The star fixture in the Premier League this weekend will be pitching two of the best managers in England against themselves as Antonio Conte’s Chelsea battle it out against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
Conte and Guardiola evened out themselves last season with each manager winning their respective home ties and many are keen to see how things will pan out at the Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
City have suffered major injury blows ahead of this epic clash in London as their top scorer Sergio Aguero is out injured having been involved in a car crash in Amsterdam.
Summer acquisition, Benjamin Mendy is also out injured; a development that Guardiola is understandably unhappy with.
After their respective wins in the Champions League earlier in the week, we wait to see what the two title contenders will throw up in the star match.
Stay with PREMIUM TIMES for live updates… Kick-off is 5.30pm
Team News
CHELSEA STARTING XI: Courtois; Rudiger, Christensen, Cahill; Azpilicueta, Kante, Bakayoko, Alonso; Fabregas, Hazard, Morata.
CHELSEA SUBS: Caballero, Zappacosta, Kenedy, Moses, Willian, Pedro, Batshuayi
MAN CITY STARTING XI: Ederson; Walker, Stones, Otamendi, Delph; De Bruyne, Fernandinho, Silva; Sterling, Sane, Jesus
MAN CITY SUBS: Bravo, Danilo, Gündoğan, Mangala, Silva, Zinchenko, Touré
KICKOFF: Manchester City get us underway at Stamford Bridge
CHANCE!! Morata gets the first chancefor Chelsea
Manchester city
De Bruyne goes for goal with a long-range free kick, but Courtois is never going to be beaten from there. Comfortable stop.
Exciting early exchanges with Chelsea and Manchester city coming close to breaking the deadlock.. still 0-0
Chelsea have only lost one of their last seven Premier League meetings with Man City at Stamford Bridge, winning four and drawing two in that time. The solitary defeat – a 3-0 , it is perhaps too early to be assertive on how this game will go.
City win another free kick in a dangerous area inside the Chelsea half, but this time De Bruyne overhits it, sending his delivery straight out for a goal kick.
Injury scare for Manchester city’s John Stones but he is ready to go on.
The fast tempo game is now reduced but Manchester city edge the possession so far.
Chance!! Azpilicueta draws a low stop from Ederson at his near post.
CHANCE! Fantastic effort from David Silva but the Chelsea keeper is up to the task.
Morata needs another hat-trick today as that would see him equal Diego Costa’s tally of nine goals in his first seven Premier League outings. Can he get it?
Unfortunately, Morata pulls up with no players around him. He limps off and it does not look like he will be able to continue.
Morata is replaced by Willian. Michy Batshuayi overlooked by Conte against all expectations.
We are gradually nearing the end of the first half and still no goals from both teams.
Half Time.. Chelsea 0-0 Manchester city.
Manchester City have been perfect on the road so far this season with five wins from five across all competitions, scoring 16 goals and conceding just twice in the process.
Not looking perfect yet at the Stamford bridge but can they get it right in the second half?
Conte will certainly want to see more from his side in the second half, although Guardiola’s City have not allowed them to get into any sort of rhythm in this match. It is still all to play for between these two title rivals.
Second half underway as Chelsea take the Center pass.
Manchester City start better again in the second half and they win a corner off an effort from Raheem Sterling
CHANCE! City miss that again as a corner goes all the way through to Sterling on the edge of the box. The winger has all the time in the world to chest it down and go for goal, but he fires his left-footed volley over the crossbar.
YELLOW CARD: Fernandinho booked for a late challenge on Hazard.
Alonso blocks Silva’s effort as the Spaniard looked destined to break the deadlock for Manchester City.
GOAL!!! Man City take the lead, De Bruyne fires past Courtois.
Bruyne comes back to haunt his former club with a brilliant strike, the Belgian played a slick one-two with Jesus before lashing an unstoppable effort into the corner from outside the area… City are back on top of the log if it ends this way.
Double substitution for Chelsea as Pedro replaces Hazard and Batshuayi is also on, he replaces Bakayoko
Can any of the new entrant save the day for Chelsea as Conte seems to have switched to 3-4-3, with Willian and Pedro either side of Batshuayi, Kante and Fabregas in midfield.
Substitution for Manchester City Bernardo Silva relaces David Silva.
CHANCE: Azpilicueta with an effort for Chelsea but Ederson makes an easy catch as Manchester City keep one-goal lead
10 minutes to go, can Chelsea get a share of the spoils or City are going with the maximum points
Guardiola makes another change as Gundogan comes on for Sane for City
CHANCE: City almost killed the game with a second goal but brilliant defending by Rudiger keeps Chelsea afloat, the defender blocked a Jesus’ volley, which was going in, off the line.
It is Manchester City who look the most likely to add to the scoring in this match now not even Chelsea equalizing
Three minutes of added time to play, and Chelsea with a corner.
Manchester City’s hero De Bruyne will not be able to see this game out. He seems to have picked up an injury and is replaced by Danilo late on.
FULL-TIME Chelsea 0- 1 Manchester City
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