It's Premier League Time again and City travel the 200 miles to Stamford Bridge in West London. It's a top 4 game with The Tigers sat proudly in 3rd place on a well earned 7 points and Chelsea snapping at our heels on 6 points in 4th place and the scene is set for a scorching 3pm kick off and every kick will matter.

It's been a mixed tale of fortunes for both clubs in the League Cup midweek, with Hull City in action last Tuesday having their net raided by a break away goal neatly taken by on form Moroccan International, Talbi which wrapped up the game in favour of the Black Cats on 71 minutes in what was pretty much a second team run out with a number of black and amber debuts such as Vaz and Gelherdt as a permanent Tiger, limped home to lick the wounds of the first defeat in all comp's this season so far. 1-0 Sunderland and out of the Carabao Cup.

Chelsea's game V Leeds a day later, on Wednesday saw the Blues fare a lot better despite Leeds taking a 1 - 0 lead into half time and then doubling their tally on 60 minutes. Chelsea, doing what they do best were having none of it and took advantage of Leeds 4 changes on 68 minutes and rattled in 4 goals in a 12 minute spell, ultimately putting Leeds to the sword 6-3 on the night.

So what can we expect from Saturday? As we know, a Prem' game is a very different animal from a cup game and no doubt we will switch back from our 4 man defensive cup line up to our normal 5 man wing back shape which has served us well in maintaining our stainless sheets on Tzolakis's washing line. The Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso, last played his first team side on Sunday against The Gunners and could only watch his 3-4-2-1 set up, go down 2-1 despite taking an early and surprising lead on 2 minutes against a side that sit 2nd and just one place above City in the table.

If we are to take every trivial advantage going, we have a day's extra rest than Chelsea as we played Villa the day before, Saturday and only 3 first teamers started on Tuesday night although we did call on the services of our midfield engine, Regan Slater for the final 30 minutes in an effort to boost our fortunes on Tuesday, but not to be.

Now, looking at the form book of our punch ups with Chelsea, it looks desperately grim. We've only ever beaten them 4 times since 1905. More recently, the last time we beat them was 1988, 3-0 when Edwards bagged a brace along with Smith but that's where the W's stopped coming. Since that game, it's been a story of D's and L's, 17 in all including 1 loss chalked up against the present manager, Sergej Jakirovic. Last February in front of a 24,300 crowd at the MKM, they witnessed a 4-0 battering leaving Tiger's claws, teeth, fur, pride and confidence strewn around the stadium and in tatters, while The Blues marched on to round 5 of the FA cup in jubilant style.

But today is another day. Another season and what seems a revitalised club ethos and mentality. We've already done the so called impossible according to the "experts" by smashing Man Utd 2-0 on the opening day of our season. Beaten the Championship winners and held our own against a well drilled Villa side for a golden point to put us where we are today. Top of the table but with the humbleness that is keeping our paws grounded. No doubt this will be a massively tough game and the hardest so far so I imagine our net and the Greek tower will be tested to the full, high and low.

A defensive mentality built around a trigger formation would be my guess of the proceedings at the Bridge for us on Saturday relying on what is becoming our signature game of soaking up the pressure like a slice of bread in gravy, spoiling and pressing while waiting for the "Greyhound out the traps" green light along with set pieces for the more serious threats?

My prediction is a 1 - 1 draw, McBurnie to score from a Giles cross.

Line up would be, 5-4-1

Zolly (Net)

Giles
Cuffy (Right and Left WBs)

Herrington
Egan
Ajayi (CB's)

MoBo
Thomas (Right and Left W)

50 Grand.
Mouzakitis (CM's)

Just Stop Oli (Front and Centre)

As a footnote, just to remember Ryan Mason, our record (at the time) £13,000,000 signing from Spurs, faced Chelsea back in 2017 at The Bridge which was to be his last ever career start on the pitch and a game that retired him from playing. In a sickening clash of heads with Gary Cahill whilst battling for an areal ball from a corner, Ryan went down unconscious with a fractured skull and a bleed on the brain and after 8 minutes of stabilising by City's medical staff on the field he was rushed to St Mary's Hospital for emergency surgery. He made a full but lengthy recovery and went into management.

Safe journey to all our travelling fans.

Mauled By The Tigers? We'll see.

UTT.