Chelsea will take on title rivals Manchester City on Saturday in the game week 14 of the Premier League at the Etihad Stadium. It promises to be a thrilling encounter with both sides neck to neck at the top of the table.
Chelsea have been in a prime form recently, winning seven games in a row in the Premier League and City come into the game having won their last two encounters 2-1 against Burnley and Crystal Palace.
Both Diego Costa and Sergio Aguero are in a fine goal-scoring nack and are at the top of the Premier League goal-scoring charts with 10 strikes each.
A win for Chelsea would see them stretch their lead at the top to four points, while a City victory would mean they’ll go past Chelsea in the table.
Here we come up with three things that Chelsea will have to do to come up trumps against Pep Guardiola’s side:
Shackle Sergio Aguero
Sergio Aguero is the best striker in the Premier League without any doubt. He is more often than not, the difference between City and their opponents, as was witnessed last weekend against Burnley, where he scored two scrappy goals to get his team over the line.
If Chelsea are to win the game against Manchester City, then they will have to nullify the Argentine’s threat at the top. Their defence has been in top form, with all the three centre-halves in good form, but Aguero is a predator around goal and they can’t let him have the smallest of sniffs around their penalty box or the City striker will make them pay dearly. This could probably be the biggest test of the Chelsea defence and in particular for David Luiz, who has a tendency to step into the midfield every now and then. Keep Aguero out, and half of their job is done.
Don’t forget the supporting cast
While Aguero might be the most lethal weapon in the possession of Pep Guardiola, the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva and Raheem Sterling are no slouches by any means. They have chipped in with important goals for their team at important junctures and their link-up play can be very dangerous. De Bruyne and Sterling’s goals seem to have dried up of late but they still remain huge threats. And throw into the mix, the stellar return of Yaya Toure who looks fresh, fit and energetic than he has ever before.
The Chelsea midfield of Nemanja Matic and N’Golo Kante will have their task cut out against City’s midfield runners while the wing-backs Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso will also have to prove their defensive nous if Chelsea are to get the maximum points on Saturday.
Unsettle the City Backline
It is no secret that the Manchester City’s defence has been pretty shaky at times this season. Captain Vincent Kompany is still out injured, while new signing John Stones, after having a great start to the campaign, has looked a little suspect at the back. Aleksander Kolaraov seems to be unsure of what his role in the side is, with him playing as a centre-back one week and a left-back the other week. All the chopping and changing hasn’t allowed the City backline to gel and perform with cohesion. And Claudio Bravo has been anything but stable in goal.
So, if Chelsea manage to pressure the City defenders, not allow them to settle down on the ball and keep pressing them relentlessly, sooner or later a mistake will happen. And with the likes of Eden Hazard, Pedro and Diego Costa enjoying a rich vein of form, they will most likely capitalize on that error.