Some Chelsea fans are begging their team to lose to Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on Sunday night. They say that a home loss would give the Cityzens a crucial lifeline in the Premier League title race and hurt Arsenal’s hopes.
The strange feeling has gained a lot of ground on social media, especially after Mikel Arteta’s Gunners lost a bad home game to Bournemouth on Saturday, which narrowed the gap at the top. If Manchester City win at the Bridge, they will be only six points behind. Pep Guardiola’s team still have one game in hand and will host Arsenal at the Etihad next weekend in a huge title match.
Popular Chelsea fan Rory Jennings said on talkSPORT:
“The only thing that would make this weekend perfect is if Chelsea Football Club lost to Manchester City tomorrow. I think we have to do it for the greater good, that’s all.”
That plea captures the mood of some Chelsea fans, who would rather see their team lose at home than watch Arsenal win their first Premier League title in more than 20 years. It is ironic that Chelsea are in a tough spot right now, sitting sixth in the table and desperately trying to qualify for the Champions League with only a few games left this season.
Since winning the Champions League final in 2021, the Blues have not beaten Manchester City. Guardiola’s team have now gone twelve games without losing in all competitions, which means that the hate-watching group may get their wish by default.
Liam Rosenior Chasing Three Points As Chelsea Battle For UCL Qualification
Despite the calls from certain fan quarters for Chelsea to lose the game, head coach Liam Rosenior is aiming for maximum points against Manchester City. He says his team will do whatever it takes to get the result they need to keep their European hopes alive. The Blues are in sixth place, four point behind Liverpool. Aston Villa and Manchester United are in fourth and third place, respectively, six and seven points ahead of the Blues. This means that Rosenior has no room for error.
Rosenior’s team are feeling good going into kick-off after beating Port Vale 7-0 in the FA Cup. However, they will be without influential midfielder Enzo Fernández, who was suspended by the club for two games for fuelling rumours of a move to Real Madrid. A result that hurts Arsenal would just be welcome collateral damage, but for Chelsea, three points are much more important because they are on the hunt to qualify for the Champions League.