The Premier League 2024-25 season is upon us with the first big blockbuster clash coming in the form of Chelsea and Manchester City locking horns at the iconic Stamford Bridge. Both teams will be aiming to get off to a fast start as City look to chase an unprecedented 5th straight Premier League title. For Chelsea, it will be all about finding consistency after another erratic season last year. They decided to part ways with Mauricio Pochettino ahead of the new season and appointed Enzo Maresca as the new head coach.
Maresca once served as the assistant to Guardiola at City and went on to help Leicester City gain promotion last season. With the match set to be a master vs apprentice battle, all eyes will be on Stamford Bridge to see who will come out on top in the battle of English heavyweights. With Manchester United beating Fulham on the opening day and Liverpool also getting off the mark with a win, the onus will be on City and Chelsea to start strongly.
Chelsea vs Manchester City: Head to Head
The match will be the 177th meeting between both sides. Chelsea lead the head-to-head stats with 69 wins as compared to City’s 65. The last two meetings between both sides in the Premier League ended in thrilling draws. The first one was an instant classic at Stamford Bridge which ended 4-4 before the reverse fixture finished 1-1.
Chelsea vs Manchester City: Team News
Manchester City will be missing both Oscar Bobb and Rodri for the clash at Stamford Bridge. Bobb will be a long-term absentee as he fractured his leg during training and is expected to be back in around 3 months time. Rodri, who won the Euro 2024 with Spain, is yet to reach full fitness and will miss the trip to London.
Chelsea will be without Conor Gallagher, whose future is still up in the air and has been training away from the first team.
Chelsea vs Manchester City: When and where to watch
The Chelsea vs Manchester City game will happen on August 18, Sunday at 9 PM IST. The match can be viewed on Star Sports Select channels and can be livestreamed on the Hotstar app.
