Chelsea take on Manchester City in a clash of the title rivals at Stamford Bridge as part of a double Premier League bonanza this Saturday lunchtime.
Thomas Tuchel’s Blues are the current Premier League leaders on goal difference after four wins and a draw in their first five matches, while City lie three points behind Chelsea in the table and will overtake them today with a win in west London.
However, Pep Guardiola’s men have struggled against the Blues in the past, losing their last three matches with Tuchel’s side.
The other clash involving the top of the table sees Manchester United, level on points with leaders Chelsea, hosting Aston Villa who are more than capable of springing a surprise at Old Trafford.
Follow Sportsmail’s SAM BLITZ for live coverage of Chelsea vs Manchester City and Manchester United vs Aston Villa, including build-up, team news and updates.
Host commentator
PENALTY MISSED! Manchester United 0-1 Aston Villa (Fernandes)
90+3 mins: That is a TERRIBLE penalty
Fernandes blasts it and it goes high in the Stretford End. So unlike him. Blime
14
PENALTY TO MANCHESTER UNITED
90+1 mins: United get a penalty in the first of five additional minutes
Edinson Cavani tries to head on a ball in the box but the ball hits Kourtney Hause on the left arm. Not an unnatural position but Mike Dean gives the spot kic
It looks like Bruno Fernandes has won the race to get the penalty over Cristiano Ronald
14
Chelsea 0-1 Manchester Cit
90+4 mins: Romelu Lukaku bursts down the left and crosses for Cesar Azpilicueta at the back post. He goes down under Joao Cancelo’s challenge but nothing doing. Would have been harsh.
Is that Chelsea’s last chanc
14
GOAL! Manchester United 0-1 Aston Villa (Hause 88
88 mins: Just what they deserve. Aston Villa have been excellent and Manchester United are set to be joining Chelsea in making a title race slip-up this lunchtime
A lovely corner from the left is head in at the near post by Kourtney Hause. Villa and Dean Smith are delirious. Edinson Cavani was the man trying to mark him
14
Chelsea 0-1 Manchester Cit
90 mins: Kai Havertz tries to get on a long ball but it’s brave play from Ederson to come out and meet him and win the free-kick with the Chelsea man making contact him
Four minutes added on here at Stamford Bridge but Ederson is down injured..y:18. !):20e? y:22o!k..!:23y.!
50 mins: Penalty shout for Aston Villa at Old Trafford. Olle Watkins wins a header athe back post and Danny Ings looks to get on the end of it. Harry Maguire steps across him and brings him down but Watkins was offside.
Villa starting this half very brightly as well. L
it’s brave play from Ederson to come out and meet him and win the free-kick with the Chelsea man making contact him.
Four minutes added on here at Stamford Bridge but Ederson is down injured.
86 mins: Aston Villa refresh their midfield as Jacob Ramsay comes off for Carney Chukwuemeka. What a stage for the youngster.
88 mins: Beautiful cross from Cesar Azpiliceuta from the right is aimed at Romelu Lukaku who is challenging with Ruben Dias.
The ball evades both players and the cross is inches away from Ederson’s far post.
86 mins: Double change from Pep Guardiola to try and wind the clock down. Fernandinho and Raheem Sterling are on for Phil Foden and Jack Grealish.
Both excellent today. Constant thorns in this Chelsea side.
81 mins: I tell you what. Aston Villa have been excellent today. At both ends of the pitch.
Another counter-attack involving John McGinn, Ollie Watkins and Emi Buendia finds Jacob Ramsey in the box who goes to ground as he slips.
Mason Greenwood then tries to get on a long ball but Emiliano Martinez comes out to meet him. United then bring Edinson Cavani on for Scott McTominay.
79 mins: Another big chance for Manchester City. Phil Foden releases Jack Grealish who is through on goal but the England man takes too long and that allows Edouard Mendy makes a massive save.
Another spurned chance for Pep Guardiola’s side. They should have this wrapped up by now.
78 mins: Also late changes at Manchester United. Emiliano Buendia comes on for Danny Ings for Aston Villa.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s are getting frustrated here. Just over ten minutes to go.
80 mins: That free-kick is Kevin de Bruyne’s last action of the game. The Belgian is replaced by Riyad Mahrez, who is Manchester City’s top goalscorer with four goals.
79 mins: What a chance for Manchester City to get a result-clinching second.
Kevin de Bruyne’s free-kick reaches Aymeric Laporte who is all alone at the back post but he scuffs his shot which goes wide of the near post.
How crucial could that be? Can Chelsea make them pay?
77 mins: Couple of silly fouls allow City to wind down the clock a little. First Marcos Alonso, then Andreas Christensen tries to rugby tackle Kevin de Bruyne and both get into the book.
Time running out for Thomas Tuchel’s side here.
