Manchester City will be crowned Premier League champions if they beat Chelsea this afternoon in a game which is now a dress rehearsal for the Champions League final.
Victory at the Etihad Stadium would allow Pep Guardiola’s City side to open up an insurmountable 16-point lead over second-placed Manchester United, who have just five matches remaining.
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But while the title is now a formality for City, the Chelsea game takes on extra significance after the two clubs earned their places in the May 29th Champions League final in Istanbul.
German coach Thomas Tuchel has had an extraordinary impact on Chelsea since joining the club three months ago and can also look forward to an FA Cup final against Leicester City on 15 May.
The West London club reached that final by beating Manchester City in the semifinal and that result is fresh in Tuchel’s mind.
“This doesn’t give us the upper hand but it gives us a good feeling, it gives us self-confidence,” said Tuchel, who has described City as the benchmark for his team.
“We wanted to close the gap to Manchester City and in this one match in the semifinal we did in a very impressive performance, and we will need exactly the same level of performance again. But it gave us belief,” he said.
Chelsea also have plenty to play for on Saturday as they look to secure a top-four finish and guarantee a place in next season’s Champions League.
Tuchel’s side are currently in fourth place but have just a three-point advantage over fifth placed West Ham United.
On Sunday, Manchester United start a run of three games in five days, with a trip to Aston Villa.
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