Chelsea vs Manchester City Prediction: 18/8/2024

Despite substantial investments in the transfer market in recent years, Chelsea have struggled to return to the top tier of the Premier League. Last season, the Blues once again failed to qualify for European competition, finishing 6th in the league, five points adrift of the top four.

This season, the London club is under pressure to rejoin the Big 4, with hopes of eventually competing for the title. Chelsea’s preseason was a mixed bag: they drew 2-2 with Wrexham and suffered a 4-1 defeat to Celtic Glasgow. Although they bounced back with a 3-0 victory over Club America, they ended their preseason with losses to Manchester City (4-2) and Real Madrid (2-1).

Manchester City, who achieved a historic treble in the 2022-2023 season, couldn’t replicate that success last year. The Northern club had to dig deep to clinch another Premier League title, finishing just two points ahead of Arsenal, thanks in part to a strong run of nine consecutive wins at the season’s end.

However, City were beaten 2-1 by Manchester United in the FA Cup final and were knocked out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage by Real Madrid. During the summer, City’s preparation was shaky, starting with losses to Celtic Glasgow (4-3) and AC Milan (3-2) and a 2-2 draw with Barcelona. They finished their preseason with a 4-2 win over Chelsea and claimed the Community Shield after a 1-1 draw and a penalty shootout victory against Manchester United.

Chelsea remained very active in the transfer market, bringing in players like midfielder Dewsbury-Hall (Leicester), goalkeeper Jorgensen (Villarreal), promising attacking midfielder Kellyman (Aston Villa), and defensive talents such as Veiga (FC Basel), Wiley (Atlanta), and Adarabioyo (Fulham). Youngster Marc Guiu (Barcelona) also joined, and several players returned from loans, including Andrey Santos (Strasbourg), Kepa (Real Madrid), Angelo (Strasbourg), and Lukaku (Roma).

The club saw the departures of Hutchinson (Ipswich) and Thiago Silva (Fluminense). Key players such as Cole Palmer (22 goals and 11 assists last season), Senegalese striker Jackson (14 goals, 5 assists), and Sterling (8 goals, 4 assists) remain, with Christopher Nkunku (3 goals in 11 appearances) aiming to make a significant impact after an injury-plagued season.

Manchester City opted not to retain defender Harwood-Bellis (Southampton) and midfielder Doyle (Wolverhampton). However, full-back Cancelo (Barcelona) and Phillips (West Ham) returned from their loans, though they might be on the move again. Savinho, who was loaned to Girona last season, has also rejoined the squad.

Pep Guardiola will continue to rely on key players like Haaland (27 goals and 5 assists in the Premier League), who is fresh after not playing in the Euros, and Foden (19 goals and 8 assists), who missed the Euros and is eager to start strong. Rodri (8 goals and 9 assists), Bernardo Silva (6 goals and 9 assists), De Bruyne (4 goals and 10 assists), and Doku (3 goals and 8 assists) are all expected to be integral to City’s campaign.

 

Prediction

In their last 20 Premier League games, Chelsea has seen over 2.5 goals scored in 17 matches. Manchester City has a similar record, with 16 of their last 20 matches also featuring more than two goals. Given this trend, a high-scoring match is anticipated.

Prediction: Chelsea 2 : 4 Manchester City