Premier League matchday one: Chelsea vs Manchester City betting preview

Premier League football is officially back and we’re blessed to have a heavyweight affair on matchday one. Defending champions Manchester City will begin their title defense on Sunday against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. The kick-off is scheduled for 11:30 AM ET. The Cityzens were impressive in pre-season action and thrashed the Blues during their American tour, with Erling Haaland scoring a hat-trick in the process. Chelsea struggled to find results in pre-season but there’s optimism they will improve on their sixth-place finish in 2023-24.

Head-to-head history

Man City is unbeaten in their last nine meetings with Chelsea, winning on seven occasions. The Sky Blues beat them last fall in Premier League play but the two sides then played to a thrilling 4-4 draw in the reverse fixture at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea’s last victory over City was in the 2021 Champions League final in Lisbon.

Man City looking to defend title

It’s crystal clear that City is the class of the Premier League. Pep Guardiola’s men have now won the top flight four seasons in a row, finishing two points above Arsenal last term. Erling Haaland once again proved why he’s considered one of the best finishers in the world, taking home the Golden Boot with 27 goals and five assists in 31 league appearances.

This City squad more or less looks the same as last season. However, the club did just sell Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid. He was a key player for the Sky Blues but they shouldn’t miss him too much given the other attacking options. Phil Foden had a breakout campaign in 2023-24 and will be looking to build on that in 2024-25. The Englishman scored 19 times and supplied eight assists. 

Guardiola was without several important players in pre-season including John Stones, Kyle Walker, Foden, and Rodri, who were all competing in the latter stages of Euro 2024. When it comes to injury concerns for Sunday, Jack Grealish is doubtful while youngster Oscar Bobb is sidelined with a fractured leg. Brazilian sensation Savinho could be available for his EPL debut. City is a -123 favorite here at Sports Interaction.

Chelsea need to find their best

Last season Chelsea dealt with a lot of growing pains. Mauricio Pochettino did his absolute best with not only a new but also injury-ravaged squad. The Argentine mutually agreed to part ways at the conclusion of the campaign, paving the way for Enzo Maresca to take over after he won the Championship with Leicester City.

The Blues finished last term strong, sneaking into sixth place and earning a spot in the Europa Conference League. The standout player for this club is Cole Palmer, who proved his worth with England following a marvelous campaign with the Blues. The winger netted 22 goals and set up another 11 in 33 appearances, making it very clear he is Chelsea’s new talisman.

Nicolas Jackson also played relatively well in his debut season, scoring 14 times. However, he missed a ton of clear-cut chances in front of goal and will need to put them away if Chelsea is going to fight for a top-four position. Jackson is questionable to feature on Sunday, while Reece James has picked up another injury. The Blues are a big underdog at soccer betting sites.