Chelsea and Manchester City lock horns at Wembley on Sunday in the Carabao Cup final.
City have won three of the last five editions of this tournament, most recently beating Arsenal 3-0 in last season’s final, and have only lost one of their six appearances at this stage over the years.
However, despite looking to become the first team to retain the trophy since Manchester United in 2010, and adding the first of a potential quadruple of trophies, it would appear Chelsea need a win on Sunday far more.
Maurizio Sarri’s position has come under increasing scrutiny in recent weeks, with Chelsea losing six out of their last 16 games in all competitions, including a 6-0 humbling against Sunday’s opposition and an FA Cup exit to Manchester United on Monday.
Read on for Chelsea vs Manchester City live stream options, team news, predicted XIs, stats and TV channel info.
When is Chelsea vs Manchester City?
Competition: Carabao Cup (final)
Venue: Wembley Stadium
Date: Sunday, 24 February
Kick-off: 4:30 PM GMT
Match preview
The blip is well and truly over and Manchester City have returned to playing football like gods again.
OK, so that may be a slight overstatement, but Pep Guardiola’s side have won their last five games in all competitions, seeing off Arsenal, Everton, Chelsea, Newport County and FC Schalke, scoring 18 goals in the process.
Kevin De Bruyne recently described the quadruple as ‘nearly impossible‘, while Guardiola has been keen to play down the suggestion that is his target, but a win on Sunday puts the first piece of silverware in the cabinet and allows them to press on for further riches.
A unique place in the history books is a great carrot for City to chase on Sunday but one could easily argue the stakes are even higher for their opposition.
After his strong start to life in England, Sarri seems to have fallen off a cliff at Stamford Bridge, with his side looking lacklustre, laborious and wholly spent on confidence.
As always, the Chelsea fans have let the Italian know exactly how they feel, going as far as to both boo the side off at half-time against Malmo on Thursday, and give Jorginho the same treatment as he entered the field as a second-half substitute.
Couple that with the Blues being slapped with a two-window transfer ban from Fifa and things are incredibly rocky indeed in the capital.
A trophy can change everything, though, giving Sarri’s squad confidence, time to the man himself and making things seem a whole lot rosier in the space of 90 minutes. To deliver that, though, Chelsea will have to vastly improve on the 6-0 mauling they received at the Etihad earlier his month.
Where can I watch live?
UK residents can watch the Carabao Cup final on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football, channels 401 and 403 respectively for Sky customers and channels 501 and 503 respectively for Virgin Media users.
Hudson-Odoi vs Phil Foden: who has been given more opportunities this season?
Callum Hudson-Odoi and Phil Foden are two of the shining lights in English football right now.
However, while Jadon Sancho has destroyed the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund, these two have found their chances a little harder to come by with Chelsea and Man City respectively.
Sarri has defended his use of Hudson-Odoi, claiming no other English 18-year-old has played as many as his 14 games this season. That, though, is where he is wrong.
Fulham’s Ryan Sessegnon has 26 first team games under his belt this season, while Foden outstrips the Chelsea winger, too, with 20 appearances. Despite having fewer appearances to his name, though, Hudson-Odoi has played 1,154 minutes this season, compared to Foden’s 845 and it is likely that Sarri’s point was lost in translation.
Either way, fans of both clubs would likely love to see the two starlets line up against each other in Sunday’s showpiece.
Will Aguero inflict more Manchester misery on the Blues?
The site of Sergio Aguero charging down on goal is enough to give any goalkeeper or centre-back nightmares. None more so than Chelsea’s, though.
The Argentine ace has scored 15 goals in 17 appearances against the Blues, with no club faring worse against him, while Aguero scored a hat-trick during City’s 6-0 mauling of Sarri’s side earlier this month.
Those goals also contribute toward eight unanswered goals conceded by Chelsea in eight days against the Manchester clubs, with Man Utd downing them 2-0 in the FA Cup on Monday.
Chelsea have now conceded eight unanswered goals in eight days vs. Manchester clubs:
Sterling
Herrera
— Squawka News (@SquawkaNews) February 18, 2019
To stand a chance of lifting the Carabao Cup on Sunday, Chelsea have quite a few trends to curb.
How can Man City make club history vs Chelsea?
