The Citizen (KZN)

Chelsea face City test

LIVERPOOL, MAN UNITED BID TO KEEP PACE WITH TUCHEL’S SIDE

- London

Chelsea host Premier League champions Manchester City in a stiff test of the leaders’ title credential­s today as Liverpool and Manchester United bid to keep pace with Thomas Tuchel’s side.

The Blues look well-equipped to end the season as English champions for the first time since 2017 after signing Romelu Lukaku to add a cutting edge to their attack.

But Liverpool, the 2020 title winners, and Manchester United are matching them, with all three teams locked on 13 points after five games.

Even though the season is still young, former England captain turned TV pundit Alan Shearer predicts Chelsea are going to be difficult to stop.

Tuchel’s team beat Manchester City three times last season – including in the Champions League final.

Since then they have signed Lukaku from Inter Milan and have also been miserly at the back – conceding just one goal in the league.

“Lukaku is not the only reason they are so formidable,” Shearer wrote in his BBC Sport column.

“They won the Champions League in May without him. But his arrival means they don’t have a weak link in their team, and they have such strength in depth too.”

It is too soon to call the match at Stamford Bridge a title decider, but City boss Pep Guardiola will not want to leave London six points behind one of his main rivals.

Meanwhile, Harry Kane has endured a slow start to his season for Tottenham after a move to Manchester City failed to materialis­e and is yet to score in the Premier League.

But Tottenham boss Nuno Espirito Santo believes the England striker is still getting up to speed after Euro 2020.

“He has much more to give and it’s about the game, improving and growing together,” said Nuno as he prepared for tomorrow’s north London derby against Arsenal.

After three games, Spurs were top of the Premier League and Arsenal rock bottom.

Since then Spurs have suffered consecutiv­e 3-0 defeats against Crystal Palace and Chelsea, while Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal have stopped the rot with 1-0 wins over Norwich and Burnley.

Arteta said confidence levels were rising. “Now the boys have won three matches in a row. Now they are really looking forward to playing on Sunday (tomorrow), which is the biggest day of the season for us so far,” he said. –

 ?? Picture: Getty Images ?? Romelu Lukaku
Picture: Getty Images Romelu Lukaku

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