Manchester City vs Chelsea LIVE: Premier League score and updates as Marmoush and Khusanov makes debuts

At Christmas, Enzo Maresca’s new-look Chelsea seemed like Liverpool’s biggest threat to the Premier League title.

However, a run of five league games without a win provided the Blues with something of a reality check, now sitting 10 points of Arne Slot’s side, who have a game in hand.

Chelsea’s focus will surely now be securing Champions League football for next season, and today’s game could be pivotal in how the top four shapes up come May.

Manchester City’s decline this season has been something to behold. The once seemingly untouchable champions have paled in comparison to previous seasons – and as such, they’ve plummeted out of the title race, falling down the table after going on a seven-game winless streak.

However, last week’s thrashing of Ipswich indicates that they’re finding their feet again – and if they beat Chelsea today, they will hop above the Blues and regain a top four place.

Pep Guardiola has three new players by his side and a long four months ahead of him. The new-look Manchester City is taking shape at pace, after a week in which some £122m was spent on Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis, and yet Guardiola believes the old City will not return this season.

“Next season we will be back,” he said. But not before. “Really, now it is a question to survive, to qualify [for the Champions League], to fight for the title if it is possible; otherwise to accept the reality is completely different from the last eight or nine years.”

The reality is so different that it is very plausible that City, 25th in the Champions League, will not even secure a play-off place. “In the beginning I would not think we could not qualify or be in the 24,” Guardiola said. He feared a slide, but the extent has surprised even him. “Three months ago, two months ago, I said this season we are going to suffer, I smell it and it has happened and it is going to happen,” he explained.

Nicolas Jackson’s recent struggles have meant that the rest of the Chelsea squad have had to share the goalscoring burden, and it is Cole Palmer who is leading in that regard.

While Jackson has failed to score in his last six appearances, Palmer has three goals in his last four starts, and 14 goals in 22 league matches overall this term. In addition, Palmer has scored Chelsea’s first goal in all three of those matches – against Fulham, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth.

Up against his former employers, Palmer will be eager to continue his fine goalscoring form, providing another reminder to Pep Guardiola of the sort of talent he let slip through his fingers.

New signings Omar Marmoush and Abdukodir Khusanov will make their Manchester City debuts against Chelsea as Pep Guardiola’s throws his recruits straight into the deep end.

Khusanov starts alongside Manuel Ajanji in defence while Marmoush joins Phil Foden and Erling Haaland in attack, preferred to Jack Grealish and Kevin De Bruyne in attack.

Vitor Reis could also make his debut from the bench.

Man City XI: Ederson, Nunes, Khusanov, Akanji, Gvardiol, Kovacic, Gundogan, Bernardo, Marmoush, Foden, Haaland.

Chelsea XI: Sanchez, James, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella, Caicedo, Enzo, Madueke, Palmer, Sancho, Jackson.

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Injuries are taking their toll at Chelsea, with Enzo Maresca’s potential options limited for today’s clash at the Etihad.

Enzo Fernandez and Romeo Lavia missed the match against Wolves, with Maresca saying that the club “don’t know yet how long they are going to be out”. Levi Colwill also missed that match, but no more information has come to light as to why.

Wesley Fofana has taken more steps towards a return after his hamstring issue, but he is likely to be out for a few more weeks, as is Benoit Badiashile.

Kyle Walker’s departure, after a precipitous drop in form, is perhaps the perfect symbol of Manchester City’s wider decline, Richard Jolly argues: