Chelsea: Three things to look for in Champions League dress rehearsal

3. Who really has the most to play for?

City could have won the league last weekend, gotten past PSG midweek, and then kicked back against Chelsea this weekend. But then the Manchester United protest spilled into the stadium and the game got postponed. City’s coronation is a matter of when, not if, and they can win it themselves against Chelsea.

Chelsea, meanwhile, is still in this all out brawl for top four. That lead has grown since the six pointer against West Ham, but just one loss by Chelsea and one win by West Ham would put the two level on points (Chelsea has a far better GD). That would be less concerning if Chelsea’s final three matches weren’t Arsenal (bad as they may be, a derby is a derby), Leicester (right after the FA Cup final against them), and the ever mysterious Aston Villa.

City can kick back and let someone else win the title for them, they can win it themselves against Chelsea, or they can win it later. Given how crazy this season has been fitness wise, it would be smart of Pep Guardiola to rotate heavy and take whatever the result is. For Chelsea, a win against City would all but guarantee top four with three match days to go. A loss wouldn’t be crippling, but it would make things precarious with no room for error. At the same time, the Blues could really do with some rotation too to survive what is left of the season.

Obviously no manager goes out with the intention of throwing the match, but there are a lot of external factors that may push one or both managers towards risking the loss. Every result is important but with things like the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, and top four on the line between the two clubs, this may be the time to play the long game and roll the dice in the short term.

What are you looking for in this match? Let us know in the comments and on Twitter!