Manchester City will start the defense of their Premier League crown on Sunday afternoon as they make the short trip to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge during the opening weekend of the 2024-25 season.
The two sides come face to face only 15 days after their warm-up match in the United States where the Citizens triumphed 4-2 with last season’s Golden Boot holder Haaland scoring thrice.
Having managed only the sixth place the previous season and qualifying for the UEFA competition only after staging a late charge, winning all their five Premier League games in the month of May was not enough to save Mauricio Pochettino’s job at Stamford Bridge.
There is a consensus that the Argentine should leave at the end of the season; Fabio Capello stayed in the Blues’ bench for only 10 months, and the candidate for the succession, Enzo Maresca, was the fourth head-coach appointed since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital took over the club in May last year.
While concentrating only on the coaching responsibilities as Chelsea’s management keeps on with their frenzied active profile in the transfer market having signed 10 players till now for more than £150m, Maresca is eagerly looking forward to a victorious beginning of his tenure as the Chelsea’s chief following an arduous exercise in the experimental pre-season preparations.
Having secured the Championship title with Leicester City last season, Maresca managed only one victory in the following six of Chelsea ’s friendly outings this summer, the 4-1 loss to Man City being compounded by a 2-1 defeat by Real Madrid followed by a 1-1 draw against Inter Milan at the weekend at home.
Maresca, a former Man City assistant under Pep Guardiola, will face his biggest test as manager of a Chelsea team looking to snap a six-game losing streak against the Citizens on Sunday. In contrast, the Blues have accrued more points (67) from their opening games of the current season than any other Premier League team.
Man City, who defeated Arsenal to finish two points ahead at the top of the Premier League, is still the team to beat, as they have been for a number of years in recent memory. They celebrated winning a record fourth consecutive title in 2023–24, their sixth top-flight victory in seven seasons.
The Citizens continued their unrelenting run of supremacy at the top of English football with another incredible 38-game season, winning 91 points and losing just three games. Ahead of what may turn out to be Pep Guardiola's ninth and final season as manager at the Etihad Stadium, they have their eyes set on winning the Premier League for the seventh time in eight years.
Like Chelsea, Man City did not perform at their most fluid level in the preseason, even though they were traveling around the United States without a number of their senior players. After losing to Celtic and AC Milan, they drew 2-2 and lost to Barcelona on penalties before winning a thrilling six-goal match against Chelsea.
Guardiola is in high spirits heading into Sunday's match after winning his 18th trophy as Manchester City manager last weekend. His team defeated rival Manchester United on penalties to win the Community Shield after the teams drew 1-1 after 90 minutes at Wembley Stadium.
Man City has won its first Premier League game in 12 of the previous 13 seasons, with the lone exception being a 1-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur in North London three seasons ago. They have also won their last four league visits to Stamford Bridge.
Man City will also be without their star midfield player Rodri, who was forced off with a hamstring injury in the Euro 2024 final and has not returned to Man City training following an extended summer break. Oscar Bobb is out for three to four months due to a fractured fibula.
Three English players—Phil Foden, Kyle Walker, and John Stones—who missed the Community Shield last weekend and have only returned for a few days of first-team training are also questionable.
Mateo Kovacic, a former Chelsea player, is the most probable contender to take Rodri's place in the deep-lying midfield position. Matheus Nunes, Bernardo Silva, or Kevin De Bruyne might provide backup for the Croatian midfielder.
Bobb's absence might lead to fresh signings Savinho makes his Premier League debut on the right, while Haaland, predictably, leads the line. Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish compete for the left starting spot.
