Manchester CityChelseaPremier League

Manchester City welcomes Chelsea in a derby match of the 22nd round of the Premier League. The draw that "the Blues" made with Liverpool almost send the title into the hands of the "Citizens". Although we are in a very early stage of the season, a lead of 10 points over Chelsea and 11 ahead of Liverpool (albeit with a game less) will be difficult to waste by Manchester City. Moreover, at the moment the Citizens are in a series of 11 consecutive victories in the Premier League, and in almost all the remaining matches against the top teams in the championship will be hosts.

Even if it was harder than expected, Manchester City left with three points from their visit to Arsenal, beating it 2:1 after a late goal by Rodri. The Gunners made it as difficult as possible for the guests and took the lead in the first half, but the confidence of the guests paid off. Gabriel Magalhaes' stupid red card also tipped the scales in favor of Manchester City and logically Arsenal suffered only a second loss as host in the Premier League.

Chelsea showed character and after a difficult period in December returns to its best days. The Blues showed what they are capable of against Liverpool and although they were 2:0 behind by the middle of the first half, they equalized before the break. The point won certainly lifted the mood of the Londoners after the disappointing draws before with Burnley, Brighton, Everton and Wolverhampton. In fact, it was those games that Chelsea did not win that moved them away from Manchester City. The regained confidence is evident in the two matches of "the Blues" against Tottenham for the Carabao Cup, won by 2:0 and 1:0, respectively.

Only a victory on Saturday can rekindle Londoners' ambitions for gold medals. In the end, Chelsea have nothing to lose and I think they will play more freely than their opponent. However, this is not a guarantee that the club will leave even with a point from the Etihad. Manchester City is definitely the best team in the Premier League so far and as seen against Arsenal, it always finds a way to achieve its goal. I expect an interesting match with opportunities and goals. Chelsea performed relatively well as a guest and scored in every visit except the one against Wolverhampton.