Man City vs Chelsea LIVE: FA Cup score, result and reaction as City cruise into fourth round

Among other things, it is a tale of two World Cup winners. Julian Alvarez’s first start since the World Cup final could come for Manchester City against Chelsea on Sunday. Indeed his last club goal, separated by strikes against Poland and Australia plus a World Cup semi-final brace against Croatia, was for Manchester City against Chelsea: in the Carabao Cup in November.

Enzo Fernandez was an Argentina teammate of Alvarez’s in Qatar; when the midfielder won the award as the World Cup’s best young player, perhaps it was at the striker’s expense. Each has had a swift rise and they lined up together in May, too, when Alvarez scored six goals in River Plate’s 8-1 thrashing of Alianza Lima in the Copa Libertadores. They left their homeland for Europe soon after; if Chelsea had their way, they might be on the pitch again at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, albeit on different sides.

Chelsea’s attempts to buy Fernandez have riled Benfica; if they end up triggering his release clause, it will cost £105m, though the Portuguese club bought him for just £8.8m. Meanwhile, City can congratulate themselves on the fact they paid a mere £14m for Alvarez. And if Clearlake Capital are entitled to argue they were not Chelsea’s owners when City tied up the deal for Alvarez, the huge sums they may pay for Fernandez – which would strip Jack Grealish of his title as the biggest buy in English football history – help illustrate how their paths have diverged. And, as is perhaps inevitable in the case of these clubs, it involves finances.

Since the 2016/17 season when Pep Guardiola took charge of Manchester City for the first time, only Chelsea (27) have won more FA Cup games than his City team (24).

In his managerial career Guardiola has never previously gone out at the earliest stage in a domestic cup competition across the FA Cup, League Cup, DFB-Pokal and Copa del Rey progressing 20 times out of 20.

Will today be the first time one of his teams fails to progress?

Chelsea have progressed from each of their last 24 FA Cup third round ties, stretching back to the 1998/99 season.

This is the joint longest run of progressions from the third round, along with Manchester United between 1984/85-2008/09, although the Red Devils did not take part in the 1999-00 campaign after withdrawing to participate in the Fifa Club World Championship.

John Stones hopes Manchester City can now start building momentum after claiming a key victory at Chelsea on Thursday.

The champions responded to Arsenal’s draw against Newcastle earlier in the week by grinding out a hard-fought 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge to move back within five points of the Premier League leaders.

England defender Stones feels City are now moving back in the right direction after being held to a frustrating 1-1 draw by struggling Everton in their previous outing on New Year’s Eve.

Manchester City have already eliminated Chelsea from the Carabao Cup this season following a 2-0 win in November.

This could be the second consecutive season that Chelsea are knocked out of both the Carabao and FA Cups by the same team after Liverpool eliminated them from both competitions in 2021/22.

Chelsea have lost five of their last six away matches against Manchester City in all competitions. Their one win during this run was a 2-1 Premier League victory in May 2021 under Thomas Tuchel.

Will they pcik up another away win under Graham Potter this time out?

Pep Guardiola joked he was “a genius” after a double substitution inspired Manchester City to victory against Chelsea and kept them on Arsenal’s tail in the Premier League title race.

Riyad Mahrez fired City to a 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge, cutting the deficit to the leaders back to five points.

Less than three minutes after coming on as second-half substitutes, Jack Grealish teed up Mahrez for the winner which keeps Arsenal firmly in their sights.

After spells being in and out of the Manchester City team the enduring quality of centre-back John Stones has seen him force his way back into the defensive line and impress boss, Pep Guardiola.

In current form Stones is indispensable when City play in the Premier League meaning that he has to sit out of cup games as the manager looks at other players.

“He played an incredible World Cup,” Guardiola said when asked about Stones’ upturn in form. “He was one of the first signings when I joined here seven years ago.

“I know when he goes well, I know when he’s happy and stable, what a player. He’s had ups and downs in the past and injuries but this is part of the process to realise what he needs, to be consistent.”

Since he joined Man City in 2018, Riyad Mahrez has scored more Premier League goals as a substitute than any other player (9).

He scored the winner against Chelsea last time out, assisted by Jack Grealish, just 3 minutes and 43 seconds after both players had been subbed on.

Despite his status as a super sub, the 31-year-old starts for Pep Guardiola’s side this afternoon.

Pep Guardiola keeps just four players in the starting XI from the team that defeated Chelsea 1-0 last Thursday. Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva, Kyle Walker and Rodri are the ones who keep their places.

There are six changes for Graham Potter’s Chelsea team. Cesar Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva and Marc Cucurella are all taken out for the back line to be replaced with Bashir Humphreys, Trevoh Chalobah and Lewis Hall.

Christian Pulisic and Raheem Sterling are both injured so drop out with Denis Zakaria starting from the bench. In come Conor Gallagher, Mason Mount and Jorginho.