Chelsea host Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon in a Premier League match that matters a lot to both teams but for very different reasons.
Chelsea sit in sixth place and are trying to get back on track in their fight for a Champions League spot. They have picked up just five points from their last 18 available.
Liam Rosenior’s team have lost four of their last five games across all competitions and let in 12 goals during that run. They are one point behind fifth placed Liverpool, and a loss here could make it even harder to finish in the top five.
City need the win for the title race. Arsenal went into the weekend nine points clear at the top, having played one game more than Pep Guardiola’s side.
If City do not win at Stamford Bridge, it would give Arsenal more room to pull away.
The recent record between these two sides is not good news for Chelsea. The Blues have not beaten City since the 2021 Champions League final.
This is 12 straight meetings without a win across all competitions. City have won three of their last four trips to Stamford Bridge in that time, keeping three clean sheets and scoring eight goals.
Chelsea also have problems off the pitch. Rosenior confirmed that midfielder Enzo Fernandez is still left out of the squad after making comments that raised questions about his future at the club.
Rosenior told reporters on Friday that Fernandez had said sorry to him and to the club but would not play on Sunday.
City have already won a trophy this season. They beat Arsenal in the League Cup final before the international break.
In their first game back, they put in a strong display to beat Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter final. That showed the quality and confidence Guardiola has in his squad.
Guardiola said on Friday that his team cannot afford to drop points. Even though City are known for finishing seasons strongly and that approach has helped them win six Premier League titles under Guardiola, he admitted there is very little room for mistakes.
For Chelsea, this is a chance to end a long and frustrating run against City. Whether they can do it without Fernandez and in the middle of a bad spell of form will say a lot about how far Rosenior’s team have come.
