Manchester City were held to a 1-1 draw with Everton in their last Premier League match, with Pep Guardiola's side desperate to return to winning ways as they continue to battle with Arsenal for the league title.
Erling Haaland registered his 27th goal in all competitions in the draw with Frank Lampard's side, but Demarai Gray's wonder strike in the 64th minute condemned City to just one point. However, with the Gunners having dropped points against Newcastle United on Tuesday night, the Blues have the chance to close the gap to just five points when they play Chelsea on Thursday night.
Guardiola's men have been impressive all season and are aiming to retain the Premier League title following the dramatic final-day victory over Aston Villa last term. The Blues are also still competing in every available cup competition.
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While City have made a strong start to the campaign, Chelsea have struggled for form so far this term and currently find themselves in 10th position in the league table. The London outfit replaced manager Thomas Tuchel with Brighton boss Graham Potter, but the English coach has failed to have the desired impact so far.
Chelsea drew 1-1 with Nottingham Forest in their last top-flight outing, with Spanish goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga continuing as the club's first-choice goalkeeper. Edouard Mendy has made just 11 appearances in all competitions and has fallen down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge this season.
With Reece James and Ben Chilwell still out injured, Potter is likely to stick with the same full-backs that played against Forest - with captain Cesar Azpilicueta and Marc Cucurella, who was linked with a move to City in the summer, expected to start against the Blues. Summer signing Wesley Fofana is still sidelined, so Chelsea should continue with Thiago Silva and Kalidou Koulibaly at the heart of defence.
In midfield, Potter has tried several different combinations, but he is expected to name Mason Mount, Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic in his starting line-up. The latter was exceptional for Croatia at the World Cup, while Italian international Jorginho has struggled for form since Tuchel was dismissed. Meanwhile, Mount was superb in the victory over Bournemouth just after Christmas, but he needs to be more consistent for the London outfit.
Moving into attack and with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scoring just one Premier League goal since arriving from Barcelona, German forward Kai Havertz - who scored in the Champions League final against City in 2021 - should start up-front. Former Blues attacker Raheem Sterling could move onto the left wing in order to allow Hakim Ziyech to come in and start on the right flank.
Predicted Chelsea team vs City: Kepa; Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva, Koulibaly, Cucurella; Jorginho, Kovacic, Mount; Ziyech, Havertz, Sterling.
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