We turn our attention to Sunday’s Premier League clash at Stamford Bridge, offering a prediction and preview for Chelsea vs Manchester City. Can the reigning champions begin their campaign with a win?
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Chelsea vs Manchester City: Match Preview
A new season brings yet another new head coach to Stamford Bridge, as Enzo Maresca faces a daunting task in his Premier League debut for Chelsea, with reigning champions Manchester City visiting SW6 on Sunday.
Maresca will be the fourth Chelsea manager to face the defending champions in his first league game in charge, with none of his predecessors managing to secure a win. Claudio Ranieri oversaw a 3-3 draw against Manchester United in September 2000, Avram Grant began with a 2-0 loss to the same team in September 2007, and Rafael Benitez held City to a 0-0 draw in his November 2012 debut.
Despite guiding Leicester City to the Championship title with an impressive 97 points last season, Maresca’s appointment by Todd Boehly was somewhat unconventional. Gaining early momentum, something Mauricio Pochettino couldn’t achieve, could be vital for Maresca’s success.
As a coach shaped by the Guardiola philosophy, Maresca is expected to implement a high-press, possession-focused style at Chelsea. However, facing City, a different approach might be needed as they are likely to control the game on Sunday.
Maresca may give a Chelsea debut to former Wolves winger Pedro Neto, whose recent €60 million (£51.4m) transfer made him the priciest of the nine new arrivals at Stamford Bridge this summer.
Neto, who averaged 14.5 metres per carry in the Premier League last season, ranking third behind Chiedozie Ogbene (15.13) and Anthony Elanga (14.54), could pose a threat to City on the counterattack. Despite being limited to just 1,518 minutes of league action due to injury, Neto still managed three assist-ending carries, placing him among the top 12 in the division.
Neto’s preference for playing on the right wing might see Cole Palmer move inside. Palmer will be eager to make an impact against his former club, having scored a stoppage-time penalty in this exact fixture last season to secure a dramatic 4-4 draw for Chelsea.
Palmer’s 33 Premier League goal involvements in 2023-24 (22 goals, 11 assists) led the division, with 16 of his goals coming at Stamford Bridge, matching the highest number of home goals in a single season by a Chelsea player—set by Didier Drogba in 2006-07 and Frank Lampard in 2009-10.
While Chelsea have had an active transfer window, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City squad remains largely unchanged from the group that secured their fourth consecutive Premier League title. The notable additions are former Girona loanee Savinho and the departure of Julián Álvarez to Atlético Madrid.
However, Guardiola faces a significant challenge as he begins his ninth season, with key midfielder Rodri unavailable after only returning to training on Wednesday following his Player of the Tournament performance at Euro 2024, where Spain were crowned champions. Since the start of the 2022-23 season, City have only lost six of the 102 games in which Rodri started, but have suffered the same number of defeats in just 18 matches without him.
Last season in the Premier League, City recorded 27 wins, seven draws, and no losses with Rodri on the pitch. However, in his absence, they lost three out of four games, managing just one victory.
Despite allowing the seventh-fewest fast breaks in the league (26), City conceded the joint-highest number of goals from fast breaks (seven, tied with Crystal Palace and Brighton & Hove Albion). With their midfield anchor unavailable, this could provide Chelsea with a significant opportunity.
Chelsea, however, must be mindful of the danger posed by two-time Premier League Golden Boot winner Erling Haaland, known for his strong starts since joining Manchester City in 2022.
The Norwegian striker has opened both of his Premier League campaigns with a brace on Matchday 1, netting twice against West Ham in 2022-23 and Burnley in 2023-24. He now has the chance to become the first player in Premier League history to score a brace in three consecutive season openers.
Chelsea vs Manchester City: Head-to-Head
Manchester City’s last visit to Stamford Bridge delivered one of the most memorable matches of the 2023-24 season. Chelsea academy graduate Cole Palmer netted a stoppage-time penalty to secure a dramatic 4-4 draw last November.
However, Chelsea remain winless in their last six Premier League encounters with City, managing two draws and four defeats since their 2-1 win at the Etihad Stadium under Thomas Tuchel in May 2021.
That victory was followed by their triumph in the 2021 Champions League final, but since then, City have gone unbeaten in nine consecutive matches against Chelsea across all competitions (seven wins, two draws), equaling their longest streak without defeat against the Blues, which spanned from 1936 to 1949.
Chelsea vs Manchester City: Team News
Chelsea: Team News
New Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has nearly his entire squad available for selection ahead of Sunday’s Premier League opener against Manchester City.
