"I see them winning the game" - Dimitar Berbatov makes score prediction for Chelsea vs Manchester City
Dimitar Berbatov has backed Manchester City to prevail against Chelsea as he feels Mauricio Pochettino's men's defense is a concern.
The west Londoners host the Cityzens at Stamford Bridge on Sunday (November 12). They come off a confidence-building 4-1 win against nine-man Tottenham Hotspur, with Nicolas Jackson netting a hat-trick.
However, Pochettino's men have endured topsy-turvy form throughout this campaign. They lost 2-0 at home to Brentford before their victory against Spurs, showing lapses in concentration that have often ended in disaster.
Berbatov reckons Manchester City have too many talented players not to wreak havoc against the hosts this weekend. He told Metro:
"Chelsea had a win against Spurs but that was against nine men. They must be concentrating at all times against City, because there’s a lot of things they have to work on. They let the opposition score too easily, and Man City have some of the best attackers in the world."
The Manchester United legend continued by touching on the west London giants still adapting to life under Pochettino:
"If Chelsea don’t concentrate, then any Man City player has the ability to score, and I see them winning the game. Chelsea are still finding their feet under Pochettino and that is tough when Man City come to town. Prediction: 1-3."
Manchester City have started yet another season off strongly and sit top of the league with nine wins in 11 games. The Cityzens beat cross-city rivals Manchester United 3-0 at Old Trafford before thrashing Bournemouth 6-1 last time out.
Thus, Pep Guardiola's treble winners will head to Stamford Bridge as favorites. However, they did come unstuck against Arsenal last month in a 1-0 away defeat to their title rivals from last season.
Mauricio Pochettino insists Chelsea aren't underdogs ahead of their encounter with Manchester City
Pochettino has defiantly claimed that his troops won't be underdogs when they take on Manchester City. The Argentine coach said (via CBS' Ben Jacobs):
"No, we're not underdogs. We're Chelsea. We can't go and say we're the 'victim' on Sunday. We have to be the protagonists."
The west Londoners performed disastrously against City last season, facing them on four occasions. They lost 1-0 at home and 1-0 away in the league and also suffered 2-0 and 4-0 defeats in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup third rounds.
Thus, Pochettino will be eager to lay down a marker that his side means business against Guardiola's reigning champions. A victory against the Cityzens could reignite their hopes of a top-four finish as they currently sit 10th after 11 games.