Manchester City vs Chelsea: Premier League latest score, goals and updates from the Etihad Stadium
- Manchester City have won 12 of their 13 home league matches this season, only losing to Crystal Palace in December
- Chelsea have hit the woodwork a league-high 17 times this season while City have done so 12 times
- Sergio Aguero has scored five goals in his last five league games against Chelsea
- Chelsea are the only club yet to concede a penalty in the Premier League this season
MANCHESTER CITY vs CHELSEA
Manchester City XI: Ederson, Walker, Stones, Laporte, Zinchenko, Gundogan, Fernandinho, Bernardo Silva, Sterling, De Bruyne, Aguero
Chelsea XI: Kepa, Alonso, Luiz, Rudiger, Azpilicueta, Jorginho, Kante, Barkley, Pedro, Hazard, Higuain
Concern…
15:52: Chelsea are winless in their last six Premier League away games against ‘big six’ opposition (D2 L4), losing the last four in a row.
Manchester City vs Chelsea: Premier League latest score, goals and updates from the Etihad Stadium (Image: GETTY)
Mike ‘man, myth, legend’ Dean…
15:50: Huge clash at the Etihad Stadium coming up later but everyone’s talking about one thing…
Mike Dean’s 100th red card. Obviously.
Dean, who takes charge of his 473rd Premier League game today, is on the verge of his 100th red card with a whopping 18.1 percent being dished out to City and Chelsea players. Both sides have received a total of nine cards each.
Boffins at TheSportsman.com have taken a closer look at each of Mike Deans 99 Premier League red cards to date.
He sends off a Manchester City player once every 6.1 games he officiates with them involved. Chelsea’s record is slightly better disciplined, with the referee sending off one of their players every 6.9 games.
Dean is particularly card happy in clashes between teams in the ‘big six’. Out of the 49 clashes he’s officiated, he’s produced 18 red cards (0.4 per game) and 236 yellow cards (4.8 per game).
If Mike Dean is to send a player of today, the 2018/19 season will be his most prolific year for sendings off. His personal best came in 2007/08 & 2015/16 where he sent off nine players, and he’s already on nine sendings off this season.
Manchester City vs Chelsea: Premier League latest score, goals and updates from the Etihad Stadium (Image: REUTERS)
Record-breaker
15:48: Pep Guardiola has hailed the enduring class of Sergio Aguero as the striker nears another Manchester City goalscoring milestone.
The Argentinian, with 157 league goals, is one short of equalling the club record held jointly by Tommy Johnson and Eric Brook.
Aguero, 30, is already the club’s overall record scorer, having powered on to 219 since surpassing Brook’s previous best mark of 177 last season.
Guardiola said: “The big players need to appear in the key games, the big moments, and he did it. Hopefully he can continue doing it. In the big games we need important players.”
I could also do with a hat-trick to salvage my ailing FPL hopes…
Manchester City vs Chelsea: Premier League latest score, goals and updates from the Etihad Stadium (Image: REUTERS)
Gonzallloooooo…
15:45: Maurizio Sarri has backed Gonzalo Higuain, his footballing son, to reproduce his best form.
Not sure that I’m a fan of this ‘footballing father son’ business.
Higuain scored 36 Serie A goals in 35 appearances for Sarri’s Napoli in 2015-16.
And the 60-year-old Blues boss says the 31-year-old striker is keen to respond from a disappointing loan spell at AC Milan earlier this season.
“In the moment he is really very determined,” Sarri said. “Gonzalo is very suitable for my football, so the feeling is really fantastic.”
Manchester City vs Chelsea: Premier League latest score, goals and updates from the Etihad Stadium (Image: REUTERS)
Omen?
15:40: Pep Guardiola has lost more league games against Chelsea than he has versus any other team in his managerial career (3)
Twitter round-up
Chris: Honestly, someone tell me how we’re going to get something away at City with Alonso and Barkley… CHO not even on the bench, if we get hammered today, it’ll all be on this clueless team selection!
Ben: If Chelsea had Son we would be contenders for the Premier League.
Sumo: If Marcos Alonso starts for the remainder of the season, I don’t see us finishing in top 4 and winning a trophy.
Not much love for Marcos Alonso out there. Wasn’t long ago that he was the first name on the team sheet.
Manchester City vs Chelsea: Premier League latest score, goals and updates from the Etihad Stadium (Image: REUTERS)
Spurs march on…
15:35: I don’t know if you watched the Tottenham vs Leicester clash at Wembley – but it was an absolute classic. Son wrapped up the points in stoppage-time to leave Spurs two points behind Manchester City.
What do you think? Do Mauricio Pocehttino’s side have a real shot at the title?
Team news
15:30: Kevin De Bruyne returns for Manchester City side as the champions take on the Belgian’s former club Chelsea.
Playmaker De Bruyne, who was on the bench at Everton in midweek, is one of three changes to Pep Guardiola’s team as City look to reclaim top spot in the table.
Raheem Sterling and Oleksandr Zinchenko also start while David Silva, Nicolas Otamendi and Leroy Sane are among the substitutes.
Chelsea make two changes with Antonio Rudiger and Pedro replacing Andreas Christensen and Willian. Eden Hazard and new signing Gonzalo Higuain are again in tandem.
Manchester City vs Chelsea: Premier League latest score, goals and updates from the Etihad Stadium (Image: GETTY)
The line-ups
15:00: And here are your starting XI’s. Pep Guardiola boldly benches Leroy Sane and David Silva. Gonzalo Higuain starts in attack for the visitors.
Manchester City XI: Ederson, Walker, Stones, Laporte, Zinchenko, Gundogan, Fernandinho, Bernardo Silva, Sterling, De Bruyne, Aguero.
Subs: Muric, Danilo, Sane, David Silva, Mahrez, Otamendi, Jesus.
Chelsea XI: Kepa, Alonso, Luiz, Rudiger, Azpilicueta, Jorginho, Kante, Barkley, Pedro, Hazard, Higuain.
Subs: Caballero, Loftus-Cheek, Kovacic, Giroud, Willian, Christensen, Emerson.
Afternoon…
14:50: Hello everyone and welcome to our LIVE coverage of the Premier League.
How’s everyone feeling? Nervous I would imagine.
We’ve got a seriously high-stakes clash at the Etihad Stadium this afternoon with both Manchester City and Chelsea desperate for three points.
City, who are currently three points behind league leaders Liverpool, need the win to draw level and reclaim top position having played a game extra.
Chelsea, meanwhile, have a battle of their own having seen Manchester United leapfrog them into the Champions League places yesterday.
That’s enough waffle from me – let’s see those lineups!
Manchester City vs Chelsea: Premier League latest score, goals and updates from the Etihad Stadium (Image: GETTY)
MANCHESTER CITY vs CHELSEA
Manchester City are still without defenders Benjamin Mendy and Vincent Kompany.
Left-back Mendy, who has missed the last four games, is being managed carefully as he returns from knee surgery and captain Kompany is still troubled by a muscular problem. Goalkeeper Claudio Bravo (Achilles) is still out long term but City have no fresh injury concerns.
Antonio Rudiger could return to Chelsea’s starting line-up. The German defender was not risked in last week’s 5-0 win over Huddersfield due to a knock, so Andreas Christensen deputised. The Dane is likely to make way. Callum Hudson-Odoi has been ill, so may not even be among the substitutes.
Last season: Man City 1 Chelsea 0, Chelsea 0 Man City 1
Last five league matches: Man City W W L W W; Chelsea D W L L W
Top scorers (all competitions): Sergio Aguero (Man City) 20; Eden Hazard (Chelsea) 15
Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral)