CHELSEA snatched the holy grail from Manchester City's grasp in last season's Champions League Final and now look in the mood to grab their Premiership crown as well.
Few gaffers consistently get the better of Pep Guardiola but Thomas Tuchel is going for a fourth successive win over him here after outwitting his rival in the FA Cup semi-final, a Premier League clash at the Etihad and that Euro showpiece.
Had Tuchel been at the Stamford Bridge helm from the start of last season there's a good chance his side would have pushed City for the title.
He already has a defence capable of winning the crown and the big money spent this summer on Romelu Lukaku looks to have provided the final piece in the jigsaw.
The Blues have made an impressive start, winning four Premier League games to nil and battling out a 1-1 draw at Anfield with 10 men in the other, but this clash with City is the acid test.
The champions are already playing catch up after losing to Spurs on the opening day and drawing 0-0 at home to Southampton in a coupon buster for me last weekend.
But Guardiola's side have smashed six past RB Leipzig and Wycombe, plus five past Arsenal and Norwich, so they are capable of hurting Chelsea if they hit top form.
How the bookies view it
Manchester City are rarely decent odds for a win under Guardiola but they are 13/7 here with SBK. The same firm price Chelsea at 20/11 while the draw pays 40/17. I fancy the Blues to edge this one if they maintain their early-season form.
Recent head to head
Chelsea have bossed this fixture since Tuchel's arrival and the last meeting was that Champions League Final (below). The Blues have been a tough nut to crack for City in general. It's only six wins in the last 14 meetings for City but one of those did come on their last trip to Stamford Bridge in a 3-1 triumph.
Players to watch
It's hard to look past Lukaku (below) for a Chelsea goal as he consistently delivers in big games. The Belgian is 17/10 with Unibet for anytime scorer, which looks great value, and the odds increase to 23/5 for him to break the deadlock. Lukaku is also 10/1 with McBookie to score a header which is a good long-odds option.
It's a big boost for Man City having Kevin De Bruyne fit again as the Belgian scores and sets up so many goals. He's 4/1 at Paddy Power for a goal but is more likely for an assist at 14/5 with McBookie.
Anything else catch the eye?
There's been a one-goal winning margin in the last three meetings and that bet pays 5/4 with McBookie here. I'd be surprised if we saw a lot of goals and under 2.5 strikes is decent for accas at 5/6 with Mansionbet.
Games between these sides haven't been producing a lot of corners, with last season's four meetings averaging just over seven. So the 21/20 on offer at McBookie for under 9.5 corners looks good value and the odds increase to 17/10 for under 8.5.
This English Premier League match between Chelsea and Manchester City will be played on Sep 25, 2021 and kick off at 12:30. Check below for our tipsters best Chelsea vs Manchester City prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
