Chelsea will step onto the Etihad Stadium pitch on Sunday for the first time since the sudden exit of Enzo Maresca.
The Italian’s departure has dominated headlines as BlueCo terminates another managerial stint at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca’s strained relationship with the club’s ownership was a key factor in his contract ending, leaving Under-21s boss Calum McFarlane to guide the squad against Manchester City.
Performance issues also played a role, alongside speculation linking Maresca with Pep Guardiola’s eventual successor role at City.
Chelsea are seeking only a second Premier League win in eight matches, heading into a hostile environment against a dominant City side.
Manchester City will look to capitalise on Chelsea’s internal chaos as they aim to keep pace with title rivals Arsenal.
The Citizens’ recent 0–0 draw at Sunderland allowed Arsenal to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table.
Before that stalemate, City had won eight consecutive games and will be favourites to claim their first 2026 victory against the managerless Blues.
Match Details
Location: Manchester, England
Stadium: Etihad Stadium
Date: Sunday, Jan. 4
Kick-off Time: 5.30 p.m. GMT / 12.30 p.m. ET / 9.30 a.m. PT
Referee: Michael Oliver
VAR: Darren England
Head-to-Head Record
Manchester City have won three of the last five meetings.
Chelsea have not recorded a win, while two matches ended in draws.
The last Premier League encounter saw City triumph 3–1 over Chelsea on Jan. 25, 2025.
Recent Form
City: Sunderland 0–0 Manchester City, Nottingham Forest 1–2 Manchester City, Man City 3–0 West Ham, Man City 2–0 Brentford, Crystal Palace 0–3 Man City
Chelsea: Chelsea 2–2 Bournemouth, Chelsea 1–2 Aston Villa, Newcastle 2–2 Chelsea, Cardiff 1–3 Chelsea, Chelsea 2–0 Everton
Team News: Manchester City
Nico González is doubtful due to a midweek injury, which may see Rodri return to the starting XI.
Savinho is sidelined after picking up an injury on New Year’s Day.
John Stones, Mateo Kova?i?, and Oscar Bobb are unavailable, while Rayan Aït-Nouri and Omar Marmoush are at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Joško Gvardiol and Tijjani Reijnders could return to the lineup.
Predicted lineup (4-2-3-1): Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Rodri, Reijnders; Cherki, Silva, Foden; Haaland.
Team News: Chelsea
Moisés Caicedo will miss the game due to suspension after his fifth yellow card.
Roméo Lavia and Dário Essugo remain unavailable, while Levi Colwill and Jorrel Hato are sidelined.
Marc Cucurella is doubtful, and Mykhailo Mudryk remains banned.
Chelsea will rely on Cole Palmer to provide spark against his former club.
Predicted lineup (4-2-3-1): Sánchez; Gusto, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella; James, Fernández; Estêvão, Palmer, Neto; Pedro.
Match Prediction
City are expected to dominate based on recent form and attacking options.
Chelsea, without a full-time manager, may still respond strongly in transition.
This encounter could produce unpredictable moments and high drama.