English Premier League First Place on Line at Stamford Bridge

Last season, Chelsea won the UEFA Champions League. However, they finished fourth in the English Premier League, 19 points behind first place. The Blues haven’t won the domestic title since the 2016-17 season. That’s why this is their main goal for the season, and they’re right on track.

Chelsea is one of three teams to remain undefeated, but this weekend they’ll face their toughest test yet. They’ll play host to Manchester City, who wants to take revenge after what happened in the UCL Final. Pep Guardiola’s team is only three points behind Thomas Tuchel’s team.

Let’s take a look at the latest news, stats, injury reports, and soccer odds for Chelsea vs Manchester City. We’ve plenty of predictions for you to consider!

Game: Chelsea vs Manchester City
Location: Stamford Bridge, London
Time: Saturday, September 25, 7:30 a.m. ET
Television: beIN Sports
Live Stream: fuboTV

English Premier League Betting Lines

Head to Head

• Previous Matches: 167
• Chelsea Victories: 69 (229 goals)
• Manchester City Victories: 58 (214 goals)
• Draws: 40

The last time they met, Chelsea defeated Manchester City 1-0 with a goal from Kai Havertz to win the UCL. Last season, they met four times, and the Blues won three of them. They also beat the Citizens 2-1 in their second EPL meeting and 1-0 in the FA Cup Semifinals. City won their first EPL meeting 3-1.

Both won five of their last 10 meetings. During that span, City scored 17 goals, failing to score only once, and allowed 13, finishing with a clean sheet three times. The total went over in seven of those games.

Why bet on Chelsea?

If you’ve been including Chelsea in your soccer picks you should be very happy. The Blues lead the EPL with 13 points thanks to a 4-1-0 record, 12 goals for and only one against. Only Manchester United (13) has scored more goals than them. They share the best defensive record with Liverpool and Manchester City.

Most recently, they started the UCL Group Stage on the right foot with a 1-0 victory over Zenit. Regarding the EPL, they crushed Tottenham 3-0 on the road with goals from three defensive players. Talk about versatility!

Manager Thomas Tuchel was forced to make some changes, including goalkeeper, and the team responded more than well. Having such a deep roster is what makes the difference during a long season with multiple competitions.

“Everybody wants to have more minutes, but we have contracts for 24 players including the goalkeepers. We simply cannot give everybody the same amount of minutes,” said Tuchel after their last game.

That’s a good problem, right? Having 24 players eager to show their capabilities. So far, everyone has contributed to a great start to the season. The Blues also are 5-0 against the spread and 3-2 over/under. Their only draw was on the road.

Individually, Romelu Lukaku returned to lead the team in scoring with three goals. The Belgian needed very little time to readjust to the EPL rhythm and level.

Edouard Mendy and Christian Pulisic remain questionable due to injury, Charly Musonda is out. Their expected lineup is Kepa Arrizabalaga; Thiago Silva, Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen; Marcos Alonso, Jorginho, N’Golo Kante, Marcos Alonso; Kai Havertz, Mason Mount, Romelu Lukaku.

Why Bet on Manchester City?

No matter what scores and odds say, Manchester City will always have a chance. In other words, with Pep Guardiola in charge and a roster full of talented players they’ll always have a chance.

The Citizens sit in fifth place with 10 points thanks to a 3-1-1 record. They’ve scored 11 goals and allowed only one. Most recently, they crushed Wycombe Wanderers 6-1 in the Capital One Cup. Guardiola took advantage of that game to reintroduce Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden into the starting lineup. Both missed the start of the season due to injury.

“Phil doesn’t need many games to get his rhythm because he lives for football 24 hours a day. Kevin will be back to his best condition because he is an incredible player,” said Guardiola after the beating.

Regarding the EPL, their last game against Southampton finished with a goalless draw. Keep in mind they managed to stay competitive, even with De Bruyne and Foden out. That’s only possible when your roster also includes Raheem Sterling, Jack Grealish, Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva, Gabriel Jesus and more.

The Citizens also are 2-2-1 against the spread and 2-3 over/under. Their only loss was on the road. They scored five or more goals in three of their last five games in all competitions. Not even PSG managed to do that recently.

Oleksandr Zinchenko is out due to injury, while Benjamin Mendy is suspended. They haven’t missed either of them. Their expected lineup is Ederson Moraes; Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Aymeric Laporte, Joao Cancelo; Bernardo Silva, Rodri, Ilkay Gundogan; Jack Grealish, Riyad Mahrez, Gabriel Jesus.

Final Analysis and Predictions

Forget about the EPL game of the week, this is the game of the week all around the world. Chelsea wants to remain unbeaten and keep leading the competition. Manchester City can’t afford to lose. A six-point gap in a competition like the EPL could be too much, even if the season has only begun.

Expect a back-and-forth battle. We’re talking about the best two defensive units in the league, but they also are very effective when attacking. Both will score, but the total will go under. Don’t forget to check the props our sportsbook is offering for this and other games to increase your winning chances. Our score prediction is offering a +550 price. It’s going to be a close one; I like 31-40 minutes for the first goal to be scored at +600.

Score Prediction: Chelsea 1, Manchester City 1

Pick: Draw +230