Chelsea got their Premier League title defence off to the worst possible start with a 3-2 home defeat by Burnley on the opening day, but their response to that early setback has been brilliant. A 4-0 thrashing of Stoke City last time out – a game which featured an Alvaro Morata hat-trick – extended the champions’ unbeaten run to five matches in the top flight, with just three points separating them from Manchester United and upcoming opponents Manchester City at the summit of the standings.
Arguably the key reason behind Chelsea’s domestic success last season was the side’s balance between attack and defence, which was not matched by several of their competitors towards the top of the division. Star man Eden Hazard has only played 50 minutes of Premier League football and the Blues will undoubtedly benefit from his permanent return to the first team, while Conte will be delighted by the fact his team have kept three clean sheets in their last four top-flight outings.
City have been in scintillating form of late, their 2-0 win against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Tuesday following on from an emphatic 5-0 triumph over Crystal Palace last weekend. Pep Guardiola’s charges have already scored 21 times this season, a goal return which has brought them five wins and a draw in their opening six fixtures; the Catalan will be equally pleased with his team’s defensive record, with City’s backline having been breached on just two occasions so far this term.
Saturday’s trip to Stamford Bridge represents City’s biggest test of the campaign up to now. The four-time English champions have undoubtedly been excellent in recent weeks, but City did show signs of defensively vulnerability before Sadio Mane was sent off in last month’s meeting with Liverpool.
Pedro Rodriguez is available for selection once more after shaking off a knock, but Danny Drinkwater will miss out with a calf injury. Conte employed a 3-5-1-1 formation in the extremely impressive midweek victory over Atletico Madrid, with Hazard stationed behind Morata; the former Juventus and Italy head coach will probably shift back to a 3-4-2-1 this weekend, however, with Hazard out wide – and either Pedro or Willian on the other flank – and a two-man midfield comprising N’Golo Kante and Tiemoue Bakayoko. At the back, Conte is likely to stick with the three centre-backs who lined up against Atletico: Gary Cahill, David Luiz and Cesar Azpilicueta.
City will have to make do without Benjamin Mendy (knee) and Vincent Kompany, who remains sidelined with a calf problem. Guardiola has employed three and four-man backlines so far this season and is likely to opt for the latter this time around, with Danilo in line to replace Mendy at left-back – although midfielder Fabian Delph has been sounded out as an alternative in that role. Fernandinho will anchor the midfield alongside David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne, with Raheem Sterling, Leroy Sane, Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero competing for the three remaining spots at the top of the pitch.
This is an extremely difficult match to call, with both teams likely to fancy their chances of victory. Backing both teams to find the back of the net is certainly worth of consideration, while a double on Morata and Aguero to score is another option ahead of Saturday’s clash. In terms of the outcome, a score draw is probably the safest bet.
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