-
FULL TIME
0-2
MATCH PREVIEW & MORE INFO
Chelsea possible starting lineup: Sanchez; Gusto, W. Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella; Fernandez, Lavia, Caicedo; Neto, Nkunku, Palmer
Man City possible starting lineup: Ederson; Lewis, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol; Bernardo, Kovacic; Savinho, De Bruyne, Doku; Haaland
Match Preview
Manchester City will begin their quest for a historic fifth consecutive Premier League title on Sunday afternoon as they face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in their 2024-25 season opener. This match comes just two weeks after the two sides met in a pre-season friendly in the United States, where City emerged victorious with a 4-2 win, thanks to a hat-trick from Erling Haaland, last season's Golden Boot winner.
Chelsea, who finished sixth last season and secured a spot in European competition after a late surge in form, have undergone significant changes. Mauricio Pochettino departed by mutual agreement after just 10 months in charge, and Enzo Maresca, who led Leicester City to the Championship title last season, has taken over as the Blues' new manager. Maresca's appointment marks the club's fourth managerial change since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital's takeover in 2022.
Despite Chelsea's active transfer window, which saw them spend over £150 million on 10 new players, their pre-season results were mixed, with only one win in six games. Sunday's clash with Manchester City will be a challenging start for Maresca, who faces his former boss, Pep Guardiola, under whom he served as an assistant at City. Chelsea, however, have a strong record in opening Premier League fixtures, having earned more points from them than any other club in the competition's history.
Manchester City remains the team to beat after securing a record fourth consecutive Premier League title last season. Despite not being at their best during pre-season, City's dominance in the league has been remarkable, with 91 points and only three losses last term. A seventh Premier League title in eight seasons is firmly within their sights, especially as this could be Guardiola's final year in charge.
City's pre-season was not without its struggles, with defeats to Celtic and AC Milan, followed by a draw and penalty shootout loss to Barcelona. However, they ended on a high note with a 4-2 win over Chelsea in the U.S. and lifted the Community Shield by defeating Manchester United on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Wembley.
Chelsea will be without captain Reece James, who is sidelined with a hamstring injury and suspended following a red card in the penultimate match of last season. Malo Gusto is expected to start at right-back, while Robert Sanchez is likely to be preferred in goal over new signing Filip Jorgensen. In central defense, Wesley Fofana and Levi Colwill are expected to pair up, providing cover for Sanchez.
In midfield, Romeo Lavia could make his Premier League debut for Chelsea, alongside Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo. Cole Palmer, Chelsea's top scorer from last season, may start on the wing, with Pedro Neto and Marc Guiu vying for a place in attack, though Christopher Nkunku might edge one of them out for a starting role.
For Manchester City, Oscar Bobb is out for three to four months with a fractured fibula, and the team will also miss star midfielder Rodri, who sustained a hamstring injury in the Euro 2024 final. The availability of Phil Foden, Kyle Walker, and John Stones is uncertain, as they missed the Community Shield and have only recently returned to training.
Mateo Kovacic, a former Chelsea player, is expected to fill in for Rodri in midfield, potentially alongside Matheus Nunes, Bernardo Silva, or Kevin De Bruyne.