Chelsea looking to restart at City after Maresca’s departure.
Manchester City vs. Chelsea kicks off at 17:30 [GMT] on Sunday, January 4, at the Etihad.
Manchester City [WWWWD] and Chelsea meet at the Etihad Stadium in a Premier League fixture that recent history suggests heavily favors the Sky Blues. City are unbeaten in their last eight league meetings with the Blues, winning six and drawing two, equalling their longest ever run without defeat against Chelsea in the competition. They have also found the net with remarkable consistency in this matchup, failing to score in just one of their last 22 Premier League encounters with Chelsea. Pep Guardiola’s team arrive in formidable form at the Etihad, having won their last eight Premier League home games. Goals have flowed freely, with City scoring three or more in seven of those victories, including each of the last five in a row. That attacking dominance has been spearheaded once again by Erling Haaland, who has scored 11 goals in eight home league games this season, netting twice in five separate matches. Few players in Premier League history have been as reliable in home fixtures, and Chelsea’s defense will be acutely aware of the threat he poses when he appears at the attacking end of City’s 4—2—3—1 formation.
It came as a shock to many as Chelsea and Enzo Maresca parted ways on New Year’s Day after a two-year spell following discontent behind the scenes. Meanwhile, Chelsea’s struggles in Manchester add further context to Sunday’s fixture as the Blues look to restart with Calum McFarlane as interim manager. After winning four consecutive away league games at City between 2005 and 2008, the London club have managed just three victories in their last 16 visits to the Etihad, losing 11 of those matches. This has become one of their most challenging away fixtures, particularly against a City side that is currently ruthless on home soil. Chelsea’s recent form, by contrast, has been uneven. They have won just one of their last seven league games, drawing four and losing two, a sharp dip after a run of five wins in six matches earlier in the campaign. A recurring issue has been their inability to protect leads; they have dropped 15 points from winning positions this season, although most of that damage has been done at Stamford Bridge rather than away from home. There are also individual trends to note. Cole Palmer remains Chelsea’s main attacking outlet, but all of his last nine Premier League goals have been scored in London. He has not found the net away from the capital since December 2024, a statistic that underlines Chelsea’s attacking challenges in fixtures like this. A 4—2—3—1 formation with Joao Pedro in attack is expected. Moisés Caicedo remains suspended.