Talk of the quadruple is rife once again for Man City, as it will be every time they’re still competing in all competitions by late February.
To complete that feat would be a monumental task, even if they did check one trophy off the list on Sunday. However, there is a little piece of history the Citizens can make if they defeat Chelsea.
(Photo credit OLI SCARFF/AFP/Getty Images)
Over the years City have won five league titles, five FA Cups and five League Cups but have never successfully defended any of their trophies.
Guardiola’s side beat Arsenal 3-0 in last season’s final, though, and a win on Sunday will finally put an end to that unwanted record. If they can do it in the League Cup, maybe they can do it in the Premier League too?
Head-to-head
Chelsea may have been on the end of a 6-0 humiliation the last time these two sides met, but their recent record against the Citizens is very evenly matched.
The Blues have won four of the last nine meetings between the two, with City winning the other five, with Sarri overcoming Guardiola in a 2-0 win earlier this season – City’s first defeat of the campaign at that point.
Chelsea wins: 67 Draws: 39 Manchester City wins: 56
Team news
John Stones (groin), Benjamin Mendy (knee) and Gabriel Jesus (hamstring) are doubtful for Sunday, while it remains to be seen if Arijanet Muric, who has played in goal in the previous rounds, will start ahead of Ederson.
Things are just as uncertain between the sticks for Chelsea, with Kepa Arrizabalaga missing Thursday’s Europa League game with a hamstring injury. If he remains unfit to play, former City stopper Willy Caballero will deputise.
Pedro and Davide Zappacosta are also doubts after suffering from illness this week.
Chelsea predicted XI: Caballero; Emerson, Luiz, Rudiger, Azpilicueta; Jorginho, Kante, Kovacic; Hazard, Higuain, Willian.
Man City predicted XI: Ederson; Zinchenko, Laporte, Otamendi, Walker; Fernandinho, De Bruyne, D.Silva; B. Silva, Aguero, Sterling.
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Prediction
Chelsea and Sarri really need this. Their second half against Malmo proved they can pull out a fluent, attacking performance, but that was Malmo, not Man City.
Expect Chelsea to make it far closer than the last Premier League meeting between these two but ultimately fall short against a side brimming with confidence and packed with goals.
Chelsea 1-3 Manchester City
Predictions & Betting Tips
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1. Sergio Aguero to score two or more goals @ 4/1
Aguero bagged a hat-trick in City’s recent 6-0 win over Chelsea and simply loves playing the Londoners.
The Argentine has bagged 15 goals against Chelsea over the years, the most of any team in his entire career alongside Newcastle United.
As a rule, City are free-scoring and Aguero loves to pop up right when his side needs him.
Key Stat: No club has conceded more goals (15) to Sergio Aguero than Chelsea.
Tip: Aguero to score two or more @ 4/1 with BetBull – bet here
Odds correct at time of publishing (22/02/2019, 20:00)
18+ only. Ts&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org
2. BTTS and Man City win @ 2/1
Chelsea looked far better in the second half against Malmo on Thursday, scoring three without reply and putting the Swedish outfit to the sword.
Man City will, of course, be a much bigger test for the Blues but the likes of Eden Hazard and Gonzalo Higuain will be out to prove a point on the big stage and will be big goal threats for Sarri’s side, regardless of form.
Still, City are on fire at the moment and have won their last five games in all competitions. Guardiola’s side are far superior in midfield and could easily overwhelm Chelsea.
Key Stat: Chelsea and Man City have scored a combined 29 goals in their past five games.
Tip: BTTS and Man City win @ 2/1 with BetBull – bet here
Odds correct at time of publishing (22/02/2019, 20:00)
18+ only. Ts&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org
3. Eden Hazard to score first @ 7/1
Hazard is so often central to everything good about Chelsea and as previously mentioned, the Belgian will want to prove a point against one of the best sides in world football on Sunday.
He and his teammates are likely to come out like a house on fire at Wembley in the hope of catching City off guard, while Hazard already has three goals in four games during this League Cup run.
Key Stat: Hazard is Chelsea’s top scorer this season with 15 goals in 34 games.
Tip: Eden Hazard to score first @ 7/1 with BetBull – bet here
Odds correct at time of publishing (22/02/2019, 20:00)
18+ only. Ts&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org
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