Chelsea, City Re-enact Champions League Final
• Arsenal, Tottenham in first season’s North London derby
Chelsea and Manchester City would be re-enacting the final of the 2020-21 UEFA Champion League final when both sides clash today at Stamford Bridge in what is no doubt the headline fixture of this weekend Premier League. The Citizens were heavily favoured in the final in Porto but against all odds, the Blues not only won but were by a mile the better side on the night. Thomas Tuchel is just one of the two coaches to have got the better of Pep Guardiola. Three times they met last season and the German defeated the Spaniard on the three occasions. The former Barcelona manager would no doubt have revenge in his mind, but against a Romelu Lukaku inspired Blues, the Citizens must be at their best to take away something from Stamford Bridge. To add extra spice to this weekend’s fixture is tomorrow’s North London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham at the Emirate Stadium
One of the standout matches on the Premier League calendar will take place at Stamford Bridge this afternoon, as early league leaders, Chelsea, welcome the reigning champions, Manchester City.
Chelsea top the table with 13 points to show from their opening five matches, while Man City occupy fifth, having collected 10 points from their first five league games of the campaign.
Not too much can be read into the league table at this stage of the season, but there is no question that Chelsea have made an encouraging start, winning four of their five matches, drawing the other, to collect 13 points, which has left them at the top of the division heading into the next set of fixtures.
The Blues are actually on a run of four straight wins in all competitions, having overcome Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, in addition to beating Zenit St Petersburg and Villa in the Champions League and EFL Cup respectively during an impressive run of form.
Thomas Tuchel’s side have only conceded once in the league this term and have been impressive on their travels, beating Arsenal and Tottenham, in addition to drawing 1-1 at Liverpool while playing with 10 men.
Chelsea will be looking to send out a statement to the rest of the division this weekend, and the Blues are being tipped by many to win a seventh English top-flight title this term and their first since 2016-17, but at this early stage of the season, four teams, including Man City, are seen as potential challengers.
The capital outfit have won each of their last three games against the Citizens, including a 1-0 victory in last season’s Champions League final, although the last Premier League meeting between the two teams at Stamford Bridge ended in a 3-1 success for the visitors back in January.
The German is already one of only two managers to have got the better of Guardiola in three successive matches - so how telling will it be if Tuchel can rack up four wins in a row when Chelsea host Manchester City today?
The Chelsea boss never beat Guardiola when they both worked in Germany but followed in Jurgen Klopp’s footsteps soon after arriving at Stamford Bridge when he racked up a trio of wins in three different competitions in the space of six weeks at the end of last season.
Tuchel’s last triumph, in the Champions League final, was by far the most significant of those successes, and came after some so-called over-thinking by his opposite number saw him tinker with the tactics that had just delivered his latest Premier League title.
So, what has Guardiola got up his sleeves this time? And, with Chelsea top of the table and already looking in formidable form, how important is it for him and Manchester City that he gets this one right?
“It’s all everyone at City is talking about,” says their former midfielder Michael Brown. “I was working at their Carabao Cup win over Wycombe at Etihad Stadium on Wednesday and, whether it was fans, other ex-players or people in general, they were all saying ‘what will Pep do at the weekend and will it be something different again?’
“It shows where he and the club are at. Everyone is judged by Pep losing games - whoever gets a result against him is big news. “He’s the one manager in the world where, if he is beaten, everyone looks into every little thing that could explain why it has happened.”
Tuchel is not yet the same-sized scalp as the Spaniard, but his approach today will also be under some scrutiny. After all, he has done little wrong since arriving in England in January and, after conquering Europe, his team are currently top of the domestic table.
Like Guardiola, his adaptability is key to his continuing success.
“The most interesting thing for me about Tuchel this season is that I think he is dumping the 3-4-3 system that got Chelsea to the Champions League final and won him that game,” says former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin.
“Tuchel and Guardiola are basically the best two tactical operators in the game right now when it comes to reading a game, reacting to what is happening and affecting it.
“But he is up against Pep again now and that is a game of chess above all others. He won the last one but, to be fair, Guardiola knocked his own queen over at the start with his team selection that day.
“So, Tuchel has not exactly got his number but I don’t think he is fearful of Pep, whereas I think a lot of other people are afraid of his huge football intelligence.”
Like Chelsea, Man City managed to advance to the fourth round of the EFL Cup during the week, recording a 6-1 victory over Wycombe Wanderers at the Etihad Stadium, but Pep Guardiola’s side were held to a goalless draw by Southampton in the Premier League last weekend.
It is hardly time to hit the panic button, but the reigning champions have dropped points in two of their five league games this term, having also lost to Tottenham on the opening weekend. The gap to first spot, though, is just three points and that could evaporate this afternoon.
Man City’s failure to land a centreforward over the summer has certainly opened the team up to criticism, and they were frustrated by Southampton at the Etihad Stadium in their last league encounter.