Premier League leaders-Manchester United would be seeking to consolidate their position on the table as Pep Guardiola’s men welcome second placed Chelsea to the Etihad Stadium.
The Citizens have been in devastating form, winning 11 straight league matches. But considering that it was City that inflicted the Blues their first defeat of season at Stamford Bridge, Thomas Tuchel would want to avoid another defeat today
A highly-anticipated top-of-the-table clash kicks off the Premier League action on Saturday, as Manchester City welcome closest challengers Chelsea to the Etihad Stadium for a lunchtime battle.
Pep Guardiola’s men currently sit 10 points clear of their upcoming opponents in the standings, with another defeat for the Blues seemingly rendering their title charge impossible.
When even Pep Guardiola admits that his side probably should have come up second best on the day, Man City were certainly counting their lucky stars against Arsenal, who ultimately suffered a 2-1 defeat in a controversy-filled encounter on New Year’s Day.
Riyad Mahrez and Rodri’s efforts cancelled out a first-half opener from Bukayo Saka as Mikel Arteta once again fell to his former master, and while the champions surprised some by putting out an incredibly strong team for the FA Cup amid a COVID-19 cluster, it ensured City’s progress with a 4-1 success over Swindon Town last Friday.
The victory over Ben Garner’s outfit was Man City’s seventh in a row across all competitions as the Premier League table-toppers seek to extend their lead at the summit, and the returning Etihad faithful ought to be treated to quite the spectacle for their first home game of 2022.
Guardiola’s relentless crop have come up trumps in each of their last seven games at home across all tournaments – including each of their last five in the Premier League – and even without a recognised striker for much of the campaign, City have still averaged at least three goals per Premier League game at the Etihad.
In total, the reigning champions have strung together an 11-game winning streak in the Premier League, although they can take nothing for granted against title-challenging opponents buoyed by reaching a mid-season cup final.
There was not a shred of sentimentality towards Antonio Conte as the Tottenham Hotspur boss reunited with former club Chelsea for the second leg of their EFL Cup semi-final on Wednesday, as the Blues got the job done in North London to advance to the final.
The decision to drop Hugo Lloris in favour of Pierluigi Gollini did not go down too well with the Spurs fanbase, and it was a call that ultimately did not pay dividends, as the Italian failed to meet Mason Mount’s corner and Antonio Rudiger headed home to ensure a 3-0 aggregate success.
A shot at glory against either Liverpool or Arsenal awaits the Blues next month, but keeping their fleeting title hopes alive is currently the main aim for Thomas Tuchel’s side, who are at risk of falling 13 points behind City with defeat at the Etihad.
The Blues could also finish the weekend in third should Liverpool get the better of Brentford a day later, but they have excelled away from home amid a batch of Stamford Bridge stalemates – winning six of their last eight top-flight games on rival turf and conceding a league-low six goals in such games.
Gabriel Jesus was Man City’s saviour in a 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season, but not since the 2017-18 campaign have the champions done the double over Chelsea, who marched to a 2-1 success at the Etihad last term.
Meanwhile, Manchester United will be looking to return to winning ways in the Premier League when they travel to Villa Park to take on Aston Villa this evening.
The Red Devils recorded a 1-0 victory over Villa when the two teams met in the FA Cup on Monday, with Scott McTominay scoring the only goal of the third-round contest at Old Trafford.
Villa have shown their intent by bringing Philippe Coutinho and Lucas Dinge to the club during the January window, and there is no question that Gerrard will be targeting a top-half finish, despite the fact that the team actually sit a disappointing 14th in the table after 19 matches of the 2021-22 campaign.
The hosts have won seven, drawn one and lost 11 of their 19 league games this term to collect 22 points, but they are only three points behind 10th-placed Leicester City, and it is difficult to look too closely at the table at the moment, as a number of teams have matches to catch up on after COVID-19 issues.
Villa have lost four of their last five matches in all competitions, including three of their last four in the league against Liverpool, Chelsea and Brentford, which has seen them slide down the table.
The Lions beat Man United 1-0 in the reverse match at Old Trafford back in September, but they have not overcome the Red Devils at Villa Park in the league since August 1995.
The visitors might have beaten Villa in the FA Cup on Monday, but they lost their last league game at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers on January 3, which put a dent in their top-four aspirations.
Ralf Rangnick’s side are currently seventh in the table, six points behind fourth-placed West Ham United with two games in hand on the Hammers, so they are still very much in the argument for a Champions League spot.
Cristiano Ronaldo has said that only a top-three spot will be good enough for the club, but they are 11 points off third-placed Liverpool and will find it difficult to finish any higher than fourth this term.
The 20-time English champions have three huge Premier League matches against Villa, Brentford and West Ham to finish the month of January before taking on Middlesbrough in the FA Cup at the start of February.
The Champions League also resumes next month, with the Red Devils facing Atletico Madrid in the round of 16, and the 2021-22 campaign could yet to be a success for Man United despite their issues thus far.
