Haaland City Chelsea
Erling Haaland celebrated his 100th appearance for Manchester City by scoring his 91st goal, and Mateo Kovacic added a second on his return to Stamford Bridge, as Pep Guardiola’s side began their quest for a record fifth consecutive English top-flight title with a 2-0 victory over Chelsea.
Despite being without Euro 2024 finalists Rodri, Kyle Walker, John Stones, and Phil Foden, Guardiola’s squad showcased their depth by comfortably defeating one of the few teams they failed to overcome in the league last season.
EKO HOT BLOG reports that the match highlighted the challenges facing Chelsea’s new manager, Enzo Maresca, as he attempts to build a cohesive team from a bloated squad of 43 players, including those on loan.
Raheem Sterling’s exclusion from the matchday squad led to a pre-game statement from his camp expressing his disappointment.
Ben Chilwell was also left out, while Conor Gallagher and Romelu Lukaku were notably absent, not even receiving squad numbers. None of Chelsea’s nine summer signings started the match, and Enzo Fernandez was a surprise choice as captain, despite recent controversy.
Haaland, who had the benefit of a summer off from international duty, needed just 18 minutes to make an impact, slotting home after a deflection from Bernardo Silva off Jeremy Doku’s low cross.
City could have extended their lead in the first half, with Kevin De Bruyne coming close and Chelsea’s Robert Sanchez making a crucial save from Doku’s shot. Chelsea ended the half strongly, but a disallowed goal for offside and Ederson’s save from Cole Palmer kept them scoreless.
Phil Foden was introduced at halftime due to an injury to Savinho, making his Premier League debut. The second half saw Chelsea pushing for an equalizer, but City’s defense held firm.
Haaland nearly doubled his tally, and De Bruyne was inches away from scoring, but Sanchez denied them both.
However, the Chelsea goalkeeper was at fault for the decisive goal, failing to stop Kovacic’s shot from the edge of the area after the midfielder was given too much space to run through.
City’s victory reinforced their status as the team to beat, while Chelsea’s struggles continue as Maresca faces the daunting task of finding consistency with a large and unsettled squad.
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