Chelsea will be desperate to halt Manchester City’s charge to the Premier League title when the teams meet at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, 4 March 2018, kick-off at 18h00 CAT.
Chelsea come into the game having been rocked by a 2-1 defeat at Manchester United last weekend – a result which has put their top four ambitions in major doubt and piled more pressure on coach Antonio Conte.
The Blues simply have to produce a strong showing in their second trip to Manchester in a week, or they are likely to fall off the pace of United, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur as far as locking out the top four is concerned.
As for City, they will have some worry over fatigue after facing Arsenal twice in the past week (in the League Cup final last Sunday and a Premier League clash on Thursday) and the prospect of a Champions League last-16, second-leg clash against Basel next Wednesday (though they lead 4-0 on aggregate and can afford to field a weakened team if needs be).
Yet Pep Guardiola’s team have momentum very much on their side and will fancy their chances of beating the Blues to further underline their status as ‘champions in waiting’.
In head-to-head stats, the teams have met in 143 matches across all competitions. The Blues have claimed 57 wins compared to 48 for the Citizens, while 38 games have been drawn.
The teams last met in a Premier League clash at Stamford Bridge in November last year, where Kevin De Bruyne’s goal handed City a 1-0 win. The last six matches between the clubs across all competitions have produced three wins for the Blues and three for the Citizens.
*Stats and bets correct at time of publishing
Recent league form, latest results first
| Man City | W | D | W | W | L |
| Chelsea | L | W | L | L | W |
Head-to-head, all competitions
Matches played 143
Man City wins 48
Chelsea wins 57
Draws 38
Man City goals 191
Chelsea goals 210