Chelsea vs Manchester City: Preview, Odds and Betting Tips - 12/11/2023 (Premier League)

Premier League title defence on for Manchester City

Chelsea vs Manchester City on 12 November 2023 is a highly-anticipated match for a number of reasons. One reason is that it will be the first meeting of Mauricio Pochettino and Pep Guardiola since the Argentine returned to the Premier League as Chelsea's manager.

Their battles while he was at Tottenham Hotspur were always a good watch and were especially difficult to predict. Chelsea, however, is a different ball game. Regardless, people are looking forward to what Pochettino has in store for Guardiola this time around.

Another reason is that Chelsea are coming into the game on the back of a famous 4-1 victory away to Spurs. Pochettino defeated his old side at their home stadium despite going down to an early goal. 

The match contained several controversies including suspect VAR calls that are still being discussed to this day, but in the end, Chelsea, the 10th-placed team on the log, defeated Spurs, the league leaders.

That defeat of Spurs played into Pep Guardiola's hands as his City side, who defeated AFC Bournemouth in the same matchweek, went into first place to officially kick start their 2022/23 title defence. Chelsea are going to be extra motivated to beat another league leader in front of their fans at Stamford Bridge.

Also, Chelsea vs Manchester City has become a sort of rivalry in recent times. The Blues have lost six straight games against City, home and away, in every competition. This streak is City's revenge for the shattering loss in the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League final at the hand of a Thomas Tuchel-led Chelsea. Chelsea are desperate for the streak to end, so that City does not close the gap between them historically.

City, meanwhile, are motivated by their title defence but more importantly, are motivated by a need to show that their historic 2022/23 season was not a fluke.

Their form guides point in a certain direction and can provide insights into the possibilities that exist for punters in the game.

Form Guide: Chelsea

Chelsea's last match could be described as a stroke of luck but that is what football is all about. They won 4-1 after coming from a goal down against nine-men Spurs. Three of those goals were scored when Spurs received their second red card in the game.

In the four games preceding that victory, they picked up two wins, one draw and one loss, rounding off their form from the last five games to three wins, one draw and one loss. With the exception of the first two games in this run (Fulham and Burnley), Chelsea have struggled to get anything from the other games and have given away points that they need for their return to European football places.

Their goal difference is also not comparable to Manchester City, who have scored the most goals this season.

Form Guide: Manchester City

Manchester City lost two matches on the bounce before going on a three-match winning streak in their last five games. This has helped them stay as challengers for the 2023/24 title and with Spurs' loss to their matchday 12 opponents Chelsea, they have claimed the top spot in the ongoing League season.

They are currently leading the Premier League in goals scored this season with 28 goals scored. Key attacker Erling Haaland has scored 11 of their 28 goals so far in the league while the rest of the goals has been evenly distributed among the rest of the team.

Alongside Newcastle United and Chelsea, they have the most number of goalscorers in the Premier League which makes their attacking threat bigger than just Haaland. The assists are evenly distributed as they have the most number of players with two or more assists in the league.

They also lead the league in fewest goals conceded with eight goals.

What to expect from the match

Chelsea have not had the best season but they have managed to grab results against the big sides in the league. Draws against Liverpool and Arsenal were followed up with the emphatic win away at Spurs.

With this form against the big sides, we can expect Chelsea to make Stamford Bridge uncomfortable for Manchester City this time around. This means that bettors will be incurring less risk by avoiding outright bets on the result of the game.

Man City have incredible depth so having a UEFA Champions League game in midweek may not slow them down when they travel to London for the tie. It could make them sharper in fact, which also means they could find the back of the net early in the first half.

There will be a tough battle in the middle of the park with Enzo Fernandez, Mosies Caicedo, Conor Gallagher and the City midfielders, however Guardiola chooses to set them up.

Also, in-play betting will yield good returns in the game.

Betting predictions

Erling Haaland anytime scorer

Erling Haaland missed out on the action in City's 6-1 thrashing of AFC Bournemouth. Fans of the Premier League have watched him long enough to know that he will be looking hungrily for a goal and he will most certainly find what he is looking for. Chelsea, as well as Liverpool, are also the only big six side he is yet to score against. This is enough motivation for him to find the back of the net as well.

Over 2.5 goals

This stems from Manchester City's current form in the league. Chelsea have also found the back of the net in all but one of their last five league games. Both teams have also conceded a good number of goals in their last five league games which is something that will worry their managers as the game approaches. We expect both teams to come out gloves off against each other this tie because of their recent history which means that they will end up scoring a total that is above two goals in the game.

William Hill is offering 1.85 odds for this to happen.

Manchester City win or draw

As league leaders, they have a bigger cause than Chelsea, who are currently just chasing a better league finish. Manchester City are not looking to relinquish their hold at the top and so will not lose at Stamford Bridge. It will be a tough game, but their streak against the West London side is not yet close to ending. A win or a draw is the best outcome from this game.

William Hill is offering 1.40 odds for City to avoid defeat.

All odds are via William Hill and all info valid as of the time of writing.

Odds could differ now.