Conte holds whip hand in battle of nerves with City
create chances. He made a point of ensuring we didn’t change our approach just because we were 2-0 down. We went on to win the game 3–2, and won our next two matches to stay in the Premier League. It was a brilliant piece of management.
Chelsea are in a very different situation from ours, but if they don’t score early, or they fall behind, the anxiety from the crowd will transfer to the players. Despite that, I would make them strong favourites for this game and I believe City are ideal opponents.
If you’ve just lost a game you expected to win, as Chelsea did at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday, the last thing you want is to play a team who will put men behind the ball and try to stifle you. I don’t see any chance of City playing that way.
That is why I expect the game to unfold as it did at the Etihad Stadium in December, where Chelsea rode their luck at times to win 3-1. I would be surprised to see Chelsea play on the front foot, pressing City high up the pitch.
City will probably have most of the ball, but Chelsea will have the more dangerous attacks because they will stay fairly deep and then use the pace of players like Eden Hazard when they counter-attack. In the 2-2 draw at Arsenal on Sunday, City looked vulnerable without the ball.
Will Pep Guardiola ever changechang his style of play to be ssuccessful in England, or will he believe that if h he signs the right players, he will deliver trophies? I suspect the latter — just as I expect him to be disappointed at S Stamford Bridge.
I like the look of Chelsea repeating their 3-1 win over City earlier in the season which is with Betfair (odds subject to change)