After their win over Everton on Wednesday night, Manchester City are tied with Liverpool at the top of the table. The Reds still have a game in hand on the Citizens, but City will take it all the same after falling as far back as seven points at the end of 2018. They know they face a tough test when they host Chelsea this Sunday though. The Blues are currently fourth in the table, and they have already knocked off City once this year. The hosts can’t let that happen again if they are to repeat as Premier League champions.
Don't miss the English Premier League action from the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England at 11 a.m. ET on Sunday, February 10, 2019. Catch every moment of the match live on NBCSN.
EPL Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Manchester City -199
Chelsea +511
Draw +337
Over/Under 3
Odds Analysis
The last two times Chelsea went on the road, they were rocked. The Blues suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of rivals Arsenal back in mid-January, giving up two first-half goals and mustering just one shot on target. Losing to a floundering Bournemouth side was far more discouraging though. The Cherries hammered the Blues 4-0 thanks to four second-half goals from three different players. Chelsea were able to crush hapless Huddersfield Town to get the taste out of their mouth, but City are at the opposite end of the table.
It’s been a strange year for Manchester City. The Citizens have performed very well against the other top teams in the Premier League, but they have left us dumbfounded with some of their losses. They lost to Crystal Palace and Leicester City back in December, and they put themselves in another hole with a loss to Newcastle United after a goal inside of the first minute. They have defeated Arsenal and Everton in the last few days to close the gap, but they need Liverpool to stumble.
Key Injuries
Chelsea are as healthy as they have been all year ahead of this match. Marco van Ginkel is a long-term absence because of an ACL injury, and he is the only player listed on the injury report for the club.
Manchester City have a long-term injury of their own in reserve goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, who continues to recover from a ruptured Achilles tendon. Vincent Kompany continues to be hampered by injuries and has been ruled out, but Benjamin Mendy looks set to return after missing some time with a knee injury.
Player to Watch
At the deadline, Chelsea’s big move was shipping Alvaro Morata off to Atletico Madrid and replacing him with Gonzalo Higuain. Higuain had found himself dispensable after Juventus spent hundreds of millions of Euros in the offseason, and Chelsea were more than happy to add him in the hopes of getting more production up top. He made the most of his time with a brace against Huddersfield Town last weekend, and Higuain will want to make his mark in this important affair.
Previous Meeting
When these teams met in early December, N’Golo Kante was the deserved man of the match. Kante did an excellent job of breaking up many City attacks before they got a chance to develop, and he scored the game’s first goal right before halftime. That led to Chelsea dealing City their first loss of the season, opening up the table.
Prop Bet – Draw and Over 3.5 +1039
I’m pretty much calling my shot with this one, but I think we are going to see a high-scoring free-flowing game. Chelsea have the tools to succeed against City’s back line, and I don’t see the Blues shutting out an offense this talented again.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
Chelsea have not performed well on the road in recent weeks, but they have the talent to give City fits. I like them to get a result.
English Premier League Odds: Chelsea 2, Manchester City 2
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