Barclays Premier League
- Venue: Stamford Bridge
- Date: Monday, 12 December
- Kick-off: 2000 GMT
- Coverage: Watch live on Sky Sports 1; listen on BBC Radio 5 live and local radio; text commentary on BBC Sport website and mobiles
Live text and stats
Monday, 12 December 2011
Premier League
| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chelsea | v | Man City | 20:00 |
Defeat would end title hopes – Villas-Boas
TEAM NEWS
Frank Lampard is hoping to be recalled to make his 350th Premier League start for Chelsea in Monday’s match.
Jose Bosingwa has recovered from injury but fellow defender David Luiz serves a one-match ban after picking up five domestic bookings.
Manchester City right-back Micah Richards is likely to miss out with a calf injury.
Pablo Zabaleta is now fit and could replace him, but left-back Aleksandar Kolarov (groin) remains out.
MATCH PREVIEW
In the wake of a stinging rebuke to Chelsea’s critics, Portuguese man-of-war Andre Villas-Boas needs his players to display their backbone against the league leaders.
The media barbs will be out if they don’t. Villas-Boas claimed after Chelsea won their Champions League group in midweek that there had been “persecution” of the Blues during their recent indifferent run. He feels that Monday’s opponents Manchester City have not been subjected to the same pressure despite their ultimate failure to reach the knockout stages in Europe.
What I would say is that either we continue to challenge for the Premier League if we win or if we draw, or the Premier League becomes extremely difficult if we lose
Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas
Having “given everyone a slap in the face” by beating Valencia, Chelsea must now resuscitate their domestic title challenge. Their recent home record in this fixture is impressive, but then so is this current City side.
Roberto Mancini’s team are averaging more than three goals a game and their current club record run of 17 league matches without defeat has only been bettered by four sides in the Premier League – including Chelsea.
Mancini has been philosophical about City’s Champions League exit and is unlikely to get carried away whatever the result at Stamford Bridge. His counterpart, Villas-Boas, may not be so calm if Chelsea slip 13 points behind the leaders on Monday night.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
- Chelsea have won five of their last six home matches against Manchester City. Their only defeat in the last 13 was by 4-2 in February 2007 when Carlos Tevez and Craig Bellamy scored two goals apiece.
Chelsea
- Chelsea’s tally of 28 points from 14 matches matches their tally at the same stage last season. A win on Monday night would give them a better record than they had after 15 games a year ago.
- They are the only top-flight club to use all three substitutes in every league game this season.
- Didier Drogba is a hat-trick shy of 100 Premier League goals.
- Frank Lampard has scored five goals in his last nine league matches against Manchester City.
Manchester City
- City have picked up 38 points from their 14 matches – the most by a top-flight club at this stage of the season since Liverpool had 38 in 1990-91. The last team to pick up 41 points from their first 15 top-flight matches was Manchester United in 1985-86.
- Roberto Mancini’s side have scored 48 league goals, a record last bettered at this stage of a season by Tottenham in 1962.
- City have been behind for only a combined 15 minutes in all of their league matches this season.
- They have not kept a clean sheet in their last seven league matches – their worst run for two years.