Manchester City vs. Chelsea, Premier League: Preview, team news, how to watch

Arsenal completed their spectacular late-season collapse by losing to Nottingham Forest, 1-0, yesterday (Saturday), and that has also removed any last vestigate of jeopardy and meaning from this game as well, for either side.

Manchester City are champions again. Third in a row, fifth in the last six. They’ve finished in the top three in twelve of the last thirteen seasons. It’s their Premier League world, we’re just living in it.

And of course Chelsea’s season has been long over.

So, nothing left now but the guard of honor and perhaps for the Chelsea boys to take inspiration from the successes of our opponents.

Date / Time: Sunday, May 21, 2023, 16.00 BST; 11am EDT; 8:30pm IST
Venue: Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England
Referee: Michael Oliver (on pitch); John Brooks (VAR)
Forecast: Warm and sunny for the champions

On TV: Sky Sports Main Event (UK); USA Network, Telemundo (USA); Star Sports Select HD2 (India); SuperSport Premier League, Canal+ Sport 3 (NGA); elsewhere
Streaming: Sky Go (UK); NBC Sports Live, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo (USA); Hotstar (India); DStv Now (NGA)

Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images

Manchester City team news: This City team doesn’t “feel” quite as dominant as some of their other editions, but if they win all three of their remaining games, they will have notched 30 wins once again, and probably while scoring 100 goals and getting over 90 points. And what’s definitely not ho-hum is their likely treble: they face Manchester United in the FA Cup final (June 3) and Inter Milan in the Champions League final (June 10).

It’s hilarious to look back now on the questions asked about Erling Haaland’s potential adaptation to Pep Guardiola (or vice-versa). Haaland has already set a new Premier League record with 36 goals and counting (a.k.a. as many as Chelsea have scored all season), and has 52 goals in 49 appearances in all competitions. No on in the Premier League, or anywhere in Europe for that matter, comes even close.

Dynasties in sports tend to end when players grow old and the playing squad isn’t refreshed proactively. But the likes of Haaland, Phil Foden, and Julian Álvarez are in their early 20s and many other key players are still in their prime in their mid- or late-20s. Pep & Co are nowhere near done, and may be just getting started.

Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images

Chelsea team news: Our last three games are against top-four teams, so all we’re looking for are small wins and moral victories and tiny specks of hope for the season(s) ahead.

Benoît Badiashile is the latest to be shut down for the season after suffering a groin injury in training this week. He joins N’Golo Kanté, Reece James, Marc Cucurella, Ben Chilwell, Mateo Kovačić, Marcus Bettinelli, and Armando Broja in that regard. Kalidou Koulibaly and Mason Mount are back in light training, but are unlikely to feature just yet. Gaga Slonina is away at the U20 World Cup, and off to a good start there.

Previously: This is our fourth game against City this season, we’ve yet to score in losing 1-0 (league), 2-0 (League Cup), and 4-0 (FA Cup). In fact, we have now lost five in a row to City in all competitions, without scoring a single goal, since our win in the 2021 Champions League final.