Football betting tips: Saturday Night Football
1pt Phil Foden 1+ assists at 18/5 (Sporting Index, SpreadEx)
1pt Matheus Nunes to be shown a card at 4/1 (bet365)
1pt Josko Gvardiol to be shown a card at 19/4 (BetVictor)
0.5pt Palmer to score a goal assisted by Madueke at 16/1 (William Hill)
0.5pt Madueke to score a goal assisted by Palmer at 18/1 (William Hill)
BuildABet @ 80/1
- Foden to score or assist
- Palmer to score or assist
- Madueke to score or assist
- Nunes to be shown a card
- Gvardiol to be shown a card
![Walker](/images/news/945x532/2618e865-7800-4f19-95f5-f599548f8a88.jpg)
It's been a busy week at Manchester City, with their long overdue rebuild now well under way.
As long-serving captain Kyle Walker prepares to join AC Milan, young defenders Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis have arrived for a combined £60m; Eintracht Frankfurt forward Omar Marmoush cost that on his own.
It's difficult to know how many of those new signings will be involved at The Etihad on Saturday, but given City's current plight Pep Guardiola may feel he has little choice but to throw at least one of them straight in.
His team had looked to have turned a corner, scoring 22 goals in a much-improved five-match run (W4 D1) but their fragility was exposed in midweek when tasked with meeting a much stronger opponent.
![Erling Haaland](/images/news/945x532/4ba021a0-f919-4c69-8cd4-b9d5b5f3b119.jpg)
Collapsing from 2-0 up to a 4-2 defeat at PSG, all in the second half, has caused City's final Champions League group game against Club Brugge on Wednesday to be quite literally must win.
What was already an enormous match in the context of their struggling Premier League season is now sandwiched by two far more pivotal European matches, only adding to the air of uncertainty around Saturday's fixture.
It means despite Chelsea's own slump in form - Monday's unconvincing victory over struggling Wolves was a first in six league games and they have failed to win any of their last three away matches - the 1X2 is perhaps best avoided.
At the moment neither team, it would seem, can be trusted.
What are the best bets?
![Jeremy Doku celebrates with Phil Foden](/images/news/945x532/c18de264-8e92-42d6-9d42-7420e5c15e7b.jpg)
The return to form of PHIL FODEN has been crucial to Manchester City's recent improvement, with the PFA Player of the Year scoring six goals in five matches.
Advised at 9/4 to find the net at Ipswich last weekend he duly delivered, but having been clipped into 2/1 this week against a far superior opponent it doesn't feel worth sticking with as an angle.
Instead, we're taking the 18/5 for him to provide 1+ ASSISTS.
He's provided for team-mates twice in his last four matches, and did so 12 times alongside his 27 goals last term.
![Kevin De Bruyne was forced off through injury against Inter](/images/news/945x532/cf99078b-8f5d-4cbf-9270-11fff182e256.jpg)
Initially, I was drawn to the 9/4 about Kevin De Bruyne, the other man to receive plenty of praise for his own return to form.
He has provided four assists in his last three league appearances, but the possibility of Guardiola resting him ahead of City's meeting with Brugge makes it a risky pre-match play.
Should the Belgium midfielder start he's worth taking at that price.
There were also shots of him arguing with his manager shortly before being substituted at the Parc de Princes, so he could be on the naughty step...
Nunes newest right-back
![Matheus Nunes](/images/news/945x532/8b18139e-3b93-429c-a425-04e1adb1c1c0.jpg)
Guardiola's decision to jettison Walker while he sought a move away has seen MATHEUS NUNES emerge as the latest in a long list of experimental right-backs.
The natural central midfielder showed the upside to being used in that position with a marauding run to help create City's second goal against PSG, but on multiple occasions his defensive shortcomings have been exposed in recent weeks.
He was SHOWN A CARD for tripping Ipswich left-back Leif Davis last weekend and will be put under a much tougher examination on Saturday, as will JOSKO GVARDIOL on the other side of the back four.
- CLICK HERE to back Matheus Nunes to be shown a card with Sky Bet
- CLICK HERE to back Josko Gvardiol to be shown a card with Sky Bet
Gvardiol may only have been shown one yellow card this season, but the opposing left-back has been booked in three of Chelsea's last four league games, with at least one full-back carded in four of the last five.
