Manchester City vs Chelsea Preview

Manchester City host Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday evening in a Premier League encounter that pits two contrasting recent runs against each other. City arrive unbeaten in their last five matches, having drawn 0-0 away at Sunderland in their most recent outing on New Year’s Day. Prior to that, they secured a 2-1 away victory at Nottingham Forest. Earlier in this sequence, City won 3-0 at home to West Ham United, claimed a 2-0 home triumph over Brentford in the Carabao Cup, and cruised to a 3-0 away success at Crystal Palace. This impressive run demonstrates their ability to grind out results both home and away, with their defensive solidity particularly noteworthy across the five fixtures.

Chelsea have shown less consistency, drawing 2-2 at home to AFC Bournemouth in their most recent match. In their previous outing, they suffered a 2-1 home defeat to Aston Villa. Earlier results include a 2-2 away draw at Newcastle United, a 3-1 away victory at Cardiff City in the Carabao Cup, and a 2-0 home win over Everton. The Blues have struggled to find defensive stability, conceding in four of their last five matches, though their attacking threat remains evident with goals scored in each fixture during this period.

The head-to-head record overwhelmingly favours Manchester City, who have won four of the last five meetings with one draw. Most recently, City secured a commanding 3-1 home victory in January 2025 and also claimed a 2-0 away win in August 2024. City’s dominance in this fixture has been comprehensive, with additional victories coming via 4-2 at home in August 2024 and 1-0 at home in the FA Cup in April 2024. The only blemish was a 1-1 draw in February 2024.

This fixture represents a significant opportunity for Manchester City to extend their unbeaten run and reinforce their credentials near the top of the table. Playing at home, where they have been particularly dominant, City will look to exploit Chelsea’s recent defensive vulnerabilities and capitalize on their superior head-to-head record. For Chelsea, this match offers a chance to prove they can compete with the league’s elite despite their inconsistent recent form. A positive result at the Etihad would provide a major boost to their confidence and signal their ability to challenge the top sides.

The tactical battle should prove compelling, with City expected to dominate possession and create chances through their intricate passing combinations, while Chelsea will need to remain disciplined defensively and look to exploit any rare opportunities on the counter-attack. The quality of individual players on both sides means moments of brilliance could prove decisive, while set-pieces may also play a crucial role given the attacking talent available to both managers.

Fans in the UK can watch this fixture on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Go UK, NOW, and SKY GO Extra, with kick-off at 17:30 GMT. US viewers can tune in via NBCSN and Peacock, while German supporters can stream on Sky Sport Premier League and WOW. In Portugal, the match is available on DAZN Portugal.

Manchester City – Last Five Games:

Result	Home Team	Score	Away Team	Competition	Date
🤝	Sunderland	0-0	Manchester City	English Premier League	Jan 1, 2026
✅	Nottingham Forest	1-2	Manchester City	English Premier League	Dec 27, 2025
✅	Manchester City	3-0	West Ham United	English Premier League	Dec 20, 2025
✅	Manchester City	2-0	Brentford	English Carabao Cup	Dec 17, 2025
✅	Crystal Palace	0-3	Manchester City	English Premier League	Dec 14, 2025

Chelsea – Last Five Games:

Result	Home Team	Score	Away Team	Competition	Date
🤝	Chelsea	2-2	AFC Bournemouth	English Premier League	Dec 30, 2025
❌	Chelsea	1-2	Aston Villa	English Premier League	Dec 27, 2025
🤝	Newcastle United	2-2	Chelsea	English Premier League	Dec 20, 2025
✅	Cardiff City	1-3	Chelsea	English Carabao Cup	Dec 16, 2025
✅	Chelsea	2-0	Everton	English Premier League	Dec 13, 2025

Head-to-Head Record:

Home Team	Score	Away Team	Competition	Date
Manchester City	3-1	Chelsea	English Premier League	Jan 25, 2025
Chelsea	0-2	Manchester City	English Premier League	Aug 18, 2024
Manchester City	4-2	Chelsea	Club Friendly	Aug 3, 2024
Manchester City	1-0	Chelsea	English FA Cup	Apr 20, 2024
Manchester City	1-1	Chelsea	English Premier League	Feb 17, 2024

TV Listings / Streaming:

Country	Broadcaster
Great Britain	Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Go UK, NOW, SKY GO Extra, Sky Ultra HD
Ireland Republic	Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Go UK, NOW, SKY GO Extra, Sky Ultra HD
USA	NBCSN, Peacock
Germany	Sky Go, WOW, Sky Sport Premier League, Sky Sport Top Event
Portugal	DAZN1 Portugal, DAZN Portugal
Australia	Stan Sport
Canada	DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada, Fubo Sports Network Canada
Austria	Sky Sport Premier League, Sky Sport Top Event, Sky Go Austria
Spain	DAZN Spain, DAZN1 Spain, Movistar+
Netherlands	Viaplay Netherlands