Fresh from securing their third successive Premier League title, Manchester City welcome Chelsea to the Etihad Stadium for their final home game of the season on Sunday.
The Citizens will be presented with the trophy after the game regardless of the result against the West Londoners, who are seeking revenge having already lost three times against Pep Guardiola's side this campaign, including a 1-0 league defeat at Stamford Bridge in January courtesy of a second-half strike from Riyad Mahrez.
Match preview
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Twenty-four years on from watching bitter rivals Manchester United win the treble, history beckons for noisy neighbours Man City who are on the cusp of winning three trophies of their own this season and etching their name into footballing folklore.
Pep Guardiola has successfully steered the Citizens into the Champions League final courtesy of an utterly dominant 4-0 semi-final second-leg triumph at home against holders Real Madrid on Wednesday, with Bernardo Silva (2), Manuel Akanji and Julian Alvarez all on the scoresheet to set up a final showdown with Inter Milan in Istanbul on June 10.
An FA Cup Manchester-derby final at Wembley is already pencilled into City's diary a week earlier, but they now have one trophy in the bag with Arsenal's 1-0 defeat away against Nottingham Forest on Saturday clinching the Premier League title for Guardiola's side for the third season running – a remarkable feat only achieved twice previously by Man United between 1998 and 2001 and between 2006 and 2009.
Man City, who boast a four-point lead over second-placed Arsenal and cannot be caught at the summit, are enjoying one of their customary winning runs at the perfect stage of the season, claiming all three points in each of their last 11 Premier League games, while their home form across all competitions is astonishing to say the least, as they have won all 16 matches at the Etihad since the turn of the year, scoring 56 goals and conceding only seven in the process.
This run on home soil began with a comprehensive 4-0 victory against Chelsea in the FA Cup third round in early January, one of five wins without reply the Citizens have recorded against the West Londoners since losing the 2021 Champions League final in Porto.
With champagne now on ice, Guardiola and co will be hoping to mark their final home fixture of the season with a victory over Chelsea before lifting the Premier League trophy in front of a party atmosphere at the Etihad.
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Sitting a remarkable 42 points behind leaders Man City, Chelsea appear to be heading for their first bottom-half finish in the Premier League since 1995-96 after being forced to play out a 2-2 draw with relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest last weekend.
Raheem Sterling scored twice in the space of seven second-half minutes to turn the game on its head after Taiwo Awoniyi had put Forest ahead early doors, but it was the Nigerian striker who had the last laugh as he restored parity just after the hour mark to help the visitors claim a hard-fought point at Stamford Bridge.
Frank Lampard's side are still languishing in 11th place in the Premier League table, eight points behind West London rivals Fulham in 10th with a game in hand, and the prospect of the Blues claiming any more points this term seems slim as they face Man City, Man United and Newcastle United in their final three fixtures.
Chelsea enter Sunday's contest having failed to win any of their last 14 Premier League games against teams starting the day above them in the table, while they have lost six of their last seven visits to the Etihad.
Team News
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Man City's only injury concern is with former Chelsea defender Nathan Ake, who has missed the last three games with a hamstring injury and is considered a doubt for Sunday.
With three Premier League games in eight days to prepare for, Guardiola is expected to make a few alterations to his starting lineup, with Aymeric Laporte an option to come into defence at the expense of either Akanji or Kyle Walker.
Mahrez has scored four goals in his last three meetings with Chelsea and will be pushing to start ahead of Bernardo Silva on the right flank, while Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez are also hoping to force their way back into the first XI after beginning on the bench in midweek.
In-form captain Ilkay Gundogan, who has scored four goals in his last two league games, and playmaker Kevin De Bruyne, who has registered seven assists in his last nine matches in all competitions, are both expected to start again in advanced roles in behind the Premier League's top scorer Erling Braut Haaland.
As for Chelsea, Benoit Badiashile is the latest name to join a lengthy list of absentees after the defender picked up a groin injury in training; Reece James, Ben Chilwell, Marc Cucurella (all hamstring), Mason Mount (pelvic), N'Golo Kante (groin) and Armando Broja (knee) are also ruled out with injuries, while Kalidou Koulibaly (hamstring) and Mateo Kovacic (unspecified) are both doubtful and will be assessed ahead of kickoff.
Lampard will weigh up whether to stick with Edouard Mendy in goal or recall Kepa Arrizabalaga, while Wesley Fofana is expected to replace Badiashile in the first XI, which could also include Thiago Silva and Trevoh Chalobah should the Blues boss decide to switch to a back three.
Kai Havertz, Joao Felix, Noni Madueke, Mykhaylo Mudryk and Hakim Ziyech will all battle for a place in the final third alongside former Man City man Sterling, who is likely to retain his place after scoring twice last weekend.
Manchester City possible starting lineup:
Ederson; Walker, Dias, Laporte; Stones, Rodri; Mahrez, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Grealish; Haaland
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Kepa; Chalobah, Silva, W. Fofana; Azpilicueta, Kovacic, Fernandez, Gallagher, Hall; Sterling, Havertz
We say: Manchester City 3-0 Chelsea
Even if Guardiola decides to rotate his side, Man City have the strength in depth to dispatch a Chelsea outfit merely playing for pride and experiencing an experimental phase as the season draws to a close.
The Citizens have won their final home league fixture in eight of the last nine seasons and we expect them to secure another comfortable victory over the Blues in front of a party atmosphere at the Etihad.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Oliver Thomas
