Manchester City v Chelsea – Head To Head

Manchester City face off against Chelsea for the third time this season, however a victory for City will see them crowned Premier League champions. But they face a Chelsea side that has been resurgent in the last few months under Thomas Tuchel, evidenced by their advancement to the FA Cup and Champions League finals.

Saturday’s match will be a tough one for both teams, and it is highly unlikely to be a repeat of City’s lacklustre FA Cup semi-final tie. The bleus now have home advantage, but what do the stats say about this fixture?

City’s recent record against Chelsea has been good. From their last 12 meetings at the Etihad Stadium, City have won 9 and lost 2, with the only draw coming in September 2014, when Frank Lampard scored the equaliser against his former cub.

The blues have won their last three matches at home to Chelsea, the most recent being a 2-1 win in November 2019, while Chelsea’s last victory on Manchester soil was in December 2016, a bad-tempered 3-1 win that an own goal and City have Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho both sent off within a minute of each other in injury time.

This current period of success against the West London club is in stark contrast to their previous 12 fixtures, when City won just 2 to Chelsea’s 9. City’s 1-0 victory of Chelsea in 2004, when Nicolas Anelka’s goal inflicted a first defeat of the season for Chelsea, prevented the blues from a sixth straight home defeat to the London blues. Considering City would then go on to lose the next four home matches against Chelsea, it was a welcome, if rare victory.

Saturday’s match will be the 82^nd time these two have faced off in Manchester in all competitions, with City winning 39 to Chelsea’s 26. There have been 16 draws in this fixture, five of which have ended goalless, and the last time that happened was March 1992.

There have been plenty of goals between the two, with he last goal fest coming just two seasons ago, when City hammered Chelsea 6-0. However the highest scoring match was in December 1956, when City beat Chelsea 5-4 at Maine Road. That started a trend of scoring five past the Londoners as City won the next two home fixtures 5-2 and 5-1. In November 1977, City beat Chelsea 6-2, but then lost the next 6 home matches! City’s heaviest defeat in this fixture is 4-1, which has happened on 2 occasions – May 1933 and October 1966.

Victory for City today will equal the blues longest winning run at home to Chelsea with four wins. This was last achieved between April 1938 and April 1949, but their longest unbeaten run is 20 matches, spanning the period between April 1934 and November 1961. City won 12 and drew 8 of those matches.

Chelsea’s longest winning streak is more recent. The Londoners won six matches at Maine Road between January 1979 and March 1989. A 1-1 draw in March 1990, when Niall Quinn scored on his City debut, means the visitors longest unbeaten run at City is 7 matches.

Overall, the blues have scored 117 while Chelsea have scored 86. City have kept 26 clean sheets to Chelsea’s 20. The longest time City have gone without scoring against Chelsea is three matches – 0-1, 0-1 and 0-2 between December 2005 and April 2008. City’s longest record of clean sheets is a little further back when the prevented Chelsea from scoring in 7 consecutive games between December 1934 and April 1949.

If you’re superstitious, stop reading now, Seriously, just click the x at the top of the screen and walk away. City have faced Chelsea in May on three occasions…and lost all three. In May 1933, City were beaten 4-1, while in May 1984, Chelsea won 2-0 at Maine Road. The last time these two played in May was 2001 when the visitors won 2-1. If you’re superstitious and now crying, you were warned! In fairness, in the 2000/01 season, pretty much everyone beat us at home, so don’t be too disheartened.