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Top Betting Tips for Chelsea vs Manchester City:
Chelsea vs Manchester City Key Details
Defending champions Manchester City kick off their 2024-25 Premier League season with an away match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Location: Stamford Bridge, London
Date: Sunday, 2024-08-18
Kick-off: 10:30 am CDT
Where to watch: FuboTV
Chelsea Overview
Since Todd Boehly’s acquisition of Chelsea in May 2022, the Blues have struggled to maintain consistency, both in their performances and with their managerial appointments. Despite Mauricio Pochettino ending last season on a positive note and making plans for the current one, the club decided to part ways with the Argentine and bring in Italian coach Enzo Maresca to revitalize the atmosphere at Stamford Bridge. Maresca, who previously worked with Pep Guardiola at City, has a playing style similar to the Spaniard’s and aims to get Chelsea’s large squad back on track and at least inside the top.
Manchester City Overview
Pep Guardiola knows that Manchester City is the team to beat in the Premier League as they aim for an unprecedented fifth consecutive title. With changes to their squad, including the sale of Julián Álvarez and the injury to Oscar Bobb, the Citizens will look in the transfer market for replacements while aiming to start the season strong against Chelsea. This season also marks the long-awaited case judgment of the club’s 115 FFP charges by the Premier League, a result that could significantly impact their ambitions for the season.
Chelsea vs Manchester City Prediction
The two teams recently faced off in the US during preseason, where Manchester City emerged victorious with a 4-2 win over Chelsea. For this Premier League opener, another City victory is likely. Pep Guardiola’s squad is tactically superior to Chelsea, who struggled during their preseason games and are still adjusting to Enzo Maresca’s style of play. Betting on a Manchester City win and over 2.5 goals are excellent options.
Our Game Prediction: Manchester City to win 3-1 against Chelsea.
Top Betting Pick: Chelsea vs Manchester City
Bet: Manchester City to Win
Odds: -121
Bet $121 to Win $100
Where to Bet: TonyBet
Best Moneyline Betting Odds for Chelsea vs Manchester City:
The best odds for a home win, a tie, or an away win are shown in green.
Click on the odds to go straight to the latest sportsbook offer.
Key Stats, Trends and Head to Head: Chelsea vs Manchester City
When betting on a sports event, it’s essential to examine the historical performance between the teams, their recent form and any key statistics or developments that could influence the result.
Recent Performance
Chelsea: Enzo Maresca has had a challenging start at Chelsea, winning only one of the six preseason matches in the US (with two draws and three losses). His team averaged 1.6 goals scored per game and conceded 2.16 goals per game. Chelsea is still adjusting to the new tactics and style of the Italian coach while seeking solutions to trim their squad size. Last season, under Mauricio Pochettino, the Blues won their final five Premier League matches and finished in sixth place.
Man City: Manchester City has already kicked off their season by claiming another trophy, defeating their rivals Manchester United in a penalty shootout to win the Community Shield. Despite a mixed preseason in the US, where they won only one game (against Chelsea), drew one and lost two, there is no concern between City fans, thanks to their strong track record. Pep Guardiola’s team is now focused on their quest for a historic fifth consecutive Premier League title, having secured the previous championship with a remarkable nine-game winning streak in the final stretch of last season.
Offseason Developments
Chelsea: Chelsea is facing a squad dilemma, specifically an issue with the number of players. Despite having a large roster, the London club has been active in the transfer market once again this season to strengthen all positions. They have acquired forwards Pedro Neto from Wolves, Marc Guiu from Barcelona, and Omari Kellyman from Aston Villa. In midfield, they brought in Dewsbury-Hall from Leicester and Renato Veiga from Basel. For the defense, they signed Caleb Wiley from Atlanta United, Aaron Anselmino from Boca Juniors, and goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen from Villarreal.
On the sales front, Chelsea has been equally active. The team sold midfielder Michael Golding to Leicester, defenders Ian Maatsen to Aston Villa and Lewis Hall to Newcastle, and forward Omari Hutchinson to Ipswich Town. Additionally, they lost two players after their contracts ended: Thiago Silva, who joined Fluminense, and Hakim Ziyech, who moved to Galatasaray.
