Manchester
City start a crucial month with a home clash against Premier League title
rivals Chelsea, live on
Sky Sports on Saturday.
City are one point behind league leaders Chelsea and also face Liverpool and
Arsenal before the end of the year.
The lunchtime kick-off at the Etihad will see a showdown between the two
leading scorers in the Premier League: Sergio Aguero and Diego Costa.
Both players have netted 10 times this season, with Aguero scoring twice
last weekend as City came from behind to earn a hard-fought win at Burnley.
Chelsea stretched their winning run to seven matches with a 2-1 victory over
Tottenham last time out.
The goal conceded against Spurs was the first Chelsea had let in since
switching to a back three in September.
Team news
Vincent Kompany (knee) remains out for City but Raheem Sterling and Fabian
Delph could be in contention.
John Stones and Ilkay Gundogan are likely to be back in the squad after not
featuring against Burnley.
Chelsea look set to name the starting line-up for the seventh game in a row.
John Terry is out injured and Jon Obi Mikel is a doubt.
Opta stats
Manchester City have won their last two Premier League meetings with
Chelsea, while they haven't won three in succession against the Blues since
the 2010/11 season.
Chelsea have collected just two points from their last four league games
against City (D2 L2), which is their current longest winless streak against
them in the competition's history (four games).
Pep Guardiola could become just the second Manchester City manager in the
Premier League era to win his first meeting with Chelsea, following Roberto
Mancini in 2009/10 (the Italian is the only one among City's previous 10
managers in the competition to have done so).
Chelsea have won 11 games away at Manchester City in the Premier League;
their most against a team away from home in the competition's history.
Sergio Aguero has scored four times in his last two Premier League games
against Chelsea, including a hat-trick in his last league meeting against
the Blues.
Antonio Conte is the first Chelsea manager to win seven consecutive Premier
League games within a single season since Jose Mourinho (nine wins in
2006/07).
Paul Merson's prediction
I can't wait for this one. This match ticks every box. I'm expecting a
humdinger as both teams will be well rested after a week off. Chelsea only
need to get a draw out of this game. Not losing would be a big, big result.
I'm interested to see how Guardiola gets on trying to break through Conte's
formation as everyone who has tried to break them down has struggled.
Although Chelsea don't let in goals, I can see this being full of them.
If Chelsea can stop Manchester City scoring in this game, then they'll be
massive favourites to win the Premier League. I can't see it though as
City's firepower is frightening and will find ways to open this Chelsea team
up. However, City's defence just don't do clean sheets in big games. I'm
going for a high scoring draw. Desmond.
Paul predicts: 2-2
top