‘I would be shocked’ – Paul Merson makes prediction for Man City v Chelsea clash
Paul Merson is supremely confident that Chelsea will get the better of Manchester City and expects Cole Palmer to cause the champions ‘massive problems’ at the Etihad.
Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea side have suffered a drastic dip having surpassed expectations across an impressive start to the Premier League season, winning just one of their last six top-flight matches.
In contrast, City have recovered somewhat from a disastrous few months and are undefeated in their last five league games. Victory in this weekend’s heavyweight contest would see Pep Guardiola’s men leapfrog fourth-placed Chelsea in the table.
However, City’s confidence will undoubtedly have taken a knock after their Champions League capitulation on Wednesday night, in which Paris Saint-Germain came back from two goals down to win 4-2.
‘I don’t think City have been great so it doesn’t shock me at all, this result,’ ex-Arsenal and England midfielder Merson told Sky Sports News the morning after the Paris spectacle.
‘When PSG showed high energy, like Brentford did, they went through them like a knife through butter.
‘This is the problem they have at the moment, this team is changing and they need certain players in. It’s hard because we’re talking about world-class players but some of them are coming towards the end.
‘They haven’t got that energy anymore and teams with that high energy and legs in the team are leaving them behind.’
Despite City’s mini-resurgence in the Premier League, Merson does not see Guardiola’s side battling their way back into the title race.
‘No, I don’t see them back in the title race. I think they will fight for top four and that’s it now,’ he added.
‘They’ve got Chelsea and Arsenal coming up, with Club Brugge in between, I just don’t see how they can.
‘I think Chelsea will beat them this weekend, I really do. I think with Chelsea’s energy and Cole Palmer getting in the little pockets, I think they’ll cause massive problems, massive problems.’
Merson fears for the likes of Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic against Palmer, who will have a point to prove on his former stomping ground.
‘If you watch the videos of Manchester City, this is not the Manchester City of old,’ he went on.
‘They don’t go and get the ball back and if they do, they do it for five or ten minutes, they can’t do it for long periods of time anymore.
‘Cole Palmer will get into pockets and I just don’t know how Silva and Kovacic can live with Cole Palmer.
‘You might say it the other way around but [Moises] Caicedo can do a job with [Kevin] De Bruyne, 100 per cent.
‘I see Chelsea causing them massive problems, [Pedro] Neto playing against [Matheus] Nunes as well down Chelsea’s left, I see him running him absolutely ragged.
‘I would be shocked if Chelsea lost this game, I really would be shocked if Chelsea lost this game.’
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