Last season, the Premier League race was over before it even really began, with Manchester City setting a pace that no team could keep up with. Things are a good deal more different this season, though, as there is a trio of teams with a legitimate shot at getting their hands on the title. Manchester City is back on top, for now, tied in points with Liverpool, but they have also played a game more than the Reds. While it looks as though it might come down to a 2-horse race between those teams, Tottenham are sitting just off the pace and ready to pounce should City or Liverpool slips up along the way. It may well be how these teams perform versus the top 6 that determines who ends up on top at the end of the regular season.
With that in mind, Manchester City has a tough one ahead of them on Sunday, as they will be welcoming in 4th place Chelsea for a match-up that has definite title implications. Manchester City is favored by a goal at home, with the OVER/UNDER for this one set at 3.
Manchester City vs Chelsea English Premier League Odds & Pick
#PEPTALK on playing a game more than Liverpool and keeping the squad fit 💪@marathonbet 🔵 #mancity pic.twitter.com/8FXMrZ15h7
— Manchester City (@ManCity) 8 de febrero de 2019
- When: Sunday, February 10 at 11 AM EST
- Where: Etihad Stadium, Manchester
- TV: NBCSN
- Premier League Odds: Manchester City -230 (Total 3)
Why bet on Manchester City?
Manchester City is not setting the torrid pace that they did on their way to a Premier League crown last season, but in fairness, maintaining that level of play was always going to be impossible. That said, they have not exactly been too bad this year, racking up 62 points in 26 games, while scoring 68 goals in the process.
It has been Sergio Aguero who has been pulling all the string for City this season, scoring 14 goals and assisting on 6 others, so he is the man that Chelsea are going to need to focus on this weekend. City had a surprise defeat at Newcastle a couple of weeks back, but they have still managed 4 wins in their last 5, outscoring the opposition 11-1 in the 4 wins during that stretch. City has 12 wins and 1 loss at home, outscoring their opponents 43-11 at home.
Expected Line-up
- 31-Ederson Moraes
- 30-N. Otamendi
- 2-K. Walker
- 14-A. Laporte
- 5-J. Stones
- 21-David Silva
- 25-Fernandinho
- 8-İ. Gündoğan
- 20-Bernardo Silva
- 10-S. Agüero
- 19-L. Sané
Injured Players
- Claudio Bravo
- Vincent Kompany
- Benjamin Mendy
Why bet on Chelsea?
Chelsea came into this season with a new manager and a new style of play that was very successful in the early going, including getting a 2-0 win over Manchester City in Week 7. Things have gone off the rails of late, though, leading the manager to publicly blast his players for what he sees as a serious lack of effort.
After losing back to back games where they surrendered 6 goals and scored 0, Chelsea bounced back with a big 5-0 win over Huddersfield last weekend. Whether they can carry that success over into this weekend remains to be seen, though, as this is obviously a much tougher challenge. On the road, Chelsea has picked up 22 points from 12 games, scoring 19 and surrendering 14.
Expected Line-up
- 1-Kepa
- 30-David Luiz
- 28-Azpilicueta
- 3-Marcos Alonso
- 27-Andreas Christensen
- 8-R. Barkley
- 5-Jorginho
- 7-N. Kanté
- 9-G. Higuaín
- 22-Willian
- 10-E. Hazard
Injured Players
- Callum Hudson-Odoi
- Gary Cahill
Matchup Facts
- Manchester City has lost three of their last five Premier League matches against Chelsea (W2), scoring just four goals and never more than once in this run
- Chelsea has won on just two of their last nine visits to the Etihad in the Premier League (D1 L6), winning 1-0 in February 2014 and 3-1 in December 2016
- Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero has scored five goals in his last five Premier League appearances versus Chelsea, including netting a hat-trick in April 2016
- Chelsea’s Eden Hazard has had a hand in five goals in his last five games against Man City in the Premier League (3 goals, 2 assists), with the Belgian assisting both of the Blues’ goals in the reverse fixture this term
Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction
I would be absolutely stunned if we saw a defensive struggle here, especially given how powerful Manchester City are when playing at home. I like the OVER in this one and I like City to come away with the home win.
Score: Manchester City 3 – Chelsea 1
