Following clashes with Celtic, AC Milan and Barcelona in collaboration with FC series, a showcase for international clubs with matches across the US, we close our trip with a meeting with Chelsea.
Pep Guardiola’s side will lock horns with the Londoners at 22:30 (UK)/17:30 (EDT) on Saturday 3 August at Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio.
Tickets are available to purchase here, while the match will also be shown live around the world on CITY+.
BUY TICKETS FOR CITY V CHELSEA IN OHIO HERE
Ahead of City’s return to the USA, we take a quick look at what Chelsea will have in store, including their key players and historic successes.
HISTORY
Chelsea have been one of English football’s most decorated clubs of the 21st century.
Since the summer of 2004, the Londoners have won 19 major honours under various managers – including five Premier League titles and two Champions Leagues.
Their first top-flight title in 50 years arrived in 2004/05 under Jose Mourinho’s management before they retained the title under the Portuguese manager the following season.
Carlo Ancelotti delivered their next Premier League crown in 2009/10 before Mourinho’s return to Stamford Bridge sealed their fourth in 2014/15.
Chelsea won their most recent top-flight championship in 2016/17 under the tutelage of Antonio Conte.
With eight triumphs in their history, the Londoners are joint third for most FA Cup wins of all time – meanwhile – they have lifted the League Cup five times since their formation.
After continually pursuing European glory, Chelsea won their maiden Champions League in 2012 when incredibly beating Bayern Munich on penalties with Didier Drogba scoring the decisive kick.
Then, in 2021, Kai Haverts’ goal was enough to record a narrow 1-0 win over City to secure their second European Cup.
MANAGER: ENZO MARESCA
A name certainly familiar to City, Enzo Maresca took the Chelsea reins this summer after helping Leicester to the Championship title in 2023/24.
Our former Elite Development Squad head coach led the Club’s Under-21s to Premier League 2 glory in May 2021 before Parma swooped for his services as manager – but his tenure in Italy was short lived as he departed in November 2021.
He soon returned to the Etihad Stadium as one of Pep Guardiola’s first-team coaches in June 2022 where he contributed to our iconic Treble success in 2022/23.
That excellent work caught the attention of Leicester who appointed Maresca ahead of last term with the aim of immediately returning to the top-flight after relegation to the Championship.
BUY TICKETS FOR CITY V CHELSEA IN OHIO HERE
In his first full season in charge of the Foxes, they collected an impressive 97 points and bounced back to the Premier League at the first time of asking – winning the trophy in the process.
Now, Maresca has replaced Mauricio Pochettino as Chelsea chief in what will be his first taste of top-flight English management as a number one.
KEY PLAYERS
Cole Palmer enjoyed a fantastic maiden season at Chelsea following his switch from City in the summer of 2023.
In total, the England international scored 25 goals and registered 15 assists in 45 appearances in all competitions for the Londoners when utilising his skill, technique and eye for goal.
Perhaps his best run of form last term came in April when he scored a hat-trick against Manchester United in a 4-3 win before registering an assist in a 2-2 draw with Sheffield United, then bagging four in a 6-0 victory over Everton.
Leading the line for Chelsea consistently across the campaign was Nicolas Jackson who scored 17 goals and provided six assists in all competitions after arriving at Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2023 too.
Fantastic movement coupled with speed, the forward has the ability to hurt defences in-behind or when coming to feet.
Last term, he scored an impressive hat-trick in an away victory over Chelsea’s rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
LINKS TO CITY
A swathe of players have represented both City and Chelsea – including Kevin De Bruyne who has proved himself as one of world football’s classiest operators in sky blue.
The Belgian maestro played only nine games for the Londoners during the early stages of his career before moving to Wolfsburg then to the Etihad Stadium in 2015.
Since then, he’s won 15 major honours with Pep Guardiola’s side scoring 102 goals and registering 170 assists in all competitions.
BUY TICKETS FOR CITY V CHELSEA IN OHIO HERE
Another current City midfielder to have also played for Chelsea is Mateo Kovacic who signed for the Club last summer before helping us to a record fourth straight men’s English top-flight title in 2023/24.
Other notable names to play for both are Frank Lampard, Raheem Sterling, Nicolas Anelka and Shaun Wright-Phillips.
However, no one has managed both during the Premier League era.
RECENT MEETINGS
City and Chelsea locked horns on three occasions last year – with each providing enthralling, tactical battles between Guardiola and Pochettino.
The first league meeting between the two produced a Premier League classic as the sides played out a pulsating 4-4 draw at Stamford Bridge.
Then, in February’s reverse fixture at the Etihad Stadium, Raheem Sterling’s goal looked likely to seal three points for the visitors before Rodrigo’s late rocket secured a share of the spoils for City.
Bernardo’s strike at Wembley was then enough in the most recent meetings between the teams to send Guardiola’s men to the FA Cup final.
2023/24 PERFORMANCE
By losing just two of their last 20 league matches Chelsea recorded a sixth placed finish last season and qualified for the UEFA Europa Conference League.
In the cups, they reached the FA Cup semi-final before their defeat to City at Wembley and they narrowly missed out on League Cup glory in the showpiece at the national stadium.
Following a goalless draw with Liverpool after regulation time, Virgil van Dijk’s goal on 118 minutes broke hearts and sealed the trophy for Jurgen Klopp’s side in a 1-0 win.
