(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)london - Manchester City will attempt to exploit the internal turmoil at Chelsea and land an early blow in this season's Premier League title race when the sides face off on Sunday.
Chelsea's week has been dominated by the fall-out from manager Jose Mourinho's criticism of first-team doctor Eva Carneiro and physiotherapist Jon Fearn for running onto the pitch to treat Eden Hazard when the team were down to 10 men in last weekend's 2-2 draw with Swansea City. Widely criticised over the incident Mourinho confirmed on Friday that the pair have been demoted - temporarily according to him - and will not be on the bench at the Etihad Stadium. The Swansea game already represented an underwhelming start to Chelsea's title defence after five games without victory in pre-season with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois's dismissal ruling him out of Sunday's contest. City in contrast opened with an impressive 3-0 win at West Bromwich Albion that sent Manuel Pellegrini's side to the top of the standings after the first round of fixtures. Raheem Sterling is settling in after his switch from Liverpool Sergio Aguero is nearing full fitness following his post-Copa America break and Yaya Toure suggested he was ready to put last season's troubles behind him with a goal and an assist at The Hawthorns. Sunday's game meanwhile will be the first at the Etihad since the opening of a new 6000-seat tier on the South Stand and the addition of 1500 extra pitch-side seats taking the capacity to 55097 - another sign of the club's growing ambition. Mourinho meanwhile threatened to walk out of a briefing with newspaper journalists on Friday when pressed on the matter but he has dismissed suggestions the furore will have any effect on the outcome of the showdown with City. "The season is very very long. We are speaking about 38 matches - 38 matches is an eternity a marathon that started last weekend and ends in around 10 months. "I cannot say it (the match) is crucial I cannot say it is decisive I cannot say it is very very very important. "But two title contenders three points so if you can get three and your opponent zero it is important."
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