Chelsea hosts Manchester City on Saturday at Stamford Bridge in what is being touted as the Premier League’s match of the season.
Here are five things to know about this titanic tussle:
A must-win for City?
Chelsea enjoys a five-point lead over City ahead of Saturday’s contest. And while a win by Jose Mourinho’s men certainly wouldn’t wrap up the title (there will be 15 games to go after this weekend) it would certainly give Chelsea a major advantage going into the stretch.
Both sides are in decent form coming into this one, setting aside their FA Cup upsets losses from last weekend.
Chelsea has won four of its last six league games (with one draw), collecting 13 of a possible 18 points, and its last loss coming on New Year’s Day away to Tottenham
Manchester City has won three of its last six (with two draws), earning 11 of a possible 18 points.
One thing to keep in mind is that Chelsea has a much easier schedule (away to Aston Villa, home to Everton and Burnley) than City (home to Hull City and Newcastle United, away to Stoke City) coming out of Saturday’s affair.
City desperately needs to win this one, or risk the possibility of being as many as 10 points adrift of Chelsea by the end of February.
Chelsea vs Manchester City on Sportsnet: Watch Chelsea vs Manchester City from Stamford Bridge live on Sportsnet ONE and Sportsnet World on Saturday, January 31. Coverage begins with our pre-game show at noon ET/9:00 am PT. || And follow the day’s action from the Premier League on Sportsnet.ca’s live matchday blog starting at 9:30 am ET.
Costa could be suspended
Chelsea striker Diego Costa was charged with violent conduct by the English FA on Wednesday and faces a three-match ban for stamping on Liverpool’s Emre Can during Chelsea’s League Cup semifinal win earlier this week.
Costa has until Thursday to respond to the charge, and he wouldn’t have the right to appeal the FA’s decision.
If found guilty, he would miss Saturday’s match, thus robbing Chelsea of one of its most dangerous attackers. Costa leads the Premier League in scoring with 17 goals this season, three more than second-place Sergio Aguero of Manchester City.
The Brazilian-born Costa, who plays internationally for Spain, has been on a hot streak of late, scoring in three straight league games, and in five of Chelsea’s last seven matches.
Lampard faces old team
Frank Lampard will probably play his former team for the final time before heading off to Major League Soccer—assuming both teams don’t meet in the UEFA Champions League. Making it even more of an emotional affair for the former England international is this game will be a Stamford Bridge in front of the same fans who idolized him during his sparking career at Chelsea.
But it’s not the first time Lampard will take on his former club.
Back in September Lampard, who scored 208 goals in 626 matches for Chelsea, come on as a second-half substitute in a league game between the two sides with City down 1-0. Lampard netted an equalizer for 10-man City in the 85th minute, just seven minutes after he came on for Aleksandar Kolarov.
The goal was Lampard’s first for the Blues in only his second appearance, and ended Chelsea’s perfect start to the league season. The Etihad Stadium exploded as City fans saluted their new hero.
The man in the middle
Considered England’s best referee, Mark Clattenburg will take charge of Saturday’s top-of-the-table clash.
Clattenburg, 39, has yet to oversee a Chelsea match this season, but has a somewhat controversial history with the Blues.
In October 2013, Chelsea accused him of using “inappropriate language” after a 3-2 defeat at home to Manchester United, when Ramires claimed to have heard Clattenburg hurl a racist insult at teammate John Obi Mikel.
Clattenburg was put on an enforced hiatus but was soon cleared by the FA, and police dropped their investigation. Mikel, meanwhile, was banned for three games and fined £60,000 for entering the referee’s room after the game.
Clattenburg has refereed Manchester City twice this season, and hasn’t issued a red card since September 21 when he sent off Manchester United defender Tyler Blackett during Leicester City’s 5-3 victory.
A close series
The series is dead even over the last 10 games, with each side earning four wins and two draws.
Chelsea does have the advantage at home, winning three of its last five games versus City at Stamford Bridge with one draw.
Soccer Central podcast: SPORTSNET.CA’s Soccer Central podcast, hosted by John Molinaro and James Sharman, takes an in-depth look at the beautiful game and offers timely and thoughtful analysis on the sport’s biggest issues. To listen and subscribe to the podcast, CLICK HERE.
