90min

Chelsea vs Man City: TV channel, live stream, team news & prediction

By Jamie Spencer

Chelsea & Man City played in the biggest game of all at the end of last season
Chelsea & Man City played in the biggest game of all at the end of last season / DAVID RAMOS/Getty Images
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Chelsea and Manchester City go head to head in the Premier League this weekend in the biggest game of the 2021/22 season so far. It is a battle of the current leaders against the defending champions and will provide a stern early test for both sides.

Each club comes into this one off the back of a comfortable midweek win in the Carabao Cup, although both will make wholesale changes after rotating for that competition.

This is everything you need to know about Saturday’s game.

How to watch Chelsea vs Man City on TV/live stream

What time is kick off? Saturday 25 September, 12:30 (BST)
Where is it being played? Stamford Bridge
TV channel? BT Sport (UK), fubo TV (US)
Referee? Michael Oliver
VAR? Dan Robathan

Chelsea team news

Chelsea are trying to get Edouard Mendy back from injury
Chelsea are trying to get Edouard Mendy back from injury / PAUL ELLIS/Getty Images

Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has been passed fit and is ready for this one after missing the last two games and will replace Kepa Arrizabalaga. But Mason Mount has been ruled out through injury, while Christian Pulisic is also missing.

Thomas Tuchel will rotate plenty of his usual starters back into the lineup after making a number of changes for the Carabao Cup.

Man City team news

Ilkay Gundogan is a fitness doubt for Man City
Ilkay Gundogan is a fitness doubt for Man City / Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

John Stones, Aymeric Laporte, Ilkay Gundogan, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Rodri are all doubts for the visitors. That could see Nathan Ake continue in defence.

Pep Guardiola named a number of teenagers in the team that beat Wycombe in midweek, but don’t expect any of them to keep their place for this one.

Chelsea vs Man City predicted lineups

Chelsea: Mendy; Silva, Christensen, Rudiger; Azpilicueta, Jorginho, Kovacic, Alonso; Havertz, Ziyech; Lukaku

Man City: Ederson; Walker, Dias, Ake, Cancelo; De Bruyne, Fernandinho, Foden; Jesus, Torres, Grealish

Chelsea vs Man City head to head

This is already the fifth time that Chelsea and Manchester City will meet this calendar year, having played each other twice in the Premier League, once in the FA Cup and also in the Champions League final in Porto, which Chelsea won.

Chelsea have won the last three meetings in all competitions, although City won the last time this fixtures was played in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge in January.

Chelsea vs Man City score prediction

Chelsea are in more consistent form than Man City
Chelsea are in more consistent form than Man City / Marc Atkins/Getty Images

For a team that has scored 24 goals across eight games this season, Manchester City have bizarrely struggled to find the net at times. They drew a blank against Leicester in the Community Shield, then against Tottenham and Southampton in the Premier League, while also only narrowly beating Leicester in the league upon meeting the Foxes again.

Chelsea have been much more consistent so far this season and aren’t struggling with the same level of fitness concerns that City are at this moment in time.

Prediction: Chelsea 2-1 Man City

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