Chelsea face Manchester City for the second time in four days as the Blues embark on their FA Cup campaign on Sunday.
Thursday's meeting between the two sides saw Chelsea defeated 1-0 by City at Stamford Bridge, with Raheem Sterling and Christian Pulisic both picking up injuries in the narrow loss. Mason Mount picked up a knock prior to the match, with the trio all adding to an already large injury list.
The FA Cup clash with City will be the third meeting between the two sides already this season, the first a 2-0 loss for Graham Potter's side in the Carabao Cup third round. The Blues were beaten on penalties in the FA Cup final last season, and Potter will be hoping his side can reach the final once again this season.
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So, how could Chelsea perform in their clash with Manchester City? Let's take a look.
Man City vs Chelsea score predicted by simulation
To complete this simulation, we used FIFA 23 and updated the squads with the latest injuries and suspensions.
We predict that City could set up in a 4-3-3 formation, with their line-up as follows: Ederson; Cancelo, Stones, Akanji, Ake; De Bruyne, Rodri, Gundogan; Silva, Haaland, Foden.
We predict that the Blues could line up in a 4-3-3 formation, with their line-up as follows: Kepa; Azpilicueta, Chalobah, Koulibaly, Hall; Jorginho, Gallagher, Zakaria; Hutchinson, Aubameyang, Havertz.
The first half started evenly, with both sides seeing equal amounts of the ball but failing to create any clear-cut chances. 23 minutes in, Chelsea took the lead at the Etihad through Kai Havertz.
After winning back possession on the edge of their own box, Chelsea pushed forward with Denis Zakaria leading the charge. The midfielder spotted Havertz's run forward and found the forward with a long ball, and the German rounded the 'keeper before blasting into the net to send the Blues ahead.
But, the lead didn't last long for the Blues, with Julian Alvarez scoring a quickfire double seven minutes after the goal to flip the game on its head and send City into the break 2-1 up. Chelsea came out in the second half as the better side in the opening stages, and a spell of possession led to the Blues levelling the score through Omari Hutchinson.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang jinxed past Kyle Walker on the left before crossing into the box, and Hutchinson met the cross with a powerful volley that was saved by the knees of Stefan Ortega. Fortunately for Hutchinson, the ball fell back to his feet, and the 19-year-old found the net with his second attempt to make it 2-2.
As the game went on, City started to grasp control, and the hosts managed to score twice in the final 15 minutes to make it 4-2 and secure FA Cup victory. The third goal came courtesy of Phil Foden, with the forward curling into the far corner of the net from outside the box.
The game was then taken out of reach from Chelsea in the 86th minute, with Ilkay Gundogan providing the finish. Foden was causing havoc down the left and was the creator for City's fourth, chipping a ball into the box that was met by Gundogan's diving header, guiding the ball across goal and past Kepa.
FIFA 23 predicted score: Man City 4-2 Chelsea
Here are the full-time match stats:
FIFA 23 predicts that despite Chelsea's best-attacking efforts, City's forward line could prove too much for the Blues to handle, with Potter's side falling to a 4-2 defeat in the simulation. A loss on Sunday would be a third loss of the season for the Blues against City, a stat they will be desperate to avoid.
What do you think the final score will be? Let us know in the comments.
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