Manchester City get their Premier League defence underway against Chelsea this weekend and here is everything you need to know.
Fresh off the back of lifting their first piece of silverware of the season last Saturday, Manchester City have enjoyed over a week to prepare for the opening fixture of the 2024-25 season.
In what could be Pep Guardiola’s last campaign at City, the Blues will be aiming to win an unprecedented fifth Premier League title in a row.
They have a tough start of it with a trip to Chelsea but it’s a thrilling way to begin the season and here is all the information you need about the match.
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What time does Chelsea vs City kick-off?
City get their season underway on Sunday, August 18, at Stamford Bridge.
Kick-off against Chelsea will come at 4:30 pm.
How to watch Chelsea vs Man City
As the main event of Sky Sports’ first Super Sunday of the new season, there are multiple ways to watch the game, either on television or with a live stream.
TV channel
Chelsea vs City will be televised in the UK on both Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League with coverage starting at 4 pm.
Super Sunday starts at 1 pm with a build-up to the first game of the day between Brentford and Crystal Palace. That gets underway at 2 pm.
Chelsea vs Man City live stream
The match will also be available to live stream on Sky Go, the steaming platform for Sky, if you are a Sky customer.
If not, you can purchase a Now TV day membership pass which will allow you to stream all the day’s Sky Sports coverage and stream it on your smartphone, tablet or computer. A day pass costs £14.99, a flexible monthly membership is £34.99 and a 12-month contract costs £26 a month.
Chelsea vs Manchester City team news
City suffered some devastating injury news ahead of the season as Oscar Bobb was ruled out for up to four months.
The playmaker enjoyed a fantastic Community Shield and looked set to take the season by storm, but a fractured leg suffered in training means Bobb’s campaign has been put on the back burner.
Jack Grealish missed the trip to Wembley after also suffering an injury in training and it’s not yet clear if he will be fit to play.
The absences could open the door for Savinho to make his first start for the club since his move from Troyes.
England trio Kyle Walker, Phil Foden and John Stones returned from their holidays this week and are in contention to play but Euro 2024 winner Rodri is not.
“I don’t know. Just two, three training sessions. They arrived fit. In professional world the players take care even in the holidays.
“So we’ll see. Today, tomorrow and Sunday we will see the lineup. But I’m pretty sure they are ready maybe not for 90 minutes, maybe yes maybe for a few minutes.
“Important that everyone is back except Oscar the rest are are okay.
“[On Rodrgio] I don’t know, I didn’t see him yet. We have to start training, we will see when he moves, his body and how he feels.
[On being in the squad]? “No chance.”
Chelsea, meanwhile, are set to be without captain Reece James, Dorde Petrovic and Omari Kellyman.
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Chelsea vs City referee and officials
Anthony Taylor will be the man in the middle for City’s first game of the season. The full list of officials is:
- Referee: Anthony Taylor
- Assistants: Gary Beswick, Adam Nunn
- Fourth official: Darren England
- VAR: Michael Salisbury
- Assistant VAR: Dan Cook
Chelsea vs Man City prediction
Having such a big game on the first day of the season makes it tough to call, given there is no competitive form to go on for either side.
However, the two sides did meet in the States this summer and City emerged 4-2 winners, a win that left Guardiola full of praise for two players.
After a strong half an hour, City looked leggy against a combative Manchester United at Wembley but that was with a young midfield and without several top stars.
Chelsea have struggled for results in pre-season and are once again in a period of transition after swapping manager to former City coach Enzo Maresca and signing yet more players.
City are the more settled and plain better side so should be able to pick up the win, despite their poor results against Chelsea last season.
Prediction: Chelsea 1-2 Man City
