Chelsea vs Manchester City: 3 key battles to look out for | Premier League 2022-23

Chelsea will take on Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on Thursday (January 5) in what could be the game of the week in this week's Premier League midweek fixtures.

The Blues have won one and drawn one out of their last two Premier League games. They are currently 19 points behind the league leaders Arsenal with a game in hand.

In the same vein, Manchester City have won one and drawn one out of their last two league games and are currently eight points behind the Gunners. A victory against Chelsea could see the Cityzens reduce the gap to five points.

The importance of a victory in this clash for both clubs can't be understated. We look at three key individual battles that could determine the outcome of this encounter.

#3 Kevin De Bruyne vs Jorginho

Leeds United v Manchester City - Premier League

Despite his inconsistency in recent weeks, the Belgian international is one of the Man City players who could destabilize Chelsea's defense. De Bruyne has registered nine assists in the Premier League this season, the most by a player.

His ability to advance with the ball from midfield and to set up a decent scoring opportunity for his teammates is outstanding.

Affording the Belgian enough room to advance with the ball in the middle of the park is deadly as he's versatile and could singlehandedly split a team's defense. Jorginho will have to be very sharp and defensively alert if he intends to keep the Belgian under control in this encounter.

#2 Raheem Sterling vs Manuel Akanji

Nottingham Forest v Chelsea FC - Premier League

Sterling is one of Chelsea's most in-form attackers going into this encounter and his ability to place the ball in the back of the net is remarkable. The Englishman has registered two goal contributions in his last two league games after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Monitoring Sterling's movement will be difficult and Akanji will have his work cut out. Akanji's defensive mastery is immense and it will be interesting to see if he can silence Sterling in this encounter.

#1 Erling Haaland vs Thiago Silva

Manchester City v Everton FC - Premier League

The Norwegian has proven to be one of the best finishers in the footballing world in recent years and his attacking threat in the final third of the pitch is outstanding.

Haaland has netted 21 goals so far and is the Premier League's current top-scorer this season. He scored in his last outing against Everton, with the game finishing at 1-1. The Norwegian will be eager to help City get back to winning ways and Silva will have his work cut out.

Silva's defensive intuition and alertness are impressive, which is he's one of the most experienced defenders in the world. It will be interesting to see how the Brazilian fares against Haaland in this encounter.