Chelsea vs Manchester City: Prediction and Betting Odds

Defending champions Manchester City will visit Chelsea in the opening match of the new Premier League season. Pep Guardiola, likely in his final year with the team, will be keen to start with a victory. Meanwhile, The Blues, under their new manager, will aim to prove that last season's failure was an anomaly.

The match is scheduled for Sunday, August 18, at Stamford Bridge, kicking off at 16:30 BST. Below you can find some betting odds and options for the game

Who will win: Chelsea or Manchester City?

Chelsea

3/1

Draw

29/10

Manchester City

4/5

Chelsea vs Manchester City Betting Odds

Last season, bookmakers consistently listed Chelsea as the underdogs in matches against top 4 teams, despite their strong home performances. This included dramatic games like the 4-4 draw against Manchester City. Nevertheless, once again, the visitors are considered the favorites.

Chelsea Pre-match Analysis

Enzo Maresca’s team will have a tough challenge ahead. In his first major test, the coach will be without Reece James due to a hamstring injury, and Nicolas Jackson, Axel Disasi, and Omari Kellyman are also in doubt. However, one of the top scorers and assist providers from last season, Cole Palmer, is fit and available. You can bet on him to score at any time with odds of 41/20 Rumor has it that the management is expecting results right from the start of the season, specifically aiming for a top 4 finish. You can bet on Chelsea with 29/10 odds

Chelsea had an unimpressive preseason, winning only one of six matches, with Manchester City and Celtic together scoring a total of eight goals against them.

Chelsea’s last 3 pre-season games

Manchester City have scored in each of their last five encounters with Chelsea. Given Chelsea's current defensive issues, there's no reason to expect this streak to end. However, Chelsea have only failed to score twice in their last five matchups, both times away from home. Overall, Chelsea have managed to score 7 goals against City. Therefore, a bet on both teams to score is a promising option 1/2

Manchester City Pre-match Analysis

If Chelsea are still working on finding their confidence, Manchester City have already started reaping trophies, following their Community Shield victory against Manchester United. City’s advantage is further supported by their relatively healthy squad, with only Jack Grealish potentially doubtful after picking up a knock in training, and Oscar Bobb sidelined with a broken leg.

However, Rodri, Kyle Walker, and Phil Foden have returned to the squad. Additionally, we might see the debut of 20-year-old Savino, who joined from Troyes for £20 million. Real magic in numbers. But more importantly, we’ll see Erling Haaland, who recently scored a hat-trick in Manchester City's game against Chelsea. The odds for him to score at anytime are 9/10

Man City’s last 3 pre-season games

The Citizens steadily built up their form over the preseason and are expected to be fully prepared by Sunday. With rotation in mind, it is likely that Lewis and Kovacic will start, but the attacking trio of Doku, De Bruyne, and Haaland remains unchanged. Last season, with an xG of 54.5, Manchester City scored 96 goals. Given that Chelsea is likely to allow chances at their goal, you might consider betting on Manchester City to score over 1.5 goals with 13/20 odds.

Chelsea — Manchester City Betting Odds

Manchester City's average number of corners last season was 7.95. This average is quite logical for a team that prefers extended build-ups and low-driven attacks. Considering that Chelsea, who practice wing attacks with subsequent crosses, are among the leaders in the Premier League for this metric, it would not be a gamble to assume that in this match, the Blues will focus on aerial play and, with the support of the home fans, will earn more than one corner. You can place a bet on a total of over 10 corners with odds of 9/10

Considering City's average possession percentage of 66% opponents traditionally commit more fouls in matches against them. Bookmakers even offer some exotic bets on the number of fouls committed by specific players. For example, you can bet that Marc Cucurella (presumably covering for midfielders who lose possession of the ball) will commit more than 1.5 fouls with odds of 13/10

However, a more conservative bet would be on the total number of fouls committed by Chelsea. Unibet offers odds of 3/4 that the Blues will commit more than 22.5 fouls.

Chelsea vs Manchester City Prediction

Enzo Maresca's team is the underdog in the match against his former mentor Pep Guardiola. Despite several high-profile signings, including Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, which cost nearly €100 million in total, Chelsea is struggling with injuries and a lack of cohesion, particularly in defense. Meanwhile, City have retained all their top players and made targeted reinforcements. Guardiola is aiming for a record fifth title, and out of the last 13 seasons, City have won their opening match 12 times. But no team has earned more points from their opening matches of the Premier League season than Chelsea (67), who have triumphed to start a campaign on 20 occasions.

Ahead of this match, Chelsea extended Cole Palmer's contract, calming their top scorer and key assist provider. Both teams boast strong attacking lines, with City having the advantage in squad depth and experience. While Alan Shearer might suggest a specific scoreline of 2-1, our prediction is more cautious:

Manchester City to win + Both teams to score

Bonus £50

Bet

13/10

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