Chelsea host Man City with a new manager trying to bring them to displace City at the top of the table. The current form of the teams say that this is not that possible though, as Chelsea has not won in 4 games in the league but City still remain unbeaten. This match will be hard to preview as Chelsea has a new manager who will change the team according to his style and Mancini is well, Mancini. Instead, I will look at the key individual battles on the pitch.
Torres v Lescott
Kompany is rated doubtful for the game after injuring himself against Real Madrid and if he does not make the game, Lescott will be essential for the team. His partner Nastasic is only 19 and young and inexperienced so Lescott will be expected to marshall the defence against the threat of Torres. However, Lescott has only provided his best performances alongside Kompany and it remains to be seen if Lescott can provide the requisite leadership. Much will depend on the form of Torres to see whether the defence is really tested. In his best games this season, Torres has shown that he has the close control to get past defenders as well as good ability to hold up the ball. He has not shown that form much though and I rate this battle as an unknown.
Hazard v Zabaleta
Zabaleta has been in good form these two years for the team and his non-stop running is a valuable asset for the team. However, in the game two weeks ago against Tottenham, he seemed to be unable to control his emotions against Adebayor when Adebayor teased him with the ball during dribbling. Hazard is probably going to do likewise and will torment the defender whole night long with his trickery. Zabaleta might be unable to control once again and Hazard could be looking at earning a penalty for him team during the match. Zabaleta is a good defender but I expect Hazard to just come out on tops today.
Mata v Barry
Mata might start on either flank or in the middle but at some point of the game, he will definitely drift into the center. He has been the creator-in-chief for Chelsea this season and his performance will be instrumental to his team's chances. Barry is not the best tackler and his position at the base of the midfield is more to dictate play. I believe that Mata's quick feet and thinking will allow him to get past Barry on more occasions than not. In return, Mata is not the best at closing down opponents and when City is attacking, Barry will have time on the ball to think and pick out a perfect pass, which will bring the battle to City's attackers versus the Chelsea's defence.
Mikel v Tevez
Tevez contributed two goals and an assist in City's 5-0 thrashing of Aston Villa and he is certainly on a good run of form recently. Playing in the hole behind Aguero, he has been showing the more creative side of himself. Another hard runner, he is slippery enough to move all over the pitch to get rid of his marker. In this situation, Mikel will not be enough to deal with him alone but if Ramires also starts, I believe that they can deal with the threat of Tevez together.
Luiz v Aguero
As stated before, City has started to play long balls from the back behind the opponent's defence for Aguero to run on to. I believe that they will stick with this tactic for this match. The loss of Terry might be advantageous in this case. His replacement Luiz has a bit more pace than him and will be able to catch up with Aguero or at least keep pace enough to pressure him. One possible concern for Chelsea is that Luiz likes to dribble out of defence and Aguero tends to press the opponents heavily as shown in last season's game against Wolves. Benitez will have to ensure that Luiz has the 'Safety First' mentality against such quality opposition.
Predictions:
Chelsea at home should be able to nick this match, breaking City's unbeaten record. The first goal will be very important though. A value bet is for a penalty to be offered at 11/4 and yes to a red card being shown is also worth it at 7/2. I will go for a jugular bet for the last tip that Chelsea will wrap the game up by half-time with a 3-0 score at 80/1.
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