Chelsea supporters will be feeling extremely pessimistic about their chances of beating Manchester City on Sunday.
The team are on a bad run of form, dropping more points on Tuesday after drawing 2-2 with Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge.
To make matters worse heading into the game against City, Moises Caicedo is unavailable following his latest yellow card. He has now picked up five cautions this season, ruling him out of the trip to the Etihad.
Does Moises Caicedo have a discipline problem? 🤔
Caicedo receives one-game suspension!
Moises Caicedo will miss Chelsea’s game against Manchester City after picking up his fifth yellow card🤦♂️
With Caicedo banned, all eyes will be on one Chelsea midfielder at the weekend.
Chelsea’s success hinges on Reece James
While Reece James is technically not a midfielder, he has played in the middle of the park recently and has not disappointed there.
Chelsea do not envision James’ future being in midfield, but he has put in some terrific performances in the engine room this season. And with Caicedo suspended, he is almost certain to start there at the Etihad.
If the 26-year-old does, he will be the one who is expected to stop City’s attacks and get Chelsea going. He has both the defensive and passing ability to do so.
Chelsea’s last five visits to the Etihad 🤯
How can Chelsea end their terrible away record against Manchester City?
With Romeo Lavia also set to miss the match, the reality is that there is no one else capable of doing that job.
Andrey Santos has the skill set but is yet to prove that he can deliver against the very best teams in the Premier League.
All in all, then, everything is hinging on James. A good game, and a point or even three could be possible. But if the England international allows himself to get dragged around by City’s midfielders in Caicedo’s absence, Chelsea have no chance of walking away with anything.
Manchester City vs Chelsea score prediction
Chelsea’s record at the Etihad is abysmal, while they are in dire form right now. City also have Erling Haaland, of course, an absolute goal machine.
Everything is pointing towards a City win, but The Chelsea Chronicle is going to go for a 1-1 draw.
But if James can do a job in midfield while Cole Palmer and the rest of Chelsea’s attackers take their chances, victory is not impossible.
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