FIVE wins and Manchester City will be crowned Premier League champions- it’s that simple for Pep Guardiola’s dominant side.
Standing in their way this weekend are Chelsea, who need a victory to ensure they don’t get cut adrift in the race for Champions League football.
Defeat to Manchester United last weekend left the Blues outside of the top four.
They’re two points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, who have a winnable home fixture against Huddersfield on Saturday.
If Spurs win that game the pressure will be heaped on Antonio Conte’s side.
They can’t afford another defeat, although halting, albeit temporarily, City’s march to the title will be a near impossible task.
Guardiola’s side have dropped just two points at the Etihad all season.
They’ve conceded just 10 goals on their own patch too. Chelsea’s task will be incredibly difficult.
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Sunday’s fixture, which will kick-off at 4pm and be shown live on Sky Sports, is the Premier League’s stand-out game this weekend.
And we asked our friends at Football Whispers to preview the showdown.
Key Battle: Kevin De Bruyne vs N’Golo Kante
Chelsea fans wonder what might of been every time the brilliant Belgian produces a moment of magic for the Citizens.
He was a Blues player for two years, but only made nine appearances in all competitions before being sold off to Wolfsburg by Jose Mourinho in January 2014.
City spent £50m to bring him back to the Premier League 18 months later and De Bruyne has proven a bargain.
He has been involved in 90 goals for the Manchester club in his 131 appearances and his intelligence and workrate is vital to making Guardiola’s side tick.
De Bruyne, who has played deeper this season, is the brains and lungs of the City team.
While an expert creator the 26-year-old often covers more ground than his teammates. He is proof that combining hard graft with raw talent pays off handsomely.
The same could be said for the man who will have to shackle De Bruyne, and David Silva for that matter.
N’Golo Kante is also one of the finest midfielders in European football, but it’s largely because of what he brings to a side without the ball.
The diminutive Frenchman is inexhaustible and without him doing the defensive jobs of two men, Conte’s side wouldn’t function anywhere near as efficiently.
This season Kante has averaged the third highest interceptions per 90 in the Premier League (3.4) and has also made 2 interceptions per 90.
Considering the two players above him in the former metric, Wilfred Ndidi and Idrissa Gueye, play in sides who don’t dominate the ball like Chelsea, it’s testament to just how much defensive work Chelsea’s No.7 gets through.
Potential Match Winners: Sergio Aguero and Eden Hazard
No surprise names here, but let’s start with Aguero. Manchester City’s all-time top scorer has been in exceptional form since the start of February and has nine goals in his last six Premier League games.
The Argentine has seemingly won the trust of Guardiola with his improved workrate off the ball and more nuanced approach with it – Aguero already has seven assists this term, his best return since the 2014/15 campaign.
“We are so delighted with Sergio and what he has done so far,” Guardiola said after Aguero scored in the Carabao Cup final win over Arsenal.
“He has scored goals and the way he works when he has the ball and doesn’t have the ball has been fantastic.
“Sometimes I’m demanding of him and the others, but that is only because I want the best for them and I think he can do even better.”
While Aguero will be one of many potential match-winners in the City side, the stand-out for Chelsea is Hazard.
The Belgian is undoubtedly one of the most talented footballers in Europe – no player completes more dribbles in Europe’s top five leagues – but the challenge for any Blues boss is to make sure Hazard produces week in, week out.
This term Hazard’s performances have been far more consistent and it’s why he has 15 goals and 11 assists to his name despite missing the opening weeks of the season.
Used as a false nine on occasion or as a second striker in a 3-5-2 system, the 27-year-old has been played through the middle far more often but he insists his favoured position is on the left of Chelsea’s attack.
Given the form of Willian and the need for a striker to hold up possession when Chelsea do have the ball, Hazard is likely to be fielded in his preferred position.
Last season at the Etihad the former Lille man scored in a shock 3-1 win. Those of a Blues persuasion will be hoping for a similar result this time around.
Managers’ Tactics
Again there are unlikely to be any shocks. Guardiola’s City side are purring in their 4-3-3 shape, with Leroy Sane stretching defences on the left, David Silva and De Bruyne exploiting gaps in the middle, and Bernardo Silva cutting infield from the right flank.
Ilkay Gundogan should deputise for the injury Fernandinho at the base of the City midfield while the back four may see John Stones come in for Vincent Kompany, who has already played two games in the past week.
Conte is likely to play 3-4-3 with Cesar Azpilicueta, Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger trying to shut down the City attack.
Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso will be the wing-backs while Cesc Fabregas should partner Kante in midfied.
Hazard and Willian are expected to start, but Conte has a decision to make between Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud as the leader of his attack.
Key stats
Manchester City have won just one of the last four games between the two sides at the Etihad Stadium (D1 L2)
The Citizens have scored at least twice in their last 13 Premier League home games. Liverpool hold the current record at 14.
Chelsea have been beaten three times in their last four league games. Prior to that they’d lost just three of their previous 23 fixtures.
Sergio Aguero is one goal away from scoring 200 times for Manchester City in all competitions.
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