Analysing Chelsea ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash | OneFootball

An in-depth look at the side we’ll face this weekend…

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We go to Stamford Bridge for a 16:30 (UK) kick-off against Chelsea on Sunday 12 April.

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It’s our first Premier League outing in almost a month, after Champions League, Carabao Cup and FA Cup commitments either side of the final international break of the season.

And now with eight games left, it feels we’re truly entering the business end of the 2025/26 campaign.

City go into the weekend nine points back from leaders Arsenal, but with a game in hand.

With the help of Opta data, we look at the Chelsea side…

Recent form

Chelsea struggled throughout March, losing to PSG, Newcastle and Everton.

They’ve stabilised with an FA Cup thrashing of League One side Port Vale but come into this game with only one victory in their last six Premier League outings.

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After 31 games, they sit sixth in the table with 48 points. There’s no doubt they’ll be looking up at finishing in the top five and qualifying for next season’s Champions League.

Preferred lineup

Chelsea have regularly chopped and changed throughout the season but tend to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Robert Sanchez has reclaimed his place in goal after briefly moving to the bench, while Marc Cucurella and Malo Gusto are mostly used at full-back, especially with Reece James’ injury.

Trevoh Chalobah, Wesley Fofana, Jorrel Hato and former City man Tosin Adarabioyo are all rotated in the centre of defence.

Moises Caicedo and Andrey Santos play deeper in midfield, behind the likes of Cole Palmer, Pedro Neto, Estevao and Alejandro Garnacho.

Enzo Fernandez is believed to be out of contention for selection after comments during the recent international break.

Joao Pedro is the first choice up top, with another former City man in Liam Delap also an option.

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City’s 2025/26 Premier League run-in

Manager

Liam Rosenior is one of the Premier League’s freshest faces.

The 41-year-old was a full-back as a player, appearing for the likes of Fulham, Hull City and Brighton.

He surfaced as a coach as Wayne Rooney’s assistant at Derby County before spells in charge of Hull and Chelsea’s sister club Strasbourg before moving to Stamford Bridge in January.

Since taking post, he’s attracted a lot of attention for his press conferences and interviews as much as the way Chelsea have played on the pitch.

He’s won five of his 10 Premier League games so far, scoring 19 goals and conceding 14.

Head-to-head record

We’re unbeaten in our last nine Premier League games against Chelsea since a 2-1 loss at the Etihad in May 2021.

We’ve also won four of our last five trips to Chelsea, as many as we had in our previous 26 league visits.

In total, we’ve played each other 57 times in the Premier League era – winning 20 times.

Earlier this season, a late, late Enzo Fernandez equaliser earned Chelsea a 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium after a Tijjani Reijnders strike.

How they attack

With 53 goals so far, only Arsenal, City and Manchester United have scored than Chelsea.

They’re very creative though, with their 59.3 xG the best of all 20 sides. With 95 Opta-defined ‘big chances’, they’re level with City for that metric too.

They start well, with only three sides scoring more in the first 15 minutes but they’re the 15th most prolific in the last 15 minutes.

With 20 goals from set plays, they’re the third most dangerous from dead balls.

Meanwhile, they’re the second most possession-focused side in the league – only behind City – completing approximately 550 passes per match.

Joao Pedro is clear as their top scorer, netting 14 Premier League goals so far and providing a team-high five assists too.

How they defend

Chelsea’s defence is weaker than their position in the table would suggest, with 38 goals conceded the eighth most in the division.

As they start quickly going forward, they’re also vulnerable at the back – with their seven goals conceded in the opening 15 minutes the sixth most.

They’re most susceptible in the air, with their 11 headed goals let in the fourth most across all 20 teams.

With seven red cards, no side in the league has been down a man more often than the Stamford Bridge side.

Sanchez is the sixth best goalkeeper in the division in terms of save percentage, stopping 70.2% of the efforts on his goal.

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