Chelsea: Three things to look for as Chelsea host Manchester City

Chelsea did not have to wait long for a big clash against a top six side. Manchester City awaits with a chip on their shoulder.

Hot off a victory against Aston Villa, the Blues must prepare for a much bigger clash against Manchester City. Pep Guardiola’s men have had a great head start to the resumption of play and they will go in knowing a loss will hand Liverpool the title. What are some things to look for as Chelsea plays kingmaker once again?

1. Has Manchester City found their groove again?

Half of Liverpool’s title has been their own excellence, the other half has been Manchester City fading off. Early injuries and some uncharacteristic results have seen City slip too far away to have a chance of catching Liverpool.

That being said, City has returned from the break with a fire in their belly. They swatted Arsenal aside before absolutely blasting Burnley off the pitch. Eight goals in two games and zero conceded is not great reading for a Chelsea side that struggled to beat Aston Villa 2-1.

If Guardiola has fixed whatever issues City had this season, then Chelsea will be in for one of the toughest matches of the season. Guardiola will want to force Liverpool to win the title on their own terms, so expect them to go all out as they look to chase their momentum.

2. Can Chelsea turn it on for a big team?

In hindsight, it may very well be the case that the XI against Aston Villa was heavily rotated ahead of the City match. That would explain the Blues’ struggles throughout and it would also explain why the substitutes so effectively changed the match.

But, Chelsea struggling against teams they should beat is nothing new. That has happened time and time again this season. But on the same note, the Blues have generally turned up for the big teams.

No big team has truly outplayed Chelsea in the Premier League this season. Even the losses, some of which were quite lopsided, were unfair score lines. Frank Lampard seemingly knows how to adapt and attempt to get the best out of his side when the opponent is huge. He will be looking for that same energy against City.

3. Will the difference in schedules help or hurt Chelsea?

Manchester City will be playing their third match since the restart when they play Chelsea. The Blues will only be on their second. Match fitness is very much as thing and after Arsenal and Burnley, City simply have more of it than Chelsea.

However, match fitness is separate from actual fitness and that is where Chelsea has an advantage. The Blues have only had the one match and it was on Sunday. City have played twice now and they will have a day less rest before they travel to Stamford Bridge. So while they may have more match fitness, they will also have less physical fitness.

How this plays into the match remains to be seen. If Lampard did indeed rotate in preparation for City, he will only have made the differences in match fitness and physical fitness more extreme. Guardiola also rotated somewhat against Burnley, so there are a few variables pulling in every direction for this one.

What are you looking for as Chelsea play Manchester City? Let us know in the comments and on Twitter!