Man City, Chelsea tango in epic top four race

Chelsea face Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday at the Etihad Stadium.

Both sides have been hit with Covid problems in the last couple of weeks but are set to be at near full strength for today’s heavyweight clash.

Pep Guardiola got the better of Thomas Tuchel earlier on this season at Stamford Bridge following a narrow 1-0 victory in the capital.

Tuchel insists he has learned from his mistakes from September's defeat, but pundits are asking if that will change the outcome today.

"My approach was the wrong approach tactically," reflected the Blues head coach ahead of the game. "It made us too passive, we could have done better. I think the approach was too passive, too defensive. It was not meant like this but it turned out this way. Lesson learned.”

Manchester City have won their last 11 Premier League matches, which will only bode well with their record of eight wins out of 12 against the Blues at the Etihad.

Guardiola's men have been free scoring in recent weeks - netting 24 goals in their previous six matches in all competitions.

Meanwhile, Chelsea have dropped poor points in recent weeks against the likes of Everton and Brighton, currently sitting ten points behind the league leaders.

But they are yet to be beaten in 2022 - a brilliant 2-2 draw against Liverpool as they fought back, before a two-legged win over Tottenham Hotspur saw the Blues reach the Carabao Cup final.

The hosts are expected to welcome back an array of players following self-isolation spells after a Covid outbreak within the camp last week.

Chelsea will be without four players. As expected, Ben Chilwell (ACL) and Reece James (hamstring) continue to be sidelined for the Blues.