2015-16 EPL: Chelsea vs Man City Betting Tips
Chelsea host Manchester City in the English Premier League in a match devoid of title implications, but still has many ramifications on the near term ambitions of these two proud clubs. Both sides are desperate for victory.
There will not be Champions League action at Stamford Bridge next season and there could be no European action at all, with the Blues’ Europa hopes hanging by the proverbial thread. For City, the title is out of range, but could get worse as a loss would hurt their prospects of finishing in the top four. And with both clubs clearing the decks to welcome new managers in the summers, there won’t be any shortage of intent to grab maximum points.
The Blues’ 15 match unbeaten run in the Premier League under Guus Hiddink came to an end last weekend with their 1-0 defeat at the hands of Swansea. Diego Costa returns after serving his ban and his presence should boost the side who are missing key figures like John Terry and Eden Hazard due to injuries.
Players will have one eye on impressing the incoming manager Antonio Conte but the prospect of missing European action should be a bigger motivator. Home form is a concern, though, as they struggled with just one win in their last seven fixtures at the Bridge.
City come into the match on the back of reaching the Champions League semi-finals for the first time in their history. Ironically, it was the performance of Blues’ reject Kevin De Bruyne that sealed their progress. But that would count for nothing domestically, especially with West Ham and Manchester United breathing down their necks.
The volatility of the back four has always been a concern for the Citizens, especially with Vincent Kompany on the sidelines. However, the performance of Eliaquim Mangala and Nicolas Otamendi against PSG in the Champions League should be comforting enough to hope for another good outing.
The reverse fixture at the Etihad Stadium ended in a 3-0 win for City but so much has changed since then for the Blues. Also, the visitors would be up against history at the Stamford Bridge where they haven’t won since 2009-10. The pressure of keeping Champions League qualification within their grasp should motivate the Citizens to a victory.
Back City to win the match. Sergio Aguero should be a good bet to score anytime in the match, which should see both sides finding the back of the net.
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