76 mins: Another attacking substitution for Chelsea. Jorginho is replaced by Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
71 mins: Cristiano Ronaldo tries to take the game by the scruff of the neck by taking a shot but Tyrone Mings is there to block again.
He recycles possession to Bruno Fernandes who slips Paul Pogba in down the right, but his shot is off the side netting.
69 mins: Another big chance for Villa. Another David de Gea stop.
Ollie Watkins is released down the left on the break by Douglas Luiz. Watkins beats Raphael Varane, then Scott McTominay before firing a powerful shot which David de Gea blocks.
Mason Greenwood is then released on the break but drags his shot wide.
68 mins: Manchester United do indeed make that change. Harry Maguire is replaced by Victor Lindelof after struggling with that injury.
53 mins: Just what Manchester City deserve. No striker you say? They have one in Gabriel Jesus.
A Kevin de Bruyne corner is cleared to Joao Cancelo whose shot finds Jesus in the box. He twists and turns and his right-footed shot deflects off Jorginho and nestles into the bottom corner.
Advantage City. Thomas Tuchel is concerned now.
48 mins: City start where they left off in that first-half, on top.
Jack Grealish does well on the left and Kevin de Bruyne’s shot on the edge of the box is blocked. The ball works itself back to Grealish who cuts inside and curls an effort but it is just wide.
So nearly for the £100m man.
46 mins: We’re underway at Old Trafford as well, who are a bit behind due to that Luke Shaw injury.
46 mins: Back out for the second half at Stamford Bridge. Both teams need a bit more here
Manchester United 0-0 Aston Vila
45+1 mins: Free-kick in a very dangerous position. Cristiano Ronaldo finds Paul Pogba on the edge of the box who goes down and wins a free-kick off Paul Pogba.
This is Ronaldo territory now. Bruno Fernandes does not get a chance for this one… off the wall from the Portuguese forward. Another anti-climax.
13:17
Manchester United 0-0 Aston Villa
43 mins: Finally, a chance for Manchester United at Old Trafford. Bruno Fernandes curls a deep free-kick into the far post where Harry Maguire is unmarked.
Slabhead gets his very very large head on the ball and Emiliano Martinez has to make the save. Mason Greenwood scuffs the rebound.
13:16
Chelsea 0-0 Manchester City
44 mins: Two bits of frustration for Chelsea. Cesar Azpilicueta bursts down the right and Romelu Lukaku is all on his own in the middle, but the Blues captain chooses not to pass to him. That was a big chance.
Lukaku then breaks to and tries to find another two on two with Timo Werner, but the Belgian forward can’t find a pass to his partner. Groans at Stamford Bridge.
13:12
Chelsea 0-0 Manchester CIty
41 mins: City now link up and they need something to justify their dominance.
Phil Foden and Jack Grealish link up very well down the left and the former finds Gabriel Jesus in the box.
The Brazilian’s touch is quite poor which means he is stretching for his shot, which is miles of Edouard Mendy’s crossbar.
13:11
Manchester United 0-0 Aston Villa
38 mins: Dangerous free-kick here for Aston Villa. Bruno Fernandes concedes a free-kick right on the edge of his own box.
Douglas Luiz gets his effort goalbound but Harry Maguire is in the wall to head it behind for a corner. David de Gea was rooted to the spot there.
From the resulting corner, Luiz finds Konsa in the six-yard box but he’s stretching and his header is over. Another chance wasted.
13:09
Chelsea 0-0 Manchester City
39 mins: City continue to probe at Stamford Bridge. Kevin de Bruyne finds another pocket of space on the edge of the box and lets fly.
The Belgian midfielder’s effort is over the bar. By his standards, he could have done better there.
13:06
Manchester United 0-0 Aston Villa
34 mins: Injury problem here for Manchester United now. Luke Shaw, who has just been booked, goes to ground and it’s clear he can’t carry on.
Shaw hobbles off and Diogo Dalot is on. It looks like it’s a straight swap, meaning a right-footed full-back on the left. Alex Telles is not in the matchday squad.
Two England full-backs hobble off in two different games. Penny for Gareth Southgate’s thoughts? The international break begins after next weekend’s games.
13:05
Chelsea 0-0 Manchester City
33 mins: Lovely ball from N’Golo Kante. The Frenchman finds Timo Werner in behind of the Man City defence but Ederson is out quickly. That’s the Brazilian’s first real piece of action so far.
City recycle the play for the umpteenth time today and Rodri gets the ball 25 yards out and lets fly. A wicked deflection takes it just over Edouard Mendy’s bar.
Phil Foden’s corner is headed by Ruben Dias but Chelsea clear, Foden gets in behind the right again but the Blues stand firm once again.
13:02
Chelsea 0-0 Manchester City
31 mins: More Kevin de Bruyne magic. The Manchester City midfielder collects the ball into his own feet on the edge of the box and has a lovely turn.
Antonio Rudiger blocks his left-footed shot and Chelsea manage to clear with Phil Foden and Jack Grealish after any rebounds.
13:01
Manchester United 0-0 Aston Villa
29 mins: Villa are on top here at Old Trafford and Matty Cash is having a very good game here for the visitors.
The Villa right-back burst down the right past Paul Pogba and Luke Shaw is forced into a professional foul. Yellow card for the left-back.
12:59
Chelsea 0-0 Manchester City
28 mins: Problem here for Chelsea. Reece James has an injury and has to come off.
Thiago Silva comes on, with Cesar Azpilicueta moving to right wing-back. A blow for Thomas Tuchel’s side but they have been forced to do a lot of off-the-ball running so far.
12:58
Manchester United 0-0 Aston Villa
25 mins: All happening at Old Trafford so far. Stamford Bridge is flat now.
Bruno Fernandes gets down the right and finds Paul Pogba on the edge of the box but drags his shot wide. United come again with those two players trying shots on the edge of the box but Villa blocks are there, Fred then blazes over.
12:56
SAVE! Manchester United 0-0 Aston Villa
23 mins: Another massive chance for Villa and this time it’s David de Gea who is called into action.
United switch off again as Harry Maguire’s backpass is very short. Suddenly Ollie Watkins is in on goal but David de gea sticks out a right boot to save it and pounces on the rebound with Danny Ings there.
United living dangerously.
12:54
Manchester United 0-0 Aston Villa
22 mins: Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo are starting to link up a lot more now.
The former tries to find the latter with a deep cross into the box. Ronaldo is on the stretch but can’t reach it and the ball nearly goes in on the back post.
Nearly for United.
12:51
Manchester United 0-0 Aston Villa
17 mins: Chances galore at Old Trafford now.
Just as Targett is tracking back after that miss, United break. Mason Greenwood is in down the left and cuts inside onto his right foot in the box.
Normally a good finisher, this time it lets him down. Straight at Emiliano Martinez.
12:50
WHAT A MISS! Manchester United 0-0 Aston Villa
16 mins: WHAT A MISS AT OLD TRAFFORD!
Villa have settled in this first half and Matty Cash leads a counter attack down the right and finds Matty Targett in the box.
He’s at the backpost. David de Gea is scrambling across. The left-back has the whole goal to aim at. But it’s over! Somehow he misses. That is a bad miss. United have got away with one.
12:48
Chelsea 0-0 Manchester City
16 mins: Now Chelsea are starting to wake up. Timo Werner is looking sharp. The German cuts inside in the box and fires a shot at goal. Kyle Walker is there to block.
Chelsea fans shout handball. Chelsea players aren’t bothered. Neither is the referee.
12:46
Chelsea 0-0 Manchester City
15 mins: First real bit of quality in a long time from Kevin de Bruyne, who gets to the byline and cuts the ball back but there’s nobody there.
Then Chelsea are in an attack as Timo Werner and Romelu Lukaku create a two-on-two, with a ball crossed into to the latter but Joao Cancelo does enough to clear.
12:43
Manchester United 0-0 Aston Villa
11 mins: First chance of the game for Cristiano Ronaldo. Bruno Fernandes finds him in a great deal of space around 35 yards from goal and the Portuguese tries a dipping effort but it is wide of Emiliano Martinez’s goal.
12:40
Chelsea 0-0 Manchester City
9 mins: City shading the opening stages of this game in terms of possession but Kyle Walker wastes the ball by hitting it out for a goal kick when Chelsea were starting to get pinned on the edge of their own box.
Good start for Pep Guardiola’s side. Chelsea haven’t got started yet.
5 mins: Over at Old Trafford, Mason Greenwood earns a free-kick in a very dangerous position. Thirty yards out – guess who’s hovering over this one.
The one you’re thinking of is competing with Bruno Fernandes for it. Danger for Villa… no it’s not. Fernandes takes it, not Cristiano Ronaldo, and it’s into the wall.
5 mins: First mini-chance for Timo Werner to press City and drive at the opposition backline but Rodri covers well. You feel this is a big chance for the German today.
Jack Grealish plots another attack down the left but Cesar Azpilicueta joins Reece James in shielding him out.
2 mins: An early chance at Old Trafford. An attack down the left finds Bruno Fernandes in the box but he lashes over the bar. Good start for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.
2 mins: City press Chelsea high up the pitch and they try to force an attack down the left. Jack Grealish has his first go at Reece James but the Chelsea man earns a free-kick.
Great atmosphere at Stamford Bridge.
Underway in both games! Including at Stamford Bridge where both sides are competing for the title.
City get us underway at Stamford Bridge.
Right the teams are in the tunnel at Stamford Bridge and Old Trafford.
