Despite significant investments in the transfer market in recent years, Chelsea has struggled to reclaim their place among the Premier League’s elite. Last season, the Blues once again missed out on European competition, finishing 6th in the league, five points shy of the top four.
This season, the pressure is on for the London club to break back into the Big 4, with ambitions of eventually challenging for the title.
Chelsea’s preseason was inconsistent: they started with a 2-2 draw against Wrexham and a heavy 4-1 loss to Celtic Glasgow. While they managed a 3-0 win over Club America, they closed their preseason campaign with defeats to Manchester City (4-2) and Real Madrid (2-1).
On the other hand, Manchester City, who completed a historic treble in the 2022-2023 season, couldn’t replicate that level of success last year. The Northern club had to fight hard to secure another Premier League title, finishing just two points ahead of Arsenal, aided by a strong finish with nine consecutive wins.
However, City fell short in other competitions, losing 2-1 to Manchester United in the FA Cup final and exiting the Champions League in the quarter-finals against Real Madrid. City’s summer preparations were shaky, beginning with losses to Celtic Glasgow (4-3) and AC Milan (3-2) and a 2-2 draw with Barcelona.
They wrapped up their preseason with a 4-2 victory over Chelsea and claimed the Community Shield after a 1-1 draw and a penalty shootout win against Manchester United.
Chelsea remained very active in the transfer market, signing players such as midfielder Dewsbury-Hall (Leicester), goalkeeper Jorgensen (Villarreal), promising attacking midfielder Kellyman (Aston Villa), and defensive talents like Veiga (FC Basel), Wiley (Atlanta), and Adarabioyo (Fulham).
They also added youngster Marc Guiu (Barcelona), with several players returning from loans, including Andrey Santos (Strasbourg), Kepa (Real Madrid), Angelo (Strasbourg), and Lukaku (Roma).
Departures included Hutchinson (Ipswich) and Thiago Silva (Fluminense). Key players like Cole Palmer (22 goals and 11 assists last season), Senegalese striker Jackson (14 goals, 5 assists), and Sterling (8 goals, 4 assists) remain, while Christopher Nkunku (3 goals in 11 appearances) hopes to have a significant impact after a season hampered by injuries.
Manchester City opted not to retain defender Harwood-Bellis (Southampton) and midfielder Doyle (Wolverhampton). However, full-back Cancelo (Barcelona) and Phillips (West Ham) returned from loans, though they might still move on. Savinho, who was loaned to Girona last season, has also rejoined the squad.
Pep Guardiola will continue to rely on key players like Haaland (27 goals and 5 assists in the Premier League), who is fresh after not playing in the Euros, and Foden (19 goals and 8 assists), who missed the Euros and is eager to make a strong start.
Rodri (8 goals and 9 assists), Bernardo Silva (6 goals and 9 assists), De Bruyne (4 goals and 10 assists), and Doku (3 goals and 8 assists) are also expected to play crucial roles in City’s campaign.
Prediction
In their last 20 Premier League games, Chelsea has seen over 2.5 goals scored in 17 matches. Manchester City has a similar trend, with 16 of their last 20 matches featuring more than two goals. Given this pattern, a high-scoring match is likely.
Prediction: Chelsea 2 : 4 Manchester City
