18+. New UK customers (Excluding NI) only. £40 in FREE Bets (FB) as £30 in sports bets & a £10 casino bonus (CB). Min Deposit £10. Min stake £10. Min odds Evs. FB applied on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. FB 7-day expiry. 1 FB offer per customer, household & IP address only. Account & Payment restrictions. 14 days to accept £10 CB, then active for 3 days. CB 5x wagering & max redeemable £100. Game restrictions apply. Cashed out/Free Bets won’t apply. 30 days to qualify. T&Cs Apply 18+. Digital customers only. Min Odds of (3/1). Max stake 20. Available on one bet per selected event. 25% Boost. Boost will be added once all selections have settled. Max boost payout £/€1,000. Offer does not apply to multiple bets. Free/void/cashed out bets won’t qualify. T&Cs apply.
Selection Manchester City -1 Handicap
A new chapter begins for Chelsea, but it could hardly be a more difficult setting. The Blues arrive at the Etihad without a permanent manager following Enzo Maresca’s shock midweek departure, leaving U21s coach Calum McFarlane in caretaker charge for one of the toughest away fixtures in English football.
Manchester City saw their six-match Premier League winning run halted by a frustrating 0-0 draw away at Sunderland on New Year’s Day, dropping them four points off the title pace. Despite that, their home form remains ruthless. City have won their last eight league games at the Etihad, scoring three or more goals in seven of those matches, and crucially, they have beaten every visiting side from the pre-round top eight at home to nil this season.
Chelsea, by contrast, are in turmoil. One win in their last seven league matches has stalled momentum, and historically this is a brutal time for them, having won their first league match of the calendar year just once in the last nine seasons. The managerial uncertainty only adds further instability, especially against an opponent so well-drilled and dominant on home soil.
City are unbeaten in the last eight Premier League meetings with Chelsea, winning six and drawing two. It is their joint-longest unbeaten league run against the Blues, and recent Etihad meetings have regularly swung in City’s favour with authority rather than control alone.
• City have won their last eight home league matches
• City’s home league games average 3.44 total goals this season
• City have led a league-high 12 matches at half-time
• Chelsea have conceded 8 of their 10 away league goals before half-time
• City have won all four home games vs top-eight sides to nil
Phil Foden thrives in this fixture, scoring in last season’s corresponding meeting, with four of his last five club goals arriving after half-time. Chelsea will hope Cole Palmer can haunt his former club, but he has not scored a Premier League goal outside London since August 2024.
City are dealing with injuries to Savinho and Nico González, while Chelsea are without the suspended Moisés Caicedo and remain unsure over Marc Cucurella’s fitness.
Chelsea’s structural instability, combined with their poor away defensive starts, makes this a brutal assignment. Manchester City rarely ease off at the Etihad, particularly against top-half opposition, and their scoring trends point towards another commanding home performance.
Backing Manchester City -1 on the handicap gives protection against a narrow win while aligning with City’s dominant home scoring profile.