Reece James, who is suspended, will also miss the clash due to a hamstring injury. There have been injury concerns surrounding Djordje Petrovic throughout the summer, but aside from that, Chelsea boast a wealth of options for their starting XI.
In goal, Robert Sanchez is expected to retain his position over new signing Filip Jorgensen after serving as the regular starter in pre-season.
In defence, Malo Gusto will fill in at right-back during James’ absence, while Marc Cucurella is favored over Ben Chilwell at left-back. Centre-back Levi Colwill could be paired with Wesley Fofana, who started the final friendly against Inter Milan ahead of Tosin Adarabioyo, Benoit Badiashile, and the fully fit Axel Disasi.
Romeo Lavia has quickly earned Maresca’s trust and is likely to partner Enzo Fernandez in midfield, with Moises Caicedo yet to fully convince his new manager.
Fernandez has been tested in a more advanced midfield role within a 4-2-3-1 formation. If Caicedo is included, it may signal a more defensive approach against City, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall as another option.
Cole Palmer, who made his pre-season debut against Inter, is expected to start, but his position in the attack is still uncertain, as both he and potential debutant Pedro Neto can play in multiple roles.
Other attacking options include Noni Madueke, Raheem Sterling, Mykhailo Mudryk, and Christopher Nkunku. Madueke seems the likeliest starter, having featured in the last two friendlies.
Up front, Marc Guiu’s solid pre-season performances make him the top choice unless Maresca opts for Palmer or a surprise selection. Nicolas Jackson has seen limited pre-season minutes, Armando Broja is expected to leave, and Nkunku has yet to make a significant impact.
Chelsea: Predicted Lineup
- Goalkeeper: Sanchez
- Defenders: Gusto, W Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella
- Midfielders: Lavia, Fernandez, Palmer
- Forwards: Madueke, Neto, Guiu
Manchester City: Team News
Pep Guardiola faces key selection decisions as Manchester City prepare to take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
It’s a challenging start for the Premier League champions, and it could become even more difficult if Guardiola opts to manage the fitness of some key players cautiously.
Phil Foden, John Stones, Kyle Walker, and Rodri missed last weekend’s Community Shield victory, only returning to training this week after an extended break following their participation in the Euro 2024 final.
“[They’ve had] just two or three training sessions. They’ve arrived in good shape,” Guardiola shared on Friday. “Today they take care of themselves even on holiday. We’ll see. I’m sure they’re ready, maybe not for 90 minutes, maybe for a few minutes. Except Oscar, everyone is okay.”
However, Guardiola confirmed that Rodri will be unavailable for Sunday’s game after picking up an injury during the Euros final. “I haven’t seen him yet, but I think he’s feeling good. He needs to start training, but no chance [against Chelsea],” Guardiola added.
As a result, a midfield partner will need to be found for Mateo Kovacic. James McAtee, Matheus Nunes, and Savinho are options, while Kevin De Bruyne or Bernardo Silva could drop into a deeper role.
City will also be without Oscar Bobb, who sustained a fractured fibula during training and is expected to be sidelined for up to four months, with surgery required. Jack Grealish, on the other hand, is fit after missing the Community Shield due to a minor injury.
Silva, who came off the bench to score in the Community Shield, is likely to start at Stamford Bridge, with De Bruyne also expected in the lineup. Erling Haaland will lead the attack.
Manchester City: Predicted Lineup
- Goalkeeper: Ederson
- Defenders: Lewis, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol
- Midfielders: Kovacic, De Bruyne, Silva
- Forwards: Foden, Doku, Haaland
Chelsea vs Manchester City: Prediction
Pre-season form and results should never be overanalyzed, though Chelsea held their own against City in every match last season.
That said, it’s clear that the Maresca era could face a very challenging start.
Chelsea’s disappointing summer was marked by defensive issues, and if those continue, Haaland and company will surely take full advantage this weekend.
While the Blues demonstrated enough in pre-season to show they can create plenty of chances, they also appear vulnerable to conceding goals. Despite another heavy-spending transfer window, they still lack a top-quality striker to convert those chances into goals.
We back the reigning champions heading into Matchday 1, predicting a victory for Manchester City on Sunday. The likelihood of a draw is slim, while a Chelsea win appears even less probable. It’s no surprise that City are heavy favorites to retain their Premier League title in the 2024-25 season as well.
Prediction: Manchester City 3-1 Chelsea
