Chelsea vs Manchester CityWith Tottenham playing Swansea on Wednesday evening, the Blues will need a win to keep a seven point gap at the top of the table should Spurs emerge victorious in Wales.
City will be desperate to grab a win themselves, after twice seeing a lead slip against Arsenal at the weekend. A win could potentially see them move up to third should Liverpool fail to beat Bournemouth at Anfield.
Classic encounter The reverse fixture this season was fiery to say the least, with the match descending into chaos as Chelsea came from behind to snatch all three points at the Etihad.
An own goal from Gary Cahill had seen to Citizens go into the break with the lead, but Chelsea's devastating counter-attacking ability was evident in the second half; the Blues exposed City's defensive vulnerability with the pace and power of Hazard and Willian sealing a 3-1 victory.
With City clearly frustrated by what they believed was a string of wrong decisions by referee Anthony Taylor, tempers boiled over.
Aguero was sent off for a horror tackle on Chelsea's David Luiz, whilst Fernandinho saw red for grabbing Spanish midfielder Cesc Fabregas. Both clubs were fined after the incident, with it being the sixth time in two years that Chelsea had been charged by the FA for similar misdemeanours.
Key Battles
Thibaut Courtois vs Sergio Aguero Agüero has been in free-scoring form recently, with eight goals in his last eight Manchester City games. It is an impressive turn around by a player dropped in favour of Gabriel Jesus earlier in the season.
Courtois himself has been very consistent this season, with Chelsea conceding just 23 times in 29 Premier League games. He will be hoping that his defenders can keep the Argentinian quiet, as any clear-cut chances Aguero gets often end up nestled in the back of the net.
Costa vs Otamendi & John Stones Diego Costa has hit a bit of a stumbling block for the first time this season. The Spaniard has failed to find the target in his last three Chelsea games, picking up a yellow card per game instead. With 17 goals to his name this term, it is unlikely that Costa will be absent from the score sheet for too much longer.
At the heart of the City defence, John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi will have to manage Costa's bullying tactics. After conceding twice against Arsenal on Sunday, the defence will need to ensure that they can tighten up - with captain Vincent Kompany waiting eagerly in the wings, ready to reclaim his place in the side.
Team News
Victor Moses is still likely to be out with a calf injury, having missed the loss against Crystal Palace on Saturday. Matic is likely to retain his place despite a poor performance at the weekend.
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