Chelsea face a daunting start to the new year when they travel to the Etihad Stadium to take on Manchester City on Sunday, doing so without head coach Enzo Maresca following his dismissal earlier this week.
The club has not yet confirmed a permanent replacement, leaving the squad to prepare under interim leadership as they attempt to halt Pep Guardiola’s side from extending a club-record unbeaten run against them.
Chelsea have not beaten Manchester City in the league since May 2021 and are seeking to prevent the champions from stretching their unbeaten sequence against the Blues in all competitions to 12 matches. Chelsea’s last win over City came in the 2021 Champions League final in Porto.
Historically, the fixture remains closely contested. In 180 meetings across all competitions, Chelsea have recorded 71 victories to City’s 67, with 42 draws. However, recent meetings have heavily favoured the Manchester side, particularly at the Etihad Stadium, where City have won eight of the last 10 encounters.
Chelsea arrive in Manchester struggling for consistency.
They have won just one of their last seven Premier League matches, drawing four and losing two. Although away performances have improved — with four clean sheets in their last six away league games — Chelsea have dropped 15 points from winning positions this season, most of them at Stamford Bridge.
Despite those struggles, Chelsea continue to stand out for their youthful profile. They currently field the youngest average starting XI in the Premier League and have enjoyed more possession than their opponents in 18 of their 19 league matches this season. João Pedro leads the club’s league scoring with six goals, while Reece James tops the assist charts with four.
Chelsea will also be without Moises Caicedo, who is suspended after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season. Marc Cucurella could reach a personal milestone if selected, making his 100th Premier League appearance for the club.
Manchester City remain formidable at home. Guardiola’s men have won their last eight Premier League matches at the Etihad, scoring at least three goals in seven of them. City are the league’s top scorers this season with 43 goals and have conceded just 17.
Although City’s six-match winning run ended with a goalless draw against Sunderland on New Year’s Day, they retain strong momentum. Erling Haaland has scored 19 goals in 19 league appearances, accounting for nearly half of City’s Premier League goals, while Rayan Cherki has been involved in eight goals in his last 10 league outings.
City will be without Rayan Aït-Nouri and Omar Marmoush, who are away on Africa Cup of Nations duty.
Michael Oliver will referee the match, which kicks off at 7:30 on Sunday.
