Welcome to Sportstar's live coverage of the Manchester City vs Chelsea Premier League clash.
MATCH REPORT|
Manchester City's home clash with Chelsea is being dubbed a dress rehearsal for the Champions League final but manager Pep Guardiola says the only thing on his mind is the victory that will confirm the Premier League title.
City needs three points to be sure of securing its third title in four years but the visit of Chelsea has suddenly taken on another dimension with the club having set up a showdown in Istanbul.
The game will be analysed over and over for clues about which way the Champions League final will go, but Guardiola says neither he nor Chelsea counterpart Thomas Tuchel will be reading too much into Saturday's duel.
"Right now, there is not one thought about the final as we don't have the Premier League in our hands," Guardiola, whose side has won 22 of its last 26 league games after a wobbly start to the campaign, told reporters.
"When we have the Premier League, tomorrow in the next weeks, then the focus will be on the Champions League and everything related to it. But I'm so cautious to think if you don't have it then don't talk. We still need points."
Guardiola was hired to make Manchester City kings of Europe and while he is one win away from delivering on that, the Spaniard says being top dogs in the Premier League is the benchmark by which he judges his team.
"I always said that the Premier League is the most important title," he said. "The Champions League is so special and nice but this one means consistency and many things."
While City, barring something extraordinary, will cruise to the Premier League title, Tuchel's arrival at Chelsea has seen the London club emerge as potentially the biggest threat to City's dominance.
The London club, which is looking to cement their top-four spot in the league, also has an FA Cup final against Leicester City to look forward to later this month. Tuchel, who has overseen a remarkable upturn in fortunes since replacing Frank Lampard, has urged his players not to rest on their laurels.
"The reality is that you have to stay with your feet on the ground, because if you arrive in a final the fact is you have nothing won yet," Tuchel told a news conference.
"We don't want to be participants, we want to win it. This club is for achieving finals, but also winning finals and football games. This is the target.
"If we keep our momentum going, our atmosphere which is built on hard work ... this is what we have to do, to focus on the process and hopefully get the reward," he added.
Chelsea knocked out City in the FA Cup semifinals last month but Tuchel does not expect that result or Saturday's clash, where Guardiola's side can seal the title with a win, to have any bearing on the Champions League final in Istanbul.
"The possibility it can become champions if it win against us will not lower its determination," he said. "They had one more day to recover, they don't have to travel, it gives them a bit the upper hand.
"We saw how crucial that can be these days when they arrived at Wembley in the semi-final and we had one more day. We have to deal with it. The final in Istanbul will be pretty unique no matter what the score is tomorrow." he added.
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