MANCHESTER CITY can seal the Premier League title this evening with victory over Chelsea at the Etihad.
- Start time: 5.30pm BST
- TV channel: Sky Sports Main Event
- Live stream: Sky Go/NOW TV
- Man City XI: Ederson, Cancelo, Dias, Laporte, Ake, Mendy, Rodrigo, Torres, Sterling, Aguero, Jesus
- Chelsea XI: Mendy, Azpilicueta, Christensen, Rudiger, James, Kante, Gilmour, Alonso, Ziyech, Werner, Pulisic.
Follow ALL the action and build-up with our live blog below…
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PEP PREVIEW
Pep said it doesn’t matter when City win the league, as long as it happens.
He also joked that Tuchel gave him the Champions League final tactics in their chat a short time ago.
Yeah, he gave me his tactics for the Champions League final!
We have a long relationship and he is a good guy.
Premier League is 38 fixtures and we play everyone, so at the end it isn’t important when, it is to finish one point ahead of the opponents.
Every year we play Chelsea it is a tough job.
Game on.Pep Guardiola
TUCH SWITCHES
A couple of changes from Thomas Tuchel and that was what he hinted when he spoke to the press during the week.
We have one day less to recover and it’s away game.
I imagine we’ll need some fresh legs and fresh minds, guys who want to show they deserve a chance in a big fixture.
Whether there will be new stuff tactically I don’t know. I haven’t decided yet. I have to look at who is available after training today. There is a high possibility we will see some changes.’Thomas Tuchel
SHARE A WORD
Sharing congratulations? Trying to eek out tactics? Sorting dinner plans?
Pep Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel share pleasantries as their sides head out for the warm-up with a little over 30 minutes to go until kick-off!
TWENTY IS PLENTY
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The two sides have met TWICE already this season with City winning their league showdown while Chelsea were victors in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.
The Blues are arguably the most in-form side in the country right now and look defensively sound having conceded just ONE goal in their last SIX outings.
So we’re backing Chelsea to get a result and delay the title celebrations with a 1-1 draw priced at 5/1.
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CLAIM HERE
OFF THE BUS
Champions-elect Manchester City making their way into the Etihad a short time ago
HOW WE STAND
The top half of the Premier League ahead of kick-off tonight.
Only three points for City tonight will guarantee league success tonight – if not they’ll have to wait.
But it’s an important one for Tuchel and his men too as they occupy the final top four spot.
But Leicester’s thumping defeat at home to Newcastle last night means Chelsea can leapfrog them into third and go six points clear of fifth placed West Ham.
GERMAN WALK
The Chelsea squad with the seemingly obligatory pre-match stroll on the pitch.
German pals Kai Havertz and Timo Werner chat ahead of the imminent warm-ups.
SUBS
The two benches for tonight’s game as follows:
MAN CITY: Steffen, Walker, Gundogan, Zinchenko, Bernardo, Fernandinho, Mahrez, Foden, Garcia
CHELSEA: Kepa, Emerson, Livramento, Zouma, Jorginho, Havertz, Hudson-Odoi, Abraham, Giroud
CHELSEA TEAM NEWS
Thomas Tuchel hands talented young Scot Billy Gilmour another league start in the Chelsea midfield.
Jorginho and Kai Havertz are left on the bench as Hakim Ziyech in from the start.
Timo Werner keeps his place as an integral part of the Blues’ wheel.
CHELSEA XI: Mendy, Azpilicueta (c), Christensen, Rudiger, Alonso, James, Gilmour, Kante, Ziyech, Pulisic, Werner
MAN CITY TEAM NEWS
Pep Guardiola has named the XI that he hopes will confirm the league title this evening against Chelsea.
The Spaniard leaves midweek heroes Riyad Mahrez and Phil Foden on the bench.
As is Fernandinho, with Raheem Sterling in from the start and captaining the side tonight.
Nathan Ake, Joao Cancelo and Benjamin Mendy come in to the back-line.
MAN CITY XI: Ederson, Dias, Laporte, Ake, Cancelo, Rodri, Torres, Mendy, Sterling (c), Aguero, Jesus
THE TEAM SHEETS ARE IN!
AT THE GROUND
Team news is on its way as the City team bus has arrived at the Etihad.
That prompted wild celebrations from the crowd that had gathered – and seems to have multiplied in population.
NO DRESS REHEARSAL
Pep Guardiola refused to call this game a rehearsal for the Champions League final.
The City boss said his players are fully focused on league duty only.
First of all, congratulations to them for reaching the final.
They made two good performances against the king of that competition in Real Madrid.
If we played the final in one week, six days, maybe it could [be significant], but after there are 21 or 22 days.
Many things can happen. We just have to focus. It is so important to think of the Premier League.
Of course, it is the opponent we’re going to face in the final but we’re going to try to play with the players suited to the way they play.Pep Guardiola
PARTY STARTED
The crowds have arrived at the Etihad to greet their City heroes.
A first Champions League final reached this week and it could be well and truly topped off with the league title tonight.
A banner too for Sergio Aguero who has his City days numbered ahead of a switch away in the summer.
CITY SLICKERS
Pep enjoys tinkering his team.
Though you would do with the array of talent that he has at his disposal!
No matter the side he puts out, it will be strong.
But should we expect any surprises?
MATCH ODDS
City were a shorter price last night and have now drifted to evens money.
Chelsea are steady in the market and will be one of the shorter prices that an away team has been at the Etihad this campaign.
Man City – evens
Draw – 11/5
Chelsea – 3/1
TEAM NEWS
John Stones will miss the game as he is serving the final match of his three-game suspension.
Other than that, Pep Guardiola doesn’t have any injury concerns, with Aymeric Laporte likely to step in for City.
Oleksandr Zinchenko may be rotated out of the XI in favour of Benjamin Mendy.
Chelsea star Mateo Kovacic is still out with a thigh injury and will miss the City clash.
Jorginho and Kante should continue in midfield for the Blues.
Reece James could come back into the fold after Cesar Azpilicueta’s tiresome 90 minutes against Real Madrid in midweek.
TITLE DECIDING? MANCHESTER CITY V CHELSEA
Hello and a very warm welcome to tonight’s SunSport coverage of a big one in the Premier League between Manchester City and Chelsea.
It has been a matter of ‘when’ and not ‘if’ but Pepe Guardiola’s men can clinch the league title TONIGHT if they pick up three points.
Chelsea can jump into third with a win themselves after sorry Leicester’s 4-2 defeat at home to Newcastle last night.
They are only three clear of West Ham in fifth, so a win today would put them in the driving seat for Champions League football again next term.
Speaking of that competition, fate dictated this clash would arrive this weekend after the historic exploits of midweek.
City and Chelsea overcame PSG and Rea Madrid respectively to clinch their spots at this season’s Champions League final later this month.
And to be honest, they were both relatively comfortable in doing so.
City could have scored a hatful against the Parisian’s and the 2-0 scoreline didn’t flatter them as they won the tie 4-1.
Chelsea won by the same score on the night, triumphing 3-1 on aggregate.
Tonight’s contest comes just three weeks after the pair met deep into another competition, as Thomas Tuchel’s men ran out 1-0 winners at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final.
Hakim Ziyech’s second-half goal was enough for the Londoners.
Both sides will be hoping for the win tonight, will they also have one eye on the big final on May 29 and not look to give too much away?
Team news on the way!
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk