Manchester City couldn’t have picked a better time to catch a second wind as they kick off an eight-game run-in at Chelsea on Sunday.
Pep Guardiola’s troops have been steamrolling through their fellow ‘Big Six’ teams in recent weeks and are looking to add Chelsea to their hit list in a must-win contest.
City head to London looking for a third consecutive victory after beating Arsenal 2-0 to lift the League Cup at Wembley Stadium before annihilating Liverpool 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium in the FA Cup.
Guardiola’s side had previously recorded one victory in five games across all competitions (D2, L2).
That run included a disappointing Champions League exit after losing 5-1 to Real Madrid in the last 16, as well as back-to-back Premier League draws against Nottingham Forest and West Ham United.
However, consecutive wins before the international break lifted the mood in the dressing room.
After flexing their muscles in domestic competitions, City must now turn their attention back to the Premier League, where they’ll be eyeing their first victory since a four-game winning streak in February.
Arsenal blew the title race wide open with a shock 2-1 defeat against Bournemouth on Saturday, meaning City can close the gap to six points with a game in hand if they beat Chelsea this evening.
With a potential title-decider against Arsenal coming up next, City will be keen to make sure they’re heading into that fixture in the best position to pile the pressure on their title rivals.
How Manchester City could line up
Guardiola will likely stick with the same line-up that won the League Cup and made light work of Liverpool in the FA Cup, although Gianluigi Donnarumma should return after sitting out both games.
With Ruben Dias sidelined, Abdukodir Khusanov will likely keep his place alongside Marc Guehi in the heart of the defence while Matheus Nunes and Nico O’Reilly line up on the flanks.
Bernardo Silva should keep Rodri company at the base of midfield while Jeremy Doku makes his first Premier League start since mid-January.
Rayan Cherki and Antoine Semenyo will join the 23-year-old, while Erling Braut Haaland leads the line.
Predicted Man City starting XI
(4-2-3-1): Donnarumma; Nunes, Khusanov, Guehi, O’Reilly; Silva, Rodri; Semenyo, Cherki, Doku; Haaland.
