Chelsea and Manchester City kick off their Premier League campaign with a blockbuster encounter this Sunday.
These two football giants met this summer during their pre-season tours in the USA. In that match, Erling Haaland's hat-trick propelled the reigning champions, Manchester City, to a 4-2 victory in Columbus, Ohio.
The Blues had a rough pre-season, winning just one of their six friendly matches.
They suffered huge defeats to Manchester City and Celtic, and were also bested by Real Madrid. Even against lower-tier teams like Wrexham and Inter Milan, Chelsea struggled to find their form.
On the other hand, Manchester City had a mixed pre-season, with losses to Celtic and AC Milan, and a draw against Barcelona.
However, their morale received a huge boost after they narrowly defeated Manchester United on penalties to claim the Community Shield at Wembley last weekend.
Date, Kick-off Time, and Venue
The clash between Chelsea and Manchester City is set for a 4:30 pm BST kick-off on Sunday, August 18, 2024. The match will be held at Stamford Bridge, the iconic stadium located in west London.
Chelsea Team News
Chelsea faces several challenges ahead of this fixture. Captain Reece James is sidelined with a hamstring injury and is suspended due to a red card received at the end of last season.
Nicolas Jackson made a brief appearance in the 1-1 draw against Inter after recovering from an ankle injury, while Axel Disasi, who underwent hernia surgery, was also on the bench.
Additionally, new signings Pedro Neto, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Tosin Adarabioyo, Filip Jorgensen, and Marc Guiu are eager to make their competitive debuts, although Conor Gallagher’s move to Atletico Madrid is pending.
Manchester City Team News
City might miss Jack Grealish, who is doubtful after sustaining an injury during training.
However, Brazilian winger Savinho could make his Premier League debut after joining from Troyes.
Key players such as Rodri, Kyle Walker, Phil Foden, and John Stones have rejoined training following their participation in the Euro 2024 final.
Head-to-Head History and Results
Last season, Chelsea and Manchester City delivered a thrilling encounter, with Cole Palmer's stoppage-time penalty securing a dramatic 4-4 draw at Stamford Bridge.
The reverse fixture at the Etihad Stadium ended in a 1-1 draw, while City edged out Chelsea 1-0 in the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley.
Historically, Chelsea has the upper hand with 71 wins compared to City’s 66, while 41 matches have ended in draws.
Potential Starting XI
Jorgensen.
Gusto, Adarabioyo, Colwill, Cucurella.
Enzo, Caicedo and Lavia.
Palmer, Jackson and Nkunku.
Man City's Potential XI
Ederson.
Walker, Dias, Stones, Gvardiol.
Rodri, De Bruyne, Silva.
Bobb, Haaland and Grealish.
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