premier League play and one in each domestic Cup — without scoring a goal. Not since Kai Havertz scored a 42nd minute winner in a 1-0 Champions League victory in May of 2021 have the Blues breached the Man City net at this venue, a streak of 408 minutes without profit.
Chelsea does have Christopher Nkunku available for this game, but the Blues are managing his minutes closely having suffered a number of recent injuries, and it's unlikely he'll be able to go 90 minutes regardless of whether he begins on the field or amongst the substitutes.
It'll be a revenge game for Chelsea forward Cole Palmer, but Pep Guardiola knows him well and should be aware of how to stop him from hurting his former club. City have shown defensive lapses this year at times, but an FA Cup shutout of high-flying Tottenham in late January proves they can accomplish the clean sheet should they remain focused for the whole way through.
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