Manchester City VS Chelsea LIVE Football Match Score 21/05/2023
The Premier League is back in action with another round of matches this weekend as Chelsea lock horns with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side in an important clash at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday. Chelsea are currently in 11th place in the Premier League standings and have not been at their best so far this season. The Blues were held to a 2-2 draw by Nottingham Forest in their previous game and will need to take it up a notch this weekend.
Manchester City, on the other hand, are at the top of the league table at the moment and have been in sensational form over the past month. The Cityzens stunned Real Madrid with a 4-0 victory this week and will look to achieve a similar result in this fixture. Manchester City are on the verge of another Premier League title under Pep Guardiola and will look to win their first trophy of the season this weekend. The likes of Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne can be lethal on their day and will look to make their mark on Sunday.
Chelsea have endured a dismal season so far and are in desperate need of a resurgence. Manchester City are the better team on paper and should be able to win this game.
Chelsea have a historical edge over Manchester City and have won 71 out of the 174 matches played between the two teams, as opposed to Manchester City’s 64 victories.Manchester City have won their last three matches against Chelsea in the Premier League and could set a club record in this regard with a victory this weekend.Since their 1-0 victory in 2021, Chelsea have lost their last five matches against Manchester City in all competitions and have failed to score a single goal during this period.
Manchester City have defeated Chelsea three times in all competitions this season and could become the first team since Manchester United in 2010-11 to achieve four victories against them in a single season.Manchester City have won their final home game of a Premier League season in eight of their last nine campaigns, with the only exception being a 2-2 draw against Arsenal in 2016.
Champions League win over Real Madrid on Wednesday night.
City are heading to the final in Istanbul after destroying Carlo Ancelotti’s men 4-1 at the Etihad Stadium. And the Blues are now back on home soil to take on Frank Lampard’s struggling side. After six straight defeats in all competitions, Chelsea have collected four points from their last two outings ahead of facing a City team firing on all cylinders. Guardiola’s men are within touching distance of being crowned Premier League champions for the fifth time under his stewardship.
And the deal could even be sealed before a ball is kicked on Sunday, should second placed Arsenal fall to defeat in their 5:30pm kick off at Nottingham Forest. City will be preparing as usual, no doubt, with some selection dilemmas facing Guardiola ahead of the game.
Defender Nathan Ake remains a doubt against his old side, while Aymeric Laporte is there and ready to be called upon should Guardiola need him. It has been noted that Kevin De Bruyne appeared shattered come the end of the Champions League clash. Time will tell whether the temptation to start the Belgian once again proves too great to ignore. Bernardo Silva was the star of the show in midweek and – if De Bruyne is rested – could tuck into central midfield, with Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez both options out wide. There is also the option of bringing Julian Alvarez in to operate behind Erling Haaland – as seen against Leeds United and Everton.
If Arsenal lose to Forest on Saturday, City will be crowned champions without kicking a ball; if the Gunners keep the title race alive at the City Ground, the Mancunians can make certain of their ninth English league crown with victory over Chelsea. City face crosstown rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup final on 3 June, before taking on Inter in the Champions League trophy decider a week later. If they manage to win the league, the cup and the European Cup, they will become only the second English club – after United in 1998/99 – ever to achieve the feat. ChelseaWhile there is a lot at stake for City in the season run-in, Chelsea travel to the Etihad Stadium with nothing to play for; after a dreadful first season under new owner Todd Boehly, the Blues are down in 11th in the Premier League.
Manchester City have the opportunity to win their third successive Premier League title this weekend and put themselves on course for a magical treble.
The Blues may not even have to kick a ball to win the league, either, with Arsenal playing against Nottingham Forest on Saturday evening. If the Gunners lose the match at the City Ground then Pep Guardiola’s men will be confirmed as champions by the time they walk out onto the Etihad pitch on Sunday afternoon. However, if Arsenal do beat Nottingham Forest then it will be up to City to seal their own fate. A win against Frank Lampard’s Chelsea will be enough to crown them as champions with the trophy lift also expected to take place on Sunday with City’s last two games being played away from home.
While there is plenty of incentive for the home side, Chelsea’s only real motivation going into this one will be to spoil the party. The London club have had a miserable campaign and the majority of players will be counting down the days until the summer, but they will need to turn up to the Etihad with a good attitude if they want to avoid a thrashing at the hands of this relentless Manchester City team. Another possible incentive for the Chelsea players on Sunday will be to impress incoming manager, Mauricio Pochettino. The confirmation of his appointment for next season should be coming any day now and he will no doubt be keeping a close on the squad as he begins to map out how his team will look ahead of a crucial season for Chelsea.
The match is set to kick off at 16:00 UK time and viewers will be able to watch the game on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event. If you fancy a bet on the game, then City are heavy favourites at 1/4 while Chelsea are major underdogs at 11/1. Over the course of the season, Haaland has netted an incredible 52 goals as the spearhead of the City attack and has also turned provider on eight occasions. His partnership with Kevin de Bruyne seems to grow by the week and the pair will look to wreak havoc once again on Sunday.
Haaland was thwarted a couple of times by Thibaut Courtois on Wednesday night during City’s Champions League game against Real Madrid. However, that will only make him hungrier which could spell trouble for the Chelsea defence.
The Norweigan has yet to score a goal against Chelsea and was rested on both occasions when the sides met in the cup competitions earlier in the season. It’s fair to say that Chelsea are going to have a lot of defending to do in this match which means they are going to be leaning heavily on Thiago Silva. The 38-year-old Brazilian may be in the twilight of his career but he is still a mainstay in the Chelsea team and has started 33 games in all competitions this season.
Silva is one of the few players at the club who can hold their heads high since Frank Lampard became interim manager and Chelsea will need the very best version of him on Sunday if they are to get anything out of the game.
