Match Day LIVE ,
Match Week 1.
English Premiership League football Season (2024/2025 ).
Chelsea Vs Manchester City .
Venue – Stamford Bridge , London.
Date – August 17th , 2024.

Chelsea returns to the EPL in their opening match against bitter rivals , Manchester City at the Bridge this evening which seem to be their toughest match this season and is coming too early , while Man City starts their EPL title defence at away in London , with the hope of retaining their title for the fifth time in a row in this 2024/2025 football season .
The two teams met 15 days ago in their pre season match in the United States when the Citizens humbled the blues 4-2 , with a hatrrick from their star striker , Erling Halland.

After securing a late minute slot in the European Conference League after finishing sixth last season , this was not enough to keep Portchitino s job at the Bridge as the new management relieved him of his job and appointed ,Italian , Enzo Maresca .
The new Coach will try to improve on his pre -season challenging outing where he won once out of six matches., including the pummelling by City as well as Real Madrid 2-1 and a draw at the Bridge 1-1 with AC Milan , after securing an EPL spot for Leicester from the championship league last season .
Sunday March definitely will be a baptism of fire for Enzo Maresca with his former boss Pep Guardiola
However , City was also not fantastic during the pre season matches after losses to AC Milan and Celtic and a 2-2 draw with a penalty loss to Barcelona.
Manchester City got 91 points from 38 matches last season with only 3 losses to stamp their authority on the EPL title.
City enters today s game with confidence after their Community Shield victory against rivals Man U after a 1-1 draw then penalty shootout , they are also Unbeaten in their four Premishio visit to the Bridge while they have won 12 of their last EPL match opening games in the last 13 seasons , apart from a loss three seasons ago 1-0 against Tottenham Hotspurs .

The hosts , Chelsea have added advantage with reference to injury , with the exception Recce James with a hamstring injury as well as being suspended in Chelsea “s last game last season,, definitely his absence will give Mario Gusto to show case his football prowess at right full back which he prefers ,instead of the left back he has been fielding to in most Chelsea matches last season .While Wesley Fofana and Levi Colwill will man the central defence to give Roberto Sanchez cover , who is likely to get a first team short at goal ahead of new singing, Filip Jorgensen.
All other regulars are set to get a starting shirt , Christopher Nkunku , Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, who will link up h Enzo in deep midfield , Cole Palmer ,highest goal scorere last season , with his high level perfromance ddurung the Euro 2024 tournammet as well as new sigung Pedro Neto in the wings and Marc Guiu then , especially , Romeo Lavia whose injury side lined for 12 months in 2023/2024 , but has recovered fully Cucurella still remains the preferred choice for Enzo Masacrella in deep defensive duties with his outstanding performance during the Euro 2024 for Spain .

For the Citizens , it may be a nightmare this evening at the Bridge with most of their star players on the injury list ahead of the Stamford Bridge clash , with Oscar Bobb ruled out for three months with fractured fibula, Rodrigo, with hamstring injury , then others with extended holidays after the Euro 2024 like Phil Foden , Kyle Walker and John Stones who wee also conspicuously absent during the Community Shield victory against Man U.
But Croatian International will fill the gap a bit for these absentees with the support of Kevin De Bruyne or Matteus Nunes or Bernardo Silvia .

I wonder how Chelsea will survive the on slaught of Man City this evening at the Bridge , Unless perhaps the injury concerns with Man City and a number of their star players on extended holidays due to the Euro 2024 tournament ,Though last years clash at the Bridge that recorded a total of 8 goals, four from either side should not be forgotten easily as history they say repeats itself when mere mortals refuse to learn from the lessons of history .
With Chelsea s new signings , they are still far from reality to beat City .
We may see a good game but a likely draw or a win for the Citizens , unless Chelsea ups their game and also lady luck shines on them at home turf.

Chelsea Vs Man City – 1-2 Or 1-3 Or 2-2

Happy Viewing and Happy Sunday in today’s Star Match of the Weekend in continuation of Match Week Matches .

@UcheFreetips (2024).
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Email.- ucheanaba1@gmail.com