Chelsea leads the table with 13 points from their first five league games, while Manchester City is fifth with 10 points from their first five league games of the 2021-22 season.
Chelsea
Édouard Mendy has missed Chelsea’s last two games, but Thomas Tuchel is confident he will be available for Saturday’s match against Manchester City.
N’Golo Kante started against Aston Villa in midweek, so he’s unlikely to start again here.
After another underwhelming performance against Aston Villa, Saul Niguez has no chance of starting.
Reece James was fantastic in midweek but may have to settle for a bench spot.
Manchester City
Manchester City has three consecutive away games against Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, and Liverpool, so it will be interesting to see how Pep Guardiola manages his squad.
City manager Pep Guardiola is already concerned about the fitness of key players such as Aymeric Laporte, John Stones, Rodri and Ilkay Gundogan.
If neither Stones nor Laporte recover in time for Saturday’s early kick-off, Nathan Ake will step in.
Given City’s upcoming fixtures, it’s surprising Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne played 90 minutes against Wycombe in midweek despite the need for minutes.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if one started on the bench against Chelsea, with Bernardo Silva ready to take over if necessary.
Riyad Mahrez, who had a perfect WhoScored 10 rating against Wycombe, could find himself on the bench.
At the moment, it appears that Ferran Torres and Raheem Sterling are vying for the starting spot in City’s midfield, though the former may prevail.
Prediction
Chelsea has been unbeaten in all of their games this season. They are three points ahead of Manchester City going into Saturday’s game. As Chelsea manager, Thomas Tuchel has won all three games against Pep Guardiola.
City suffered a league setback last weekend when they were held to a goalless draw by Southampton. A defeat on Saturday would put City further back in the title race. Given their injury woes, a loss at Stamford Bridge would not be surprising.
Although it is still early in the season, the significance of this match cannot be overstated. Both managers will be desperate to make a statement, but it is likely to be a tight and cagey affair at Stamford Bridge, and we have had to settle for a low-scoring draw, which both teams would likely accept.
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Mendy; Christensen, T Silva, Rudiger; Azpilicueta, Kante, Jorginho, Alonso; Mount, Lukaku, Havertz
Manchester City possible starting lineup:
Ederson; Walker, Dias, Ake, Cancelo; De Bruyne, Fernandinho, Gundogan; Jesus, Torres, Grealish
Our Prediction: Chelsea 1-1 Manchester City