Three reasons Chelsea can derail rampant Man City
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Title contenders meet at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea host Manchester City this weekend in what is arguably the biggest game of the season so far.
Pep Guardiola’s Citizens have been in sensational form, and are title favourites as a result.
Antonio Conte’s reigning champions have gone a little under the radar this term, following a comparatively quiet summer in the transfer market.
But they’re just three points behind big-spending City, and produced a superb display to defeat Atletico Madrid in midweek.
Here are three reasons why the Blues are about to derail their high-flying opponents.
Morata
Alvaro Morata isn’t a like-for-like replacement for Diego Costa. The pair may be strikers, but that’s where the similarities end.
Chelsea thrived on Costa’s unique talents last season. His ability to torment defenders and bring in team-mates worked wonders.
Morata is a different kind of forward, but he’s begun his Chelsea career in fine fashion.
The Spaniard has scored seven times in eight games, and his intelligence, movement and guile will prove a test for a City defence which hasn’t truly been tested yet.
Hazard
Conte has been oh-so careful to ease Eden Hazard into action following the Belgian’s return from a broken ankle.
Hazard has played just 50 minutes of Premier League football this season, but was in superb form to supply an assist in the 2-1 win in Madrid.
He played 82 minutes in the Spanish capital, and nothing would announce his domestic return better than a match-winning performance against the Citizens.
He loved this fixture last season too, scoring once at the Etihad before grabbing both goals in the 2-1 win at the Bridge in April.
Aguer-no
News broke Friday morning that Sergio Aguero was injured in a car crash while in Amsterdam.
Fortunately the Argentine wasn’t seriously injured, but he does look set to miss out this weekend.
That’s a huge blow to Pep Guardiola, who has paired Aguero with Gabriel Jesus this term, to excellent effect.
A clinical, energetic partnership who don’t allow any defence to rest, Aguero’s absence this weekend is a huge and unexpected blow to City’s plans.
Pep has options in Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane, but having sold Kelechi Iheanacho to Leicester City, the Spaniard lacks alternative out-and-out strikers.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
