Man City have the talent, but does Pellegrini have the imagination to trump Chelsea?

Greg Lea examines Sunday's early window into the Premier League title race, as Manuel Pellegrini will see if he can adjust and best his all-too-often foil, Jose Mourinho.

Manuel Pellegrini led Manchester City to a runners-up finish in the 2014/15 Premier League season behind Chelsea. Francois Nel / Getty Images

It would be premature to label any team's second game of the season decisive when there are still more than 100 points to play for, but Sunday's clash between Manchester City and Chelsea should, at the least, provide an indicator as to whether these two sides can legitimately be called title contenders.

Regardless of a stuttering opening-day draw with Swansea City, there is little doubt that Chelsea have what it takes to fight for the Premier League crown this term.

A surprisingly thin squad could come back to haunt Jose Mourinho’s men should key players pick up suspensions or injuries – and with the Portuguese not taking too kindly to his medical staff treating stricken players, that is certainly a possibility – but Chelsea look to have the necessary balance for a prolonged title tilt.

Manchester City’s convincing 3-0 victory over West Bromwich Albion on Monday night would have done much to convince any doubters that Manuel Pellegrini’s side are contenders for a third title in five years.

City were superb from start to finish at The Hawthorns. Wilfried Bony linking the play, Yaya Toure powering forward from midfield, Vincent Kompany looking far more assured at the heart of the backline and David Silva majestic in his favoured No 10 role.

With Sergio Aguero left on the bench, Raheem Sterling capable of more and Kevin De Bruyne reportedly on his way to Manchester, there is strength within the ranks.

If Eliaquim Mangala can recapture the form he showed at FC Porto after a poor debut campaign in English football, City may even have the defensive solidity to go with their attacking sparkle.

The issue with Pellegrini’s outfit, though, is one of mentality more than ability. Last season’s collapse – City were level on points with Chelsea at the top on New Year’s Day but won only four of their next 12 matches and finished eight points adrift – again showed that this team is better suited to regaining the league than retaining it.

Moreover, while the quality of the options at City’s disposal is in no doubt, Pellegrini’s attempts to harness it are sometimes open to question.

This was most obvious in the nonsensical decision to play a 4-4-2 formation in the Uefa Champions League against Barcelona last term.

Not only were City outnumbered in the middle of the park, forced to cede possession and fruitlessly chase down the Catalan club’s excellent technicians, Aguero and Edin Dzeko were left starved of service up front.

It is arguably that lack of tactical adaptability that has seen Pellegrini beat Mourinho just once in his managerial career.

The Portuguese’s pragmatism has generally triumphed in meetings between the pair, with Pellegrini yet to record a victory over his nemesis on English shores.

It will be interesting to see how Pellegrini configures his side to both maximise their strengths and seek to neutralise Chelsea’s.

Though Toure remains a fine player going forward, his lack of defensive discipline – and, frankly, work ethic – means he is not suited to playing in a midfield two in this sort of game.

A manager with less dogmatic tendencies than Pellegrini would automatically play Fernandinho and either Martin Demichelis or Fernando behind Toure, with Silva and Sterling starting out wide and Bony or Aguero as the lone frontman.

It may go against his admirable attacking inclinations, but the Chilean must adopt some sort of similar plan to give his team a solid base and ample protection from the rapid Chelsea counter-attack.

A loss on Sunday would certainly not rule City out of the title race, particularly as they were defeated twice by Mourinho’s men on their way to scooping the prize in 2013/14.

A win, though, would suggest they have made progress from the disappointments of last season and that Pellegrini, for all of his previous shortcomings, might be after all able to create a side that is equal or better than the sum of its individual parts.

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