Chelsea cannot afford to drop any more points if they hope to secure a place in next season’s Champions League. So of course they follow up a trip to Manchester United with a visit to Manchester City.
Chelsea are the only Premier League club to defeat Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City at the Etihad. That was in this fixture last season, when the top of the table and the state of both sides was very different. What chances do the Blues have of taking at least a point out of Manchester?
Hugo Amaya: Manchester City 0 – 1 Chelsea. Antonio Conte knows the only way to beat the leaders is to take the game to them. Both teams will attack and defend expertly. However, with more days to prepare, the Blues will be the better team. After opening the score, Conte will put his defense to the test and sit back. With such an important win, the dark clouds over Chelsea will start to dissipate.
Shivansh Sareen: 3 – 1. Chelsea take a shock lead early on, and somehow hold on until halftime. But the runaway leaders are in the lead by the 60′ and wrap up the points in the last few minutes of the game, underlining the gulf in class between the champions to-be and the reigning champions.
Scott Brant: 2 – 1. The Chelsea Blues are not good enough to run with the Sky Blues of Manchester. Chelsea will defend for their lives and try to counter. Back-to-back losses to Manchester clubs. It’s like some kind of torture. Will the real Alvaro Morata please stand up!
Abhishek Pancholi: 1 – 2. This is the start of a series of must-win games for Chelsea, if we harbour any hopes of them qualifying for next year’s Champions League. A false-nine with Willian through the middle could be Antonio Conte’s line-up for this side. City will, inevitably, take the lead. But Chelsea will show the sort of fight they have been missing for a long time and score two goals in the second half.
Kevin Peacock: 1 – 2. There’s no point in pretending: this prediction comes from the heart, not the head. I just can’t give the win to City. They have to have one blip in their run to the title and this could be it. Drained from their Arsenal exertions, City just don’t find second gear. Chelsea replicate the first 30 minutes of last week’s game for the full 90 this time.
Next: Three key questions for Antonio Conte's side as they face Man City
Are you optimistic, pessimistic or a realistic version of either? Let us know your predictions below or on Twitter!