Manchester City vs Chelsea, January 4, 2026 – Live Streaming & Match Preview

Match Overview

The first weekend of 2026 brings a blockbuster Premier League showdown as Manchester City host Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium. This fixture arrives at a chaotic moment for the visitors; Chelsea are currently without a permanent manager following the shock departure of Enzo Maresca on New Year’s Day. Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola's City are looking to bounce back after a frustrating 0-0 draw against Sunderland that left them four points behind league-leaders Arsenal.

How to Watch

Predicted Lineups

Manchester City Lineup (4-3-3)

Pep Guardiola welcomes back Rodri to the starting XI after his successful second-half cameo against Sunderland. However, City are missing several stars: John Stones, Oscar Bobb, and Mateo Kovacic are out injured, while Savinho and Nico Gonzalez are fresh doubts. Omar Marmoush and Rayan Ait-Nouri are away on international duty at AFCON.

• GK: Gianluigi Donnarumma
• DEF: Matheus Nunes, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, Nico O'Reilly
• MID: Bernardo Silva, Rodri, Tijjani Reijnders
• FWD: Rayan Cherki, Phil Foden, Erling Haaland

Chelsea Lineup (4-2-3-1)

Interim coach Caretaker McFarlane faces a midfield crisis with Moises Caicedo suspended and Romeo Lavia injured. Captain Reece James may be forced into a midfield role to partner Enzo Fernandez. Cole Palmer returns to his former home hoping to spark a revival for the Blues.

• GK: Robert Sanchez
• DEF: Malo Gusto, Wesley Fofana, Trevoh Chalobah, Marc Cucurella (Doubt)
• MID: Reece James, Enzo Fernandez
• FWD: Pedro Neto, Cole Palmer, Alejandro Garnacho, Joao Pedro

Match Preview

This is a "wounded animal" clash. Manchester City’s dominance has flickered lately, and the absence of a natural left-back due to AFCON commitments could be exploited by Chelsea’s pacey wingers like Garnacho and Neto. However, City’s record at the Etihad is formidable, having won eight of their last ten home games against the London side.

For Chelsea, the goal is stability. The loss of Maresca on the eve of such a massive game is far from ideal. They have won only one of their last seven league matches and look defensively fragile. To get anything from this game, they must rely on the individual brilliance of Cole Palmer and a compact defensive block led by Wesley Fofana.

Recent Head-to-Head

Manchester City have held the upper hand in this rivalry recently, remaining unbeaten in their last eight Premier League meetings with Chelsea.

Date	Competition	Result
Jan 25, 2025	Premier League	Man City 3-1 Chelsea
Aug 18, 2024	Premier League	Chelsea 0-2 Man City
Apr 20, 2024	FA Cup	Man City 1-0 Chelsea
Feb 17, 2024	Premier League	Man City 1-1 Chelsea
Nov 12, 2023	Premier League	Chelsea 4-4 Man City

Prediction

Given Chelsea's managerial instability and the suspension of Moises Caicedo, it is difficult to see them containing a City side boosted by the return of Rodri. While Chelsea may find joy on the counter-attack through Garnacho, the sheer volume of chances created by Foden and Cherki for Haaland should see the hosts home.

Final Score Prediction: Manchester City 3-1 Chelsea