Premier League: Can Chelsea Topple Another Leader?

Chelsea vs Manchester City

Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea did Manchester City a big favour on Monday when they beat Premier League pace-setters Tottenham, a result which meant the Sky Blues finished the weekend in top spot.

Whether the Blues would have won in a fair fight we will never know, but against nine men they eventually took advantage, Nicolas Jackson scoring a hat-trick of tap-ins. It was a shock result, but Chelsea have improved in recent weeks and 40,000 fans will be at Stamford Bridge on Sunday expecting, okay, maybe hoping, their team can beat Pep Guardiola’s title favourites.   

Manchester City battered Bournemouth 6-1 last week to go top of the table, and they swept Young Boys aside with a 3-0 Champions League win on Tuesday. The Premier League 2023 betting odds have been right behind the Sky Blues from the off and any team which beats Guardiola’s team can be very proud.

Chelsea are the underdogs; but at last they are showing some bite, and that makes this match a tantalising prospect.            

Talking Points

Lift Off for Jackson

Pochettino’s meeting with his old employers turned out to be a success beyond his wildest dreams as Jackson strolled through the depleted Tottenham defence to help himself to three most welcome goals. The striker has struggled since his big money arrival at Stamford Bridge, picking up more yellow cards than goals; but he increased his goal tally from two to five in a late flurry. The final stages of the game looked more like action from a schoolboy match as Chelsea players ran into the Spurs half unchallenged. Tottenham still thought they could win, even after Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie saw red, and they committed men forward in search of an equaliser. 

But the 22-year-old Jackson took his chances clinically and that will give him a huge boost; and he will give the Manchester City defence a hard time. And, in a young team, he has an experienced operator alongside him in the form of 28-year-old Raheem Sterling who has scored four goals and made two assists already this season.   

The Blues’ early Premier League 2023 results were woeful, but they are back in the top ten… and that’s a start. There is a nine-point gap to make up if they are to reach the top four but, with 27 games to go, there is plenty of time.    

Has the Sky Blue blip already ended?

Manchester City lost three games from four just over a month ago, exiting the Carabao Cup in the process, but since then they have won five on the bounce, scoring 17 goals, and they are beginning to look like the treble winners of last season. Erling Haaland, with 11 goals, is already three clear in the race for the Golden Boot, with Liverpool’s Mo Salah and Spurs’ Heung-min Son in pursuit. And the Norwegian goal machine returned from a minor ankle injury sustained in the win over Bournemouth to bag another two goals against the Young Boys. 

Midfield maestro Phil Foden is in his best form for a while, and he scored a sublime goal on Tuesday with help from Jack Grealish, and those two stars can open up any defence. The only negative edge to the Champions League win was the loss of John Stones to injury, but Guardiola has plenty of options and he may slot Nathan Ake into the vacancy.        

The Sky Blues made a fast start and are going well in Europe, and they have genuine aspirations of repeating last season’s incredible achievement. It’s certainly on but Chelsea will give the Sky Blues a good examination on Sunday.    

History

Chelsea have won 29 matches to City’s 26 in all their encounters in the Premier League era but the Sky Blues are catching up fast, winning the last six meetings without conceding a single goal.    

Both teams are in impressive form; with five wins and a defeat for Manchester City over the last six games, while Chelsea have recorded four wins, one draw and one defeat.    

Betting Tip

Chelsea are at SBOTOP odds of 3.88 to knock another team off the top spot and the draw is priced at 3.44, while City are strong favourites at 1.72. The Double Chance, Chelsea or Draw, is 1.92 and the Blues are showing signs of improvement, with five wins from the last seven outings.

But this is Manchester City we are talking about and, after a sticky patch at the end of September, the Sky Blues are beginning to look ominous. Against a team which is improving but still a way off challenging at the top, I expect Guardiola to find a way to win.

 

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