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Two of the most in-form sides in the Premier League, Manchester City and Chelsea, are set to face off at the Etihad Stadium in what could be a fixture of massive importance to the Cityzens. A win against the Blues would see Pep Guardiola's City be crowned Premier League champions for the third time in four seasons to cap off what has been a thoroughly dominant campaign in the top-flight.
Manchester City and Chelsea have had two very contrasting meetings so far this season. Guardiola's side demolished them at Stamford Bridge in one of Frank Lampard's final games as Blues boss, winning 3-1 on the night.
The second meeting came at Wembley more recently in the semi-finals of the FA Cup, where Thomas Tuchel set up Chelsea for a masterful display against his Catalan counterpart to win 1-0.
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Apart from the fact that this could be a title-clinching game for Manchester City, another interesting dynamic is that the two sides are set to play each other once again in three weeks time in the UEFA Champions League final. The Cityzens thrashed Paris Saint-Germain while Chelsea brushed aside Real Madrid to get to the showcase event in Istanbul.
With the stage set up for Manchester City's potential coronation at their own stadium against Chelsea, here, we take a look at five key battles that could define the outcome of the game.
Key Battles between Manchester City and Chelsea
Joao Cancelo v Ben Chilwell
When the two sides last met at Wembley, one of the key features of Chelsea's approach was to pin back Manchester City's marauding wide defenders, stifling their threat from wide areas. This forced City to play more centrally, where Chelsea were more than ready to handle their threat. On Saturday, Ben Chilwell — who had an excellent outing against Joao Cancelo last time out — will be key once again.
The Englishman was one of Chelsea's biggest threats down the left-hand side and, impressively, managed to support his attackers while containing Cancelo's threat remarkably well. The 24-year-old is in sublime form and will be key in helping Chelsea keep Cancelo quiet during the game.
Riyad Mahrez v Antonio Rudiger
Another massive duel that could define the game is one between Riyad Mahrez and Antonio Rudiger. The German defender has benefitted hugely from Thomas Tuchel's arrival at the club. Playing on the left of the defence, he will need to be at his sharpest to deal with Mahrez. If Cancelo keeps Chilwell occupied, Mahrez could find more space to operate in between the centre-back and wing-back.
The Algerian forward has been in blazing form in 2021 and was the star of their UCL semi-final against PSG, scoring thrice in two games. Playing off the right-hand side, Mahrez will be one of City's biggest threats on the night.
Rudiger has a knack for making regular forward runs, due to which he could possibly leave behind plenty of space for Mahrez to exploit. The City star has shown that he can wreak havoc if allowed time and space to cut in onto his left.
Also read: 5 Players who have created the most chances in Europe this season (2020/21)
Ruben Dias v Timo Werner
Timo Werner has endured a rather difficult campaign at Stamford Bridge, and while matters haven't drastically changed since Tuchel took over, they have most certainly improved. The striker played a huge role against Real Madrid on Wednesday and against Manchester City the last time they faced each other, constantly darting in behind and stretching their backline.
Should Werner reprise his central role against Manchester City, Ruben Dias will have his hands full with Chelsea's pacy attack once again.
The Portuguese was sensational against Neymar Jr and Kylian Mbappe and will have have to be careful not to afford Werner too much space to run in behind. Dias is City's leader at the back and will look to make amends for being caught on the counter at Wembley.
Kevin De Bruyne v N'Golo Kante
N'Golo Kante stole the show against Real Madrid across both legs of the semi-final tie, running the likes of Casemiro and Toni Kroos ragged in the middle. The French midfield star was awarded the Man of the Match award in both legs for his stunning displays and he will now lock horns with one of the best midfielders in world football, Kevin De Bruyne.
The Belgian has played a variety of roles for Guardiola's side and he will now be tasked with getting past Kante during their clash at the Etihad. De Bruyne had a relatively quiet game at Wembley but that could also be due to the fact that Manchester City were uncharacteristically sluggish as a unit. He will look to make amends with a memorable display to celebrate their crowning moment.
Pep Guardiola v Thomas Tuchel
Although a host of superstar names are set to be on display at the Etihad on Saturday, arguably the biggest battle of the evening will be that between two of the best tacticians in Europe, Pep Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel. Their meeting at Wembley was a fascinating tactical battle and the German not only managed to disrupt the Catalan's system, but also created a number of noteworthy chances against them.
The game against Etihad could potentially be a rehearsal for their meeting in Istanbul for European glory, due to which both managers will look to get over their counterparts in preparation for the all-important UCL final.
After getting the better of Guardiola at Wembley, will Tuchel manage to replicate Chelsea's magnificent display once again to postpone Manchester City's coronation? Only time will tell.
Also read: 5 Players with most nutmegs in Europe this season (2020/21)
