Chelsea face a tough trip to Manchester to take on the champions, as they hope to get back into the top half of the table. The hosts will be looking to regain top spot, depending on other results.
- Man City to win both halves @ 10/11 with Paddy Power
- Both Teams to Score @ 8/11 with Bet365
- Over 2.5 goals @ 4/9 with Bet365
These odds are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change.
- Date: 17/02/24
- Kick-off time: 17:30
- Venue: Etihad Stadium
Man City currently sit second in the league, two points behind Liverpool, and level on points with Arsenal in third. They are above the Gunners on goals scored, but notably have a game in hand on both sides. A victory for Pep Guardiola’s side could see them return to the summit, if Liverpool drop points in the lunchtime fixture. Regardless, it will ensure they keep pace with the league leaders. Defeat would present a huge opportunity for both of their rivals, Liverpool to extend the gap, and Arsenal to overtake them. Such is the quality of all three teams, the margin for error will be very minimal the rest of the way.
The visitors, on the other hand, have endured another terrible campaign. After finishing 12th last season, Chelsea are languishing in 10th, hoping to maintain their place in the top half with a positive result. Under the new management of Mauricio Pochettino, they have lost as many games as they've won, and have a +1 goal difference. A loss would see them fall further away from the European places, and could mean a second consecutive season of no European football.
Whilst Chelsea have shown they can score, they struggle to keep clean sheets. They will have a tough time keeping the City attack quiet, especially with the recent return of Erling Haaland, who scored his first goals since November last weekend. The Blues do have plenty of attacking threats of their own, especially with ex-City youngster Cole Palmer. Christopher Nkunku will also hope to make an impact.
Guardiola’s team have absolutely dominated this fixture in recent seasons. The Citizens have won six of the last seven meetings, the other one being the thrilling 4-4 draw in the reverse fixture earlier this campaign at Stamford Bridge. In that game, City took the lead through a Haaland penalty, before Chelsea turned it around with goals from Thiago Silva and Raheem Sterling. Manuel Akanji got his team back on level terms before the break, and they quickly regained their advantage after the restart with another Haaland strike. The hosts levelled again, but fell behind with four minutes remaining. However, they were awarded a last-gasp penalty, which was converted by Palmer to ensure the points were shared.
Chelsea have not beaten Man City since the 2021 Champions League final, in which Kai Havertz scored the winner to earn the club’s second title. That season under Tuchel saw them win three of four meetings with their opponents.
Premier League 
