In-depth Analysis
Chelsea will travel to the Etihad Stadium under particularly difficult circumstances, as the club are currently without a head coach following the departure of Enzo Maresca on the first day of the new year. After 18 months in charge, the Italian tactician has stepped down, forcing Chelseaâs board to urgently search for a long-term replacement. However, the appointment process is unlikely to be completed in time for this weekendâs trip to Manchester.
In the meantime, Chelsea U21 head coach Calum McFarlane has been appointed as interim manager. He will be responsible for media duties, training preparations, and is expected to take charge of the team on the touchline against Pep Guardiolaâs Manchester City.
With just one win from their last seven Premier League matches, Chelsea are clearly considered underdogs in this fixture. More importantly, the instability on the bench has had a significant impact on the playersâ mentality, making the trip to the Etihad fraught with risk for the Blues.
On the other side, Manchester City are still aiming to keep pace with and apply pressure on Arsenal in the title race. Although their winning run was halted by a goalless draw against Sunderland, Pep Guardiolaâs men will be determined to bounce back with all three points upon returning to the Etihad against an unsettled Chelsea.
Notably, Manchester City boast formidable home form, having won 17 and lost only 2 of their last 20 matches across all competitions. Given such dominance and advantage, it is hard to see the Etihad hosts dropping points against a Chelsea side described as being âheadlessâ.