Cardboard cutouts of Pep Guardiola and Liam Rosenior displayed outside Stamford Bridge before match.
Wrestling-themed cardboard cutouts of Pep Guardiola and Liam Rosenior displayed at a merchandise stall outside Stamford Bridge.
We shouldn’t really start a Chelsea v Manchester City blog by talking about Manchester United, but hear me out. United won the Premier League ahead of Blackburn in 1993-94 because Mark Hughes scored a monstrous volley in an FA Cup semi-final against Oldham. (If you want to know the full story, listen to the outstanding And It’s Live! podcast. The short version is that United’s season was falling apart until Hughes scored a last-minute equaliser against Oldham, after which they rallied to win the Double.)
No football league exists in isolation. Form, morale, rhythm extend across all competitions; this season, the Premier League’s unusual spring break means the cups have been the vehicle for some dramatic moodswings.
Can you even remember City’s last Premier League match? It was a meh 1-1 draw at West Ham a month ago, a result which many of us thought had ended the title race. But then City played admirably with 10 men in defeat to Real Madrid, outplayed Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final and trounced Liverpool in the FA Cup. At the same time, Arsenal’s knees started to jellify. Now, almost unbelievably, the title is effectively back in City’s hands.
They’re still nine points adrift, but they have two games in hands plus a home match against Arsenal this time next week. If City win their last eight games, the best Arsenal can do is finish level on points with them.
City’s run-in starts with a trip to Stamford Bridge, a match that is never easy – not even when Chelsea are in the middle of another drama/crisis. Chelsea, who are in danger of slipping behind in the Champions League race, host both Manchester clubs in the next seven days.
It’s a big game for Chelsea and a huge one in the title race. If City win, all the momentum will be with them ahead of next Sunday’s match against Arsenal. If they don’t, the pressure will be back in their court.
Kick off 4.30pm.