Who: Manchester Metropolis vs Chelsea
What: English Premier League
The place: Etihad Stadium, Manchester, United Kingdom
When: 5:30pm (17:30 GMT) on Saturday
Comply with Al Jazeera’s dwell build-up adopted by our textual content and picture commentary stream of the match.
Manchester Metropolis’s subsequent two video games, within the Premier League and the Champions League have been in comparison with “finals” for the beleaguered English champions by their supervisor Pep Guardiola.
Chelsea arrive at Etihad Stadium on Saturday with holders Metropolis 12 factors off league leaders Liverpool, who even have a recreation within the chasing pack.
Guardiola’s facet, who’re fifth and two factors behind the Blues, then face a must-win recreation at Membership Brugge of Belgium or face elimination from the Champions League on the first hurdle.
“The following two video games are actually actually vital, finals with us,” Guardiola instructed reporters on Friday “Our folks will assist us. We’re very shut within the desk [to Chelsea] even with the massive huge issues we had within the current previous.”
What has happened to Man City?
Despite a recent climb up the Premier League table, City are yet to fully emerge from their surprise slump which saw Guardiola’s side register only one win in nine matches in all competitions at one stage.
The 4-2 defeat at Paris St Germain on Wednesday, when they squandered a two-goal lead, has left them one place outside of the Champions League’s playoff places with one game of the league phase remaining. It caps a run of two wins in seven European games.
When pushed on whether City will qualify for next season’s Champions League – which can be achieved by winning this season’s competition or finishing in the top four in the Premier League – Guardiola replied: “We can make it. Why should I think differently? We’re going to make it. I think it is going to happen. I am very very positive.”
Who are Man City’s new January transfer window signings?
In an attempt to reverse the travails of a team that secured an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title last season, City have embarked on a January spending spree in the transfer window. Vitor Reis, Abdukodir Khusanov and Omar Marmoush have all been acquired at a cost of more than $150m.
“Vitor is young, he has a huge personality, needs time. If he’s here with us, of course, he can start,” Guardiola said.
“Khusanov has already settled for the fact that he played in the French league, handling tough, quick, fast players. But he doesn’t speak much English so communication will be one of the situations that we have to deal with.
“Marmoush will adapt quick. They will make us strong and I’m pretty sure that the club decided for this prospective players for the future and many years.”
Introducing @ManCity‘s three new signings 🆕
Which player will make the biggest impact for Pep Guardiola’s side? pic.twitter.com/lAXxra2YNU
— Premier League (@premierleague) January 23, 2025
Friends reunited in the dugout as Man City entertain Chelsea
Chelsea are managed by Guardiola’s former assistant Enzo Maresca, who spent a season alongside the Spaniard in 2022-2023.
This isn’t the first meeting between the pair this season, however. City won 2-0 in the reverse fixture earlier in the season thanks to goals from Erling Haaland and Mateo Kovacic.
The Blues ended a five-game streak without a win in the league, in which they lost twice, by beating Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-1 in their last outing. The barren run, prior to Monday’s win at Stamford Bridge, dented an incredibly strong start to life in London for Maresca, whose side had unexpectedly become title contenders.
“I recognised his [Maresca’s] workforce from day one, even after we performed them in the summertime camp within the States,” Guardiola mentioned. “Many issues I began to see that we spoke about many, many instances within the final years collectively. Actually good.”
Chelsea supervisor backs Guardiola to bounce again
Maresca, meantime, has rallied round Guardiola and mentioned the struggling Metropolis boss wants assist. “Pep is powerful sufficient in this sort of factor. However for certain, like every human being, he wants assist on this second, for the final eight or 9 years, they had been at all times on high,” Maresca instructed gathered media at Chelsea’s coaching floor.
Maresca mentioned that Chelsea will discover it tough to beat Metropolis, regardless of their hosts’ poor kind. “With this membership and these gamers, when they’re in a tough second, they wish to present how good they’re. I don’t assume there may be ever second to play Metropolis,” he mentioned.
“It’s regular in soccer to dwell moments like they’re in. For certain, they are going to be again to profitable trophies quickly.”
The Premier League desk after Matchweek 22 👀 pic.twitter.com/SprwFXd21F
— Premier League (@premierleague) January 21, 2025
Can Maresca’s Chelsea take the Premier League title from Man Metropolis?
Maresca has a protracted historical past with Metropolis having labored as a coach on the membership earlier than leaving to tackle the supervisor’s job at Parma.
After being sacked by the Italian facet, he returned to Metropolis to work as an assistant to Guardiola throughout their treble-winning and mentioned he was eternally grateful to the membership.
“My relationship with Pep and the membership, is unbelievable. I’ll at all times be grateful to Metropolis for the belief they confirmed in me, as a result of they referred to as me again after an Italian membership sacked me after two or three months,” he added.
On whether or not Chelsea are adequate to be thought to be real title contenders this season, Maresca responded: “No, not for the title. When you look over December and January, we’re having a troublesome second.”
Will Chelsea signal Garnacho from Man Utd?
The Blues have themselves been linked with a transfer for Manchester United ahead Alejandro Garnacho within the present switch window, which shuts on January 31, and Maresca admitted his is “at all times conditions”.
A transfer for Garnacho particularly, nevertheless, was fully rebuffed: “No, no. I’m pleased with those we now have on this second,” Maresca mentioned.
“We’ve mentioned many instances on the correct facet, it’s Pedro [Neto] and Noni [Madueke] and left facet is Jadon [Sancho]. Misha [Mudryk] was with us and is not with us. Tyrique [George] is a younger profile that may assist us so at this second, we’re OK.”
Chelsea workforce information
Levi Colwill and Enzo Fernandez are anticipated to be prepared regardless of lacking the win towards Wolves.
“Romeo Lavia is absent with an harm that’s anticipated to maintain him out for a pair extra weeks.
Man Metropolis workforce information
Ruben Dias and Jeremy Doku will each miss the match. The previous was changed at half-time in Paris on Wednesday with an abductor harm.
Metropolis’s three new signings: Marmoush, Reis and Khusanov are all within the squad for the sport.
Head-to-head
That is the 177th assembly in a fixture that dates again to 1907 and a 2-2 attract west London.
Metropolis are unbeaten in 10 matches towards Chelsea, profitable eight. Blues final win was within the 1-0 victory within the Champions League closing in 2021.
That capped a three-game profitable streak for the London-based membership, which included a Premier League away win and an FA Cup residence win that season.
Prepared? 🫵 pic.twitter.com/SUMSGwyFLT
— Premier League (@premierleague) January 24, 2025
