Chelsea vs Manchester City Prediction, Odds, Picks

• Chelsea are top of the Premier League table after four victories and a draw
• Manchester City are two points back but came from further behind last season
• Chelsea are the league’s most complete team right now and could land a statement win

[odds data-token=’32O3Om4rcuDkKBCYXa5EZxEUqnvjRQrgBTcYyjuX’ class=’odds-1-centered’ data-lang=’en’ data-odds-format=’american’]

Chelsea vs Manchester City Odds

The odds for Chelsea vs Manchester City are provided by Unibet. Click on the links in the table below to head to the sportsbook, sign-up, and place your bet. Get a $500 risk-free bet at Unibet. See if sports betting is legal in your state, here.

Bet on Chelsea vs Manchester City Here!

Chelsea vs Manchester City Prediction and Pick

The Blues look like the most complete team in the Premier League right now and will be keen to secure a statement victory in front of their own fans.

Pick:

Chelsea to win!

Chelsea Coast to Win Against Spurs To Underline Credentials

You would not guess so from the scoreline, but Tottenham Hotspur actually started last weekend’s meeting with Chelsea brightly. Spurs came out on the front foot and the Blues were limited to occasional breaks forward, as the home team looked to land an early blow on their London rivals. But Chelsea gradually gained a foothold and eventually took control of proceedings, thanks in large part to a tactical tweak from their manager.

After 35 minutes Thomas Tuchel shifted from a 3-4-2-1 formation to a 3-5-2, dropping Mason Mount back into midfield alongside Mateo Kovacic and Jorginho. Spurs found that the space they had previously been exploiting was suddenly restricted. At half-time N’Golo Kante replaced Mount, and the transformation of the game was complete. Chelsea went on to win 3-0, finding Tottenham had no answer to the new questions their opponents were asking.

It was another example of Tuchel’s genius. The 48-year-old is perhaps the best in-game manager in the world right now. He has the ability to know exactly what a match needs at any given most. Tuchel played down the importance of his tactical move after the match, but it was undoubtedly the key to bringing Chelsea maximum points.

The Blues look extremely strong right now. They have strength in depth throughout the squad. Their starting XI is well balanced without an obvious area of weakness. Romelu Lukaku increasingly looks like the missing piece in the jigsaw; he was excellent against Tottenham despite not getting on the scoresheet. Chelsea are defensively solid, having conceded just one goal this season – and that was a penalty against Liverpool after they had been reduced to 10 men. Chelsea are now the bookmakers’ favorites to win the Premier League title – as they should be.

Editor’s pick:

• Premier League Top Scorer 
• Premier League 2021/22 Relegation
• Premier League 2021/22 Title Winner

Manchester City Still Searching for the Right Strikerless Formula

The question was inevitable. After Manchester City’s 0-0 draw with Southampton, Pep Guardiola was asked whether the result demonstrated why he was so keen to sign a striker in the summer. A few days earlier, after City had thrashed RB Leipzig 6-3 in the Champions League, it was put to Guardiola that perhaps the scoreline showed why his side did not need a conventional center-forward.

We can expect similar inquiries for the remainder of the campaign. Guardiola clearly wanted to buy Harry Kane in the summer. The Premier League champions would be a better team with the England captain at the top of the pitch. But City have also scored 11 goals in five Premier League fixtures in 2021/22. They might lack a prolific scorer, but sharing the goals around the team did not hurt them last season.

At the same time, it is hard to shake the sense that Guardiola has not yet fully settled on a preferred formula. Ferran Torres has most often been deployed as the false nine this term, but he was left on the bench for the entirety of the Southampton game. The Spaniard could be brought back on Saturday, or Guardiola could feasibly use Kevin De Bruyne, Gabriel Jesus or Raheem Sterling in that role through the middle.

Even without a traditional striker, City won the Premier League at a canter last time out. But the competition is stronger this season, and the fact Guardiola pushed so hard to sign Kane suggests he is not completely content with the options at his disposal.

Tuchel Out of Continue Positive Record Against Guardiola

The first time Tuchel and Guardiola coached against each other, the latter’s team registered a comprehensive 4-1 win. It was not exactly a battle of equals, though: Tuchel was the manager of Mainz and Guardiola was in charge of Bayern Munich. The fight got a bit fairer when Tuchel took over at Borussia Dortmund in 2015, although Guardiola still won the first edition of Der Klassiker that campaign.

Tuchel has fared better of late, though. Despite only taking the reins at Stamford Bridge in January, the German has already faced Manchester City three times. The first ended in a 1-0 win for Chelsea in the semi-finals of the FA Cup. A few weeks later the Blues triumphed 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League. And in the biggest match of all, Chelsea beat Manchester City 1-0 in last term’s Champions League final.

Needless to say, that record is unlikely to carry on forever. But Tuchel does seem to have the edge over Guardiola right now, and the Catalan could second guess his team selection because of it. That is what happened in the Champions League final, and Chelsea took full advantage. Even if Guardiola keeps things simple, Tuchel’s side have looked more impressive in recent weeks. Back a home win in Saturday’s blockbuster fixture.

How to Watch Chelsea vs Manchester City