![Cole Palmer and Noni Madueke](/images/news/945x532/864cb814-328d-46ce-bf6e-502a01778dad.jpg)
This is a direct result of Chelsea's talented wingers NONI MADUEKE, Pedro Neto and Jadon Sancho, as well as the free, elusive role COLE PALMER is given behind Nicolas Jackson.
On top of isolating full-backs, Madueke and Palmer have built a superb partnership.
Of Palmer's 14 goals, only one has been assisted by his England team-mate but he has returned the favour for four of Madueke's seven.
The 25 chances they have created for each other this season is a Premier League high, with Palmer’s 17 for Madueke the most any player has created for a team-mate.
Given Manchester City's defensive issues and particular problems on the counter attack, both MADUEKE TO ASSIST PALMER and PALMER TO ASSIST MADUEKE at respective 18/1 and 16/1 are advised.
Team news
![Walker](/images/news/945x532/2618e865-7800-4f19-95f5-f599548f8a88.jpg)
Manchester City captain Kyle Walker is on the verge of joining AC Milan, while Ruben Dias suffered a setback after returning against PSG in midweek.
Jeremy Doku missed that game through injury and is expected to be absent again. John Stones could return after coming off the bench in Paris but Nathan Ake, Oscar Bobb and Rodri remain out.
New signings Omar Marmoush and Abdukodir Khusanov could make the bench. Vitor Reis is unlikely to be involved.
![Enzo Fernandez looks to have been given more freedom this season](/images/news/945x532/74b04868-2d62-41e2-aa5e-84df1ceb4c70.jpg)
Chelsea captain Enzo Fernandez could return after he missed victory over Wolves, but fellow midfielder Romeo Lavia is expected to again miss out.
Trevor Chalobah should continue at centre-back if Levi Colwill is not able to start.
Predicted line-ups
Man City: Ortega; Nunes, Akanji, Stones, Gvardiol; Kovacic, Silva; Foden, De Bruyne, Savinho; Haaland.
Chelsea: Sanchez; James, Chalobah, Tosin, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Madueke, Palmer, Neto; Jackson.
Match facts
- Manchester City are unbeaten in their last seven Premier League games against Chelsea (W5 D2), since a 2-1 home loss in May 2021.
- Chelsea have kept just one clean sheet in their last 16 Premier League away games against Man City (1-0 in February 2014), failing to score themselves on seven occasions in that run.
- This is the latest into a Premier League campaign that Chelsea are facing Manchester City while above them in the table since 2016-17, when they won 2-1 at Stamford Bridge on MD30 en route to winning the title under Antonio Conte.
- After a run of just one win in nine Premier League games from the start of November (D2 L6), Manchester City have now won three of their last four (D1). They’ve scored 14 goals in this run, more than they had in their previous 11 league games (13).
- Manchester City have lost their last three Premier League games played immediately after a European midweek game, as many as they had in their previous 34 (W21 D10). The last time the Citizens lost four such matches in a single campaign was back in 2010-11.
- Having failed to win just two of their first eight Premier League away games this season (W6 D1 L1), Chelsea are now winless in their last three on the road (D2 L1). They’ve scored just once in these three games, having averaged 2.9 goals-per-game in their previous eight (23 scored in total).
- Phil Foden has scored in each of his last three Premier League games for Manchester City, netting five goals in total. He’s never scored in four consecutive league appearances before.
- Chelsea pair Cole Palmer and Noni Madueke have created 25 chances for each other in the Premier League this season, the most of any duo. Meanwhile, Palmer’s 17 chances created for Madueke is the most one player has created for a specific teammate this term.
- This game could be Rico Lewis’ 50th Premier League appearance, and he would reach that total at the age of 20 years and 65 days, the second-youngest of any Man City player, behind Micah Richards (19y 105d). He would also be the second-youngest player to make 50 top-flight appearances under Pep Guardiola, behind Bojan for Barcelona (20y 25d).
- Man City’s Kevin De Bruyne has provided four assists in his last three Premier League games, including two against Ipswich last time out. The Belgian also has five Premier League goals against former side Chelsea, only netting more against Arsenal in the competition (8).
Odds correct at 1530 GMT (23/01/25)
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