Stamford Bridge quakes for Chelsea vs City clash

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Chelsea playmaker Eden Hazard could make his first league start of the season, while Pedro is likely to play after being rested in midweek.

David Luiz must complete a three-match domestic ban and Danny Drinkwater remains out because of a calf injury.

Manchester City seem certain to be without Sergio Aguero, who was injured in a car accident on Thursday.

Benjamin Mendy is sidelined with a ruptured cruciate ligament and Vincent Kompany is nursing a calf problem.

Jonathan Pearce: “The biggest game of the season so far, and what a juicy one.

“Chelsea’s win at Atletico was one of the best recent results by any English team in Europe.

“It’s 10 league wins in 12. Alvaro Morata has 10 goals in 10 matches for club and country. Hazard is nearing full sharpness.

“But City are the first side to score five or more goals in three consecutive top-flight games since Blackburn Rovers in August 1958.

“Sergio Aguero’s likely absence is an obvious blow but they’re unbeaten in 14 league matches since losing at Chelsea in April.

“The quality of the squad players not used in midweek will be crucial.”

LAWRO’S PREDICTION
Chelsea have not been quite as spectacular as City in terms of the number of goals they have scored, but their opening-day defeat by Burnley seems a long time ago.

Since then it has been business as usual for the defending champions, really. Both sides are full of quality and this is going to be very close.

Prediction: 1-1

Head-to-head
Chelsea were the only side to beat Manchester City home and away in the Premier League last season.

City’s 3-0 away victory in April 2016, when Sergio Aguero scored a hat-trick, is one of just two league and cup triumphs in their last 20 visits to Stamford Bridge
(D5, L13).

Chelsea
The Blues have won 10 of their 12 league games since mid-April, with their only defeat in that period coming at home to Burnley on the opening weekend of this season.

Chelsea’s tally of 13 points from the past five matches is the joint-highest in the division alongside the two Manchester clubs.

The goalless draw with Arsenal in their last Premier League fixture at Stamford Bridge is the only time in 28 competitive home matches under Antonio Conte that Chelsea have failed to score.

They could play consecutive Premier League home matches without scoring for the first time since November 2012. A team managed by Conte has never failed to score in successive top-flight home fixtures.

Alvaro Morata has six goals in his first six Premier League appearances. Micky Quinn scored a record 10 times in his first seven appearances in the competition, followed by Diego Costa with nine goals.

Eden Hazard has scored three goals and set up two in his last five Premier League games against Manchester City.

Manchester City

The league leaders are the first side to score five or more goals in three consecutive top-flight games since Blackburn Rovers in August 1958.
City have scored a club record 21 league goals after six games.

They are unbeaten in 14 Premier League matches since losing at Chelsea on 5 April (W11, D3).

Manchester City could match the club top-flight record of five consecutive away victories, set from April to September 1912 and equalled in September 2015.

Pep Guardiola has faced Chelsea seven times as a manager and failed to win any of them, excluding the penalty shootout success for his Bayern Munich side against Chelsea in the 2013 Super Cup final (D4, L3). It’s the longest he has gone without victory as a manager against another side.

Kevin de Bruyne has been directly involved in 12 goals in his past 12 games for Manchester City in all competitions, with three goals and nine assists.
David Silva has six Premier League assists this season, more than any other player.

 

 

Culled from BBC

 

 

 

 

 


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