Team
news, stats and prediction ahead of Manchester City vs Chelsea in the
Premier League on Saturday (kick-off 5.30pm).
Team news
Manchester City are without defender John Stones as they bid to clinch the
Premier League title against fellow Champions League finalists Chelsea on
Saturday.
The England international completes his three-match domestic suspension for
his sending off in the victory against Aston Villa last month.
City have no new fitness concerns following their exertions against Paris St
Germain in midweek and centre-back Eric Garcia could be available again
after illness.
Mateo Kovacic will miss out for Chelsea as he continues to battle past
hamstring trouble.
The Croatia midfielder will also be a doubt for the Blues' Premier League
clash with Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.
Boss Thomas Tuchel still hopes to have the former Real Madrid man fit in
time for the FA Cup final against Leicester, however.
Man City's champagne was put on ice after Man Utd vs Liverpool was postponed
but could Saturday finally be the day?
City moved to the brink of glory with a 2-0 win at Crystal Palace last
weekend.
That result took them to 80 points - 13 clear of closest rivals Manchester
United, who can only get a maximum of 82 points if they win all their
remaining fixtures.
Pep Guardiola's side would have been crowned champions without playing and
with four games to spare, had United lost to Liverpool.
A United draw would have effectively sealed the title for the blue half of
Manchester, because of City's vastly superior goal difference, but fan
protests at Old Trafford saw the game called off for safety and security
reasons.
But City can now secure the title in front of the Sky Sports cameras if they
can see off Tuchel's side in a meeting between the two Champions League
finalists.
If they slip up - and Manchester United win on Sunday May 9 away to Aston
Villa - the game at Newcastle on May 12 could be decisive.
Jones Knows' prediction
This is the dress rehearsal before the fireworks go off in Istanbul on May
29.
And what do we know about dress rehearsals? They are never the same as the
real thing.
No matter how much our taste buds want this to be a pulsating encounter full
of incidents and goals, the sensible strategy in this one is to oppose
goals. Without even factoring in the likely match scenario of
caution-focused football with both teams potentially playing with a focus
elsewhere, the basic numbers paint a strong argument for a low-scoring
encounter where chances will be hard to come by against resolute defences.
Since Thomas Tuchel took charge, Chelsea have kept 18 clean sheets in 24
games and have conceded just eight goals in 15 Premier League games under
his watch. Amazingly, over half of those came in one game against West Brom.
Then you have the City wall, led masterfully by - arguably - the best
defender on the planet in Ruben Dias. This is a defence that has stopped
Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane and Erling Haaland from scoring over the
past month. And one that when Dias and John Stones are partnered together
have conceded just eight goals in 21 matches.
Much like the FA Cup tie between the pair, this will be a game of chess
played out in an environment where a draw will do just fine for both
managers. The 0-0 at 8/1 with Sky Bet has to be a runner.
JONES KNOWS PREDICTS: 0-0
Opta stats
None of the last 11 Premier League meetings between Manchester City and
Chelsea have finished level, with the Citizens winning seven to Chelsea's
four. Man City had only won seven of their first 36 Premier League meetings
with the Blues (D7 L22).
Chelsea have lost their last three away league games against Man City by an
aggregate score of 9-1. Their last win at the Etihad was in December 2016
under Antonio Conte (3-1).
Victory for Manchester City would see them win the Premier League title for
the fifth time, with only Manchester United (13) winning the trophy more
since its foundation in 1992.
Manchester City have lost only one of their last 24 home Premier League
games against London sides (W20 D3), going unbeaten in each of their last 14
such matches (W12 D2), since losing 2-3 versus Crystal Palace in December
2018.
Manchester City have kept 18 clean sheets in 34 Premier League games this
season, one more than they'd registered across the entire 2019-20 campaign -
their highest such total in a single season in the competition is 20 in
2018-19.
Chelsea have kept a clean sheet in 11 of their 15 Premier League games under
Thomas Tuchel - the most shutouts recorded by any manager in their first 15
games in the competition's history. The Blues are looking to win three
league games in a row without conceding for the first time since November
2017.
Having failed to win any of his first five meetings with Pep Guardiola in
all competitions, Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel won the last meeting between
the two managers in the FA Cup semi-final last month.
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