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Chelsea: Three things to look for vs. Manchester City

By Nathaniel Kay

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 23: John Stones of Manchester City battles with Tammy Abraham of Chelsea during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Chelsea FC at Etihad Stadium on November 23, 2019 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 23: John Stones of Manchester City battles with Tammy Abraham of Chelsea during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Chelsea FC at Etihad Stadium on November 23, 2019 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images) /
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Manchester City’s Spanish manager Pep Guardiola elbow bumps with Chelsea’s English head coach Frank Lampard after during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Manchester City at Stamford Bridge in London on June 25, 2020. – Cheslea won the match 2-1. Jurgen Klopp’s legendary status at Anfield was secured on Thursday as he became the first Liverpool manager to win a league title in 30 years. (Photo by PAUL CHILDS / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by PAUL CHILDS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Manchester City’s Spanish manager Pep Guardiola elbow bumps with Chelsea’s English head coach Frank Lampard after during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Manchester City at Stamford Bridge in London on June 25, 2020. – Cheslea won the match 2-1. Jurgen Klopp’s legendary status at Anfield was secured on Thursday as he became the first Liverpool manager to win a league title in 30 years. (Photo by PAUL CHILDS / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by PAUL CHILDS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) /

A fixture that rarely disappoints, keep an eye out on these intriguing developments between Chelsea and Manchester City on Sunday.

So, 2020 happened. There is little discussion about wanting to move on as quickly as possible, and what better way to welcome in the New Year than a blockbuster clash involving Chelsea and Manchester City? Fireworks often erupt between the two in Blue, most recently set off by Liverpool after the Blues doused City’s chances of winning the league back in June. With Pep Guardiola eager to seek out revenge, here are a few things to look out for on the weekend:

Will the match be played?

We may already have the answer by the time this article is published, but perhaps it prompts are different wording of the question: should the match be played?

This is in relation to the cancellation of the City’s tie against Everton on Monday after the club confirmed an outbreak of COVID-19 in their camp. This follows the news that Kyler Walker, Gabriel Jesus and two members of staff had also tested positive on Christmas Day, causing the closure of City’s training ground. The game at Goodison was postponed four hours before kick-off, leaving Chelsea on stand by as to whether they would be playing on Sunday or given a day of rest. City has now responded in a statement that first team training would resume, with every precaution taken to ensure the safety of everyone involved in their bubble.

As cases have gradually increased in the Premier League, not to mention the alarming rise across the country, there is an understandably wary reaction to the match going ahead. Managers like Sam Allardyce are calling for a circuit breaker across the league, but the Premier League has not discussed such a pause, insisting on their confidence in the COVID protocols.

Of course, every fan would love to see Chelsea and City go hell for leather, especially because of their recent rivalry, however, the risk certainly outweighs the reward in this instance. If there is the slightest possibility the virus is still lingering and could spread, then this particular contest cannot go ahead.

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