5 factors that will decide the Chelsea vs Manchester City encounter

Jose Mourinho and Manuel Pellegrini will go head-to-head in a top of the table clashThe Premier League is back after a week’s layoff to accommodate FA Cup matches and this week we see champions Manchester City visit Stamford Bridge for a top of the table clash with Chelsea. This could practically be the make-or-break game to decide who wins the Premier League title this season.While Manchester City will be looking to narrow the 5-point gap, Chelsea will be aiming to consolidate their lead and make it even harder for other teams to play catch up.Here are 5 factors that could possibly impact how the game pans out.

#1 Chelsea\'s fatigue after Capital One Cup

Most of the Chelsea players played 120 minutes in midweek

Manchester City got knocked out from the Capital One Cup after a shocking 2-0 defeat at home against Newcastle United in the fourth round while Chelsea are through to the final after they defeated Liverpool 2-1 on aggregate this week.

The Blues played an intense game against the Reds on 28 January, 2015, hence giving them just a couple of days to prepare for another tough fixture. Fatigue will be a factor after the game went into 30 minutes of extra time.

Despite a strong squad with good depth, Jose Mourinho has often decided not to shuffle his starting line-ups for cup games. This game was no different, with Mourinho deciding to start all his regular starters. With the game on Saturday instead of Sunday, the players haven’t exactly got the ample rest they deserve.

Manchester City, on the other hand, have had no such commitments and had ample time to rest before the match. They would be expected to come out fresh and take advantage of this very fact.

#2 Diego Costa\'s ban

Diego Costa was banned for violent conduct

In the Capital One Cup clash against Liverpool, Chelsea striker Diego Costa stamped Liverpool’s Emre Can in the 12th minute which went unnoticed by the match officials. Referee Michael Oliver later reviewed the incident on video, and the FA charged Costa with violent conduct on Wednesday.

The Spanish striker of Brazilian origin contested the decision, claiming that he caught Can completely by accident as he was not looking where he planted his foot. Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho also agreed with his talismanic striker.

However, the decision was upheld, and Costa now faces a 3-match ban, the first of which will be served when the Blues host Manchester City. The FA has once again come under heavy criticism for the decision, as video replays suggest that there really was no malice intended.

Costa is always known to play the game on the edge of the acceptable borderline, but there were no sufficient grounds for the ban. Former players like Thierry Henry and Gary Neville also were of the opinion that the decision should have been repealed.

The striker has scored 17 goals in 19 Premier League games for Chelsea, and they will definitely miss his services against Manchester City. Didier Drogba or Loic Remy will have to fill the void in Costa’s absence and it will be interesting to see if they can live up to expectations.

#3 Jose Mourinho\'s campaign against referees

John Obi Mikel argues with Mark Clattenburg in a match between Chelsea and Manchester United in 2012

Following the 1-1 draw at Southampton a few weeks back, Jose Mourinho was fuming in the post-match press conference. He claimed that a penalty was denied to Chelsea after Cesc Fabregas went down in the box under Matt Targett’s challenge. Rather than awarding a penalty, Fabregas was booked for diving instead.

“There is a campaign against Chelsea. I don’t know why there is this campaign and I do not care. Everybody knows it was a penalty. The referee (Anthony Taylor) made a mistake, people make mistakes and he made a big mistake,” Mourinho said.

Mourinho also took a dig at Sam Allardyce for his comments after the West Ham game when he claimed that Branislav Ivanovic dived for a penalty.

“The reality is there are penalties and penalties – this one was a huge one. Match after match coaches are telling Chelsea players are diving. I will go to the referee and wish him a good year and tell him he will be ashamed.”

Mark Clattenburg has been appointed as the match official for this upcoming fixture, and Chelsea fans would have a bitter taste after what had transpired against Manchester United in 2012 with Clattenburg as the official. He had sent off Ivanovic for a professional foul and showed 2 yellow cards to Fernando Torres for a high kick and an alleged dive. He also failed to rule United’s winning goal offside and was officially reported to the FA for using “inappropriate language” with John Obi Mikel.

Only time will tell us whether Clattenburg is a part of the so-called ‘campaign’ against Chelsea.

#4 Frank Lampard

Frank Lampard will return to Stamford Bridge as a Manchester City player

Frank Lampard is a Chelsea legend, no doubt about that. However, he now plays for title contenders Manchester City, and things could get a little awkward if he gets playing time.

Lampard had recently hobbled off with a hip injury while playing a friendly against Hamburg at Abu Dhabi, but is expected to be fit for contention before the squads are announced.

We all remember Lampard’s goal against Chelsea in the dying minutes of the match to salvage a draw for Manchester City earlier this season. He refused to celebrate then, and has said that he won’t celebrate this time either if he does score a goal.

In the absence of Yaya Toure, who is currently representing Ivory Coast at the African Cup of Nations, Frank Lampard may well get a start alongside Fernando or Fernandinho. He may also be used as an impact substitute, as has often been the case for a majority of the season.

Lampard has scored 5 goals and assisted 2 more for Manchester City so far, and his composure and ability to kill games could well be the difference in a tight encounter.

#5 Stamford Bridge - The Fortress

Chelsea have won 10/10 matches at Stamford Bridge in EPL this season

Chelsea have had a delightful first half of the season so far, amassing 52 points from a possible tally of 66 and sit 5 points clear at top of the table. Much of this goes down to Chelsea’s record at home. They have played 10 EPL matches at Stamford Bridge so far and have won them all.

In the process, the Blues have scored a total of 24 goals at home while conceding just 3 to the opposition teams along with 8 clean sheets. A tremendous feat indeed, and one which will be hard for Manchester City to belittle.

A lot of this credit goes to the back four. But with Branislav Ivanovic and Filipe Luis possibly out with minor injuries, the full back position could be weakened considerably. This could be one area that Manchester City will want to exploit.