It’s going to be a busy couple weeks for Pep Guardiola and Manchester City. The Sky Blues have stepped up to the plate and handled their tough schedule with aplomb so far, but they will receive another test when they take on Chelsea this Sunday.
Manchester City looks to be firing on all cylinders at the moment. They dismantled Arsenal 3-0 in the Carabao Cup final last weekend and repeated the feat in a Premier League match at the Emirates on Thursday. Rather than relax, now they must take on Chelsea before their Premier League clash against Basel on Wednesday.
Don't miss the English Premier League action from Etihad Stadium at 11 a.m. ET on Sunday, March 4, 2018. Catch every moment of the match live on NBCSN.
EPL Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Chelsea +430
Manchester City -163
Draw +314
Over/Under 2.5, 3
Odds Analysis
Manchester City have been the best team in the Premier League so far this season. Pep Guardiola’s club has been superb and has essentially won the title already. Man City are 24-3-1 and are 16 points clear of second-place Manchester United with 10 games remaining in the season. That’s a practically insurmountable lead at this point and it would take a catastrophe for anyone to catch them.
As for Chelsea, a loss to Manchester United last weekend puts the Blues in danger of missing out on the Champions League next season. Only the top four English Premier League teams go typically, and Chelsea are currently sitting two points behind Tottenham in fifth place. That has put manager Antonio Conte on the hot seat.
Key Injuries
Coming into this match, Manchester City is in good health. Both Fernandinho and Raheem Sterling have returned to the club in recent weeks, and they should be just fine for this game. However, the Sky Blues will be without the services of Fabian Delph. The central midfielder will be serving the last of a three-game suspension for picking up a red card two weeks ago, but the team has so much depth he hasn’t been missed much.
After missing nearly a month with a hamstring injury, midfielder Ross Barkley looks like he will be back in action for Chelsea in this one. Barkley returned to training earlier this week and seems to be in fine shape. He may not play the full 90, but having him available is good news for Chelsea and Conte.
Recent Form
With a Carabao Cup in their grasp and a hammerlock on the Premier League, it’s hard to argue with anything regarding Man City’s recent performance. This team has only lost once all year and they are 13-1-0 at home in Premier League action. Additionally, they remain the highest scoring team in the league with an offense that runs through multiple people.
Chelsea has not been playing well recently. Just a few weeks ago, it was the Blues who were in second place in the Premier League, but they have since lost three of their last five. Losing to Manchester United in Old Trafford is excusable, but the losses to Watford and Bournemouth were not and have the fans steamed.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
The big question coming into this match is how seriously Manchester City takes it. It may sound like a bit of a joke, but they have essentially clinched the Premier League at this point and this may be a letdown, lookahead match. Man City are feeling great after dismantling Arsenal, and although they are up 4-0 on Basel on aggregate, their thoughts are solely on advancing.
However, it looks like oddsmakers have factored that into the price. With how they have played lately, it’s hard to back Chelsea. The draw is a little more palatable and at over three to one, it’s a solid play.
English Premier League Odds: Manchester City 1, Chelsea 1
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