Who will go top of the league? Who will slip up? Who will stake a claim for the title.
The next two hours or so will be key. Let’s go.
Here’s your ten-minute warning for kick-off in both games. Here’s a round-up of the teams:
Chelsea XI vs Man City: Mendy; James, Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Christensen, Alonso; Kante, Jorginho, Kovacic; Lukaku, Werner
Man City XI: Ederson; Walker, Dias, Laporte, Cancelo; Rodri, Foden, Bernardo; Jesus, De Bruyne, Grealish
Manchester United XI vs Aston Villa: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Maguire, Varane, Shaw; McTominay, Fred; Greenwood, Bruno Fernandes, Pogba; Ronaldo
Aston Villa XI: Martinez; Cash, Hause, Mings, Konsa, Targett; McGinn, Luiz, Ramsay; Watkins Ings
All eyes will be on Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo at Old Trafford again and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been talking about how long he can go on for.
The Portuguese forward can play until he’s 40-years-old, according to the Red Devils boss.
Read more below…
It’s a big few days for Manchester City. Chelsea today, Paris Saint-Germain in midweek, Liverpool next weekend. Pep Guardiola needs to earn his stripes today.
Sportsmail columnist Micah Richards speaks about all things City ahead of a big week…
Why is the Premier League the best in the world? Well it’s because we have players like these playing on a weekly basis.
Teams have been arriving at their respective grounds ahead of these crunch early kick-offs.
So Antonio Rudiger and Ruben Dias both start for Chelsea and Manchester City this afternoon, which of the Premier League’s most in-form defenders will get the upperhand today?
Romelu Lukaku and Kevin de Bruyne are in attack so this could be tasty.
Here’s Sportsmail’s NUMBERS GAME about today’s clash…
One change from the Aston Villa side that beat Everton 3-0 last week. Axel Tuanzebe is ineligible against his parent side so Kourtney Hause starts.
Ollie Watkins partners Danny Ings up front, while last week’s hero Leon Bailey is not involved at all. Emiliano Buendia is one of the several attacking options on the bench.
Manchester United are unchanged from the side that beat West Ham last weekend. Jadon Sancho and Jesse Lingard are on the bench, along with Donny van de Beek and Edinson Cavani.
Cristiano Ronaldo leads the line, Paul Pogba on the wing. Mason Greenwood gets the nod again. Classic.
Here’s a confirmation of Manchester City’s line-up. Raheem Sterling drops to the bench, as does Nathan Ake while Ilkay Gundogan is injured. Rodri replaces Fernandinho.
Manchester City XI: Ederson, Walker, Dias (C), Laporte, Cancelo, Rodrigo, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Foden, Jesus, Grealish.
The big news from Chelsea is that Timo Werner starts in attack alongside Romelu Lukaku. Kai Havertz drops to the bench.
Edouard Mendy has been passed fit to play in goal, while Thiago Silva does not start for the Blues. There’s also no Mason Mount in the squad as N’Golo Kante starts.
As per Sportsmail’s Jack Gaughan, Pep Guardiola is ringing the changes from the side that drew 0-0 to Southampton last weekend.
Creative midfielders Phil Foden and Kevin de Bruyne, as is Aymeric Laporte at centre-back. Full team news to follow.
Chelsea to win 19/10
Manchester City to win 13/8
Draw 21/10Manchester United vs Aston Villa
Over in the red corner of Manchester, is Ole Gunnar Solskjaer starting to feel the pressure a little bit?
Manchester United have been far from convincing in their defeats to Young Boys and West Ham in the Champions League and Carabao Cup respectively, while they edged past the Hammers last week.
Solskjaer was livid over some contentious penalty calls in their two games against West Ham and has now blamed Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp for the lack of proper decision-making after the German complained about how many spot kicks the Red Devils get.
This one won’t go away any time soon…
Right, let’s not hang about. There’s plenty of live action to get our teeth stuck into so let’s start debating.
Chelsea vs Manchester City is filled of top quality, world-class, eye-catching talent. Cue the combined XI piece that splits opinion.
Who makes Sportsmail’s cut? Who misses out? Take a look at our picks below…
Premier League lunchtimes do not get bigger than this. The clock will barely be past noon when stellar matches in the north and the south get underway.
Starting at the bottom of the country, Chelsea take on Manchester City in a battle between two of the big title favourites this season. Thomas Tuchel reunites his rivalry with Pep Guardiola, while Romelu Lukaku will do battle with Ruben Dias.
Go further north, and the Cristiano Ronaldo show will carry on. Manchester United take on Aston Villa after a dodgy week which saw them edge past West Ham last week, before lose to the Hammers in the Carabao Cup in midweek.
Which way will these two games turn? Both games start at 12.30pm (BST) so we’ll have team news in around 25 minutes.
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