Manchester City vs Chelsea prediction: ENGLAND: FA Cup betting tips on match 2023-01-07 16:30.
Three days after their Premier League clash, Manchester City and Chelsea meet again in a blockbuster FA Cup (FAC) third round game with the two sides having won this competition 14 times between them. Thursdayâs 1-0 win means Man City have won the last four H2Hs âto nilâ – the first team to manage that against Chelsea since Bolton Wanderers in 1960 – so they may feel they have the edge ahead of this one.
Other reasons the Cityzens might feel confident of avoiding a first third round exit since 2011/12 (L 3-2 v Manchester United) include not losing an FA Cup match at home since January 2015 and losing just one of their last 23 competitive home fixtures (W19, D3). After watching his substitutes make the difference on Thursday though, manager Pep Guardiola has a few selection headaches.
So too do injury-hit Chelsea, who have unfinished business in this competition as after losing last seasonâs final to Liverpool, they became the first side to finish as runners-up in three consecutive stagings! More encouragingly, they beat Man City 1-0 in the semi-final two seasons ago and havenât fallen at this stage since 1997/98. On that occasion, they lost 5-3 to Man United, a game in which former player and manager Gianluca Vialli, who sadly passed away aged just 58 this week, scored twice.
The Blues havenât lost an FAC away game outside of London since March 2016, which offers a crumb of comfort to a side that hasnât won a competitive road fixture since late October (D1, L3) including Novemberâs 2-0 League Cup H2H defeat. With Graham Potterâs squad missing several injured players it may be another tough day here for Chelsea, though heâll hope defender BenoĂźt Badiashileâs arrival from Monaco can help turn the tide.
Players to watch: Riyad Mahrezâs impact off the bench on Thursday included his fourth career goal against Chelsea, all four strikes (two this term) arriving between the 35th and 65th minute. The Blues havenât beaten Man City since Kai Havertz notched the Champions League final winner in 2021, so now would be an ideal time for him to add to that tally.
Hot stat: Eight of the last nine H2Hs were won by the side scoring first (Man City: W5, L4).