Man City: Manchester City has been quite conservative in this transfer window. So far, their only acquisition has been right winger Savinho, who was at Girona but was owned by Troyes, both part of the City Group. Additionally, midfielder Nico O’Reilly has been promoted from the youth academy, and James McAtee, who was on loan at Sheffield United last season, is now expected to play a more significant role under Pep Guardiola. Another player who was on loan but no longer has a prominent role is right-back João Cancelo, who was on loan at Barcelona and has yet to have his situation resolved.
However, more signings are anticipated before the transfer window closes, especially considering the injury to Oscar Bobb and the sale of Julián Álvarez to Atlético Madrid, which is the club’s biggest transfer sale to date. In addition to Álvarez, City has sold midfielder Micah Hamilton to Middlesbrough, forward Liam Delap to Ipswich, and defenders Sergio Gomez to Real Sociedad and Yan Couto to Borussia Dortmund.
Head to Head
Since their 1-0 victory in the 2020-21 Champions League final, Chelsea has been unable to defeat Manchester City. Since then, the teams have met 10 times across the Premier League, FA Cup, EFL Cup, and friendlies, with City winning eight of those encounters and the remaining two ending in draws, both in the Premier League last season. Manchester City has averaged 2 goals per game in these matchups, while Chelsea has averaged just 0.7 goals per game.
How Each Team Can Win
Chelsea: Enzo Maresca is well-acquainted with Pep Guardiola’s approach to games and personally knows some of Manchester City’s players. The Italian will need to ensure Chelsea withstands the initial pressure and aims to replicate similar strategies against City. While this is a challenging task, a successful execution could yield significant rewards, including three points and a strong start to the season.
Man City: If anyone knows how to find the path to victory, it’s Pep Guardiola. The Spaniard understands that making Erling Haaland effective in this match will be crucial. The Norwegian striker relies heavily on how well the team creates opportunities to be more impactful and knows that Chelsea will mark him closely, aware that any lapse could be decisive. With key players returning from preseason, City needs an active Haaland to drive their performance.
Betting Trends
Here are some of the prominent bets that have consistently won when Chelsea faces Manchester City:
City to Win: Eight out of the last ten games ended up with a City win. With Chelsea still struggling to find form, you can expect that Man City will keep the unbeaten streak.
Haaland to Score: The Norwegian scored a hat-trick in the friendly during the preseason and wants to start the season with the right foot to go after another golden boot.
Over 2.5 goals: is a difficult game for sure but it is one that can provide a lot of goal opportunities. With players of the likes of Haaland, De Bruyne and Palmer in both sides, we can expect good chances and a large score line.
Predicted Chelsea XI
Still searching for his ideal starting lineup, Enzo Maresca is likely to rely on Cole Palmer as a key player and build the team around the young Englishman. Additionally, the coach is expected to give Marc Guiu and Pedro Neto their debuts for Chelsea. Here is the predicted starting eleven:
Goalkeeper: Sanchez
Defenders: Malo Gusto, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella
Midfielders: Lavia, Enzo Fernandez, Madueke, Cole Palmer, Pedro Neto
Forward: Marc Guiu
Predicted Man City XI
Manchester City is unlikely to have Rodri available, as he was the last player to return for preseason, and Walker is expected to be left out. The same goes for Foden and John Stones. With Oscar Bobb injured, new signing Savinho is likely to start alongside Jeremy Doku on the wings. Here is the predicted starting lineup:
Goalkeeper: Ederson
Defenders: Rico Lewis, Akanji, Rúben Dias, Gvardiol
Midfielders: Savinho, Bernardo Silva, Kovacic, Kevin De Bruyne, Doku
Forward: Haaland
Recommended Bookmaker
For the best overall odds and betting options, TonyBet provides competitive offers and a wide range of markets for this event.
Betting Summary and Recommendation:
Given the recent history and the current form of both teams, Manchester City enters the match as the favorite. The Manchester Blues will aim to secure a result from the very first minute, while the London Blues will try to replicate some of City’s tactics against them. The game promises to be dynamic with plenty of scoring opportunities. Betting on over 2.5 goals and Erling Haaland to score at any time are also strong options for this match.
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