The Reliable bookmaker announces a clash between English giants on August 18 in London.
Chelsea’s latest rebuild
The Blues’ management was unsatisfied with their sixth place in the Premier League and ticket to the Conference League. Enzo Maresca, Pep Guardiola’s former assistant, will try to improve the results. The Italian coach, who won the Championship in the spring, faces a difficult task both throughout the season and in the first round — he needs to play well against the champion.
Chelsea has mostly bought players aged 20 and under in the summer, but some newcomers could start in their first game – winger Pedro Neto, midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, and goalkeeper Filip Jörgensen, among them. It is unclear who will lead the defense after Thiago Silva’s departure. Reece James has another injury, while other defenders have not yet adapted to the new manager’s system and make unexplained individual errors. Chelsea have conceded 13 goals in six friendly matches, including a 4-2 defeat to Manchester City and a hat-trick from Erling Haaland. Still, Maresca relies on the Citizens’ academy graduate, Cole Palmer, to make up for all the squad’s failures at their goal again.
Stable City
Bookmakers and experts believe Man City has an excellent chance of winning a fifth consecutive Premier League title. However, it is equally obvious that Pep’s team is not in perfect shape — many players have not completed pre-season training.
The changes in the City squad can be called cosmetic: Julian Alvarez left, technical winger Savinho came, and Ederson stayed in the team after a conversation with Guardiola. It means that in the Premier League first round, we will see the familiar Cityzens, who can pragmatically exploit the unstable opponent’s mistakes.
Head-to-head matches
Chelsea has not beaten Man City in six Premier League games. At home, this streak has lasted since June 25, 2020. Guardiola’s squad won two of the last four struggles at Stamford Bridge with a 1-0 score.