Premier League: Chelsea vs Manchester City live
Preview: Chelsea vs Manchester City
Manchester City will kick off their quest for an unprecedented fifth consecutive Premier League title as they head to Stamford Bridge on Sunday at 3:30pm GMT to take on Chelsea in their first match of the 2024-25 season. This matchup comes just two weeks after their pre-season game in the United States, where City triumphed 4-2, thanks to a hat-trick from Erling Haaland.
Enzo Maresca is the fourth permanent head coach under Todd Boehly’s ownership in the last two years, but the initial results have been disappointing, with only one victory in six pre-season games (two draws and three losses). This included a significant loss to Manchester City, a 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid, and a 1-1 draw against Inter Milan at home last weekend. However, all of that could be overlooked if Maresca’s team can perform well when it counts against the current English champions, Manchester City.
Manchester City kicked off their competitive season perfectly by defeating their rivals Manchester United in the Community Shield at Wembley last weekend, winning on penalties. They are now turning their attention to the Premier League, where they aim to extend their remarkable dominance by securing a fifth consecutive title. Guardiola’s team will strive start strong, bolstered by their impressive head-to-head record and their history of strong season openings. Man City have won their first Premier League match in 12 of the last 13 seasons, with only one loss, which occurred in 2021 against Tottenham.
Head-to-head
Since their 1-0 victory over Manchester City in the 2021 Champions League final, Chelsea has no wins in their last nine encounters, with two draws and seven losses, and they have failed to score in seven of those matches.
Prediction
We can expect a captivating back-and-forth match on Sunday between two teams eager to make a strong start to the new season. Man City will feel the impact of Rodri’s absence, as they had difficulties without him last season, but they are still a strong team that is likely to find success in the attacking third against a Chelsea defense that has shown vulnerability.
