Views: 5
Manchester City started their Premier League title defence with a 2-0 victory at Chelsea.
Pep Guardiola’s team are chasing a record-extending fifth consecutive Premier League title and started their 2024/25 campaign in style at Stamford Bridge. It was in stark contrast to the remarkable 4-4 draw in the corresponding fixture last term.
Erling Haaland chipped in a well-taken opener in the first half of his 100th appearance for City, with his 91st goal for the club paving the way for victory.
Nicolas Jackson responded for Chelsea by having an equaliser ruled out before the break, though Mateo Kovacic’s fine finish against his former club put the result beyond all doubt six minutes from time.
Victory saw City – who also had a Rico Lewis goal disallowed – join seven other teams on three points, while Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea are just outside the bottom three after his first match in charge.
How the match unfolded
Haaland needed just 18 minutes to mark his milestone outing, dinking over goalkeeper Robert Sanchez following a deft touch from Bernardo Silva.
Jeremy Doku almost doubled City’s lead nine minutes prior to the break but the wrong-footed Sanchez recovered well, before Chelsea thought they had levelled.
Ederson could only parry Cole Palmer’s dipping drive as far as Jackson, but the Chelsea striker strayed offside before slotting home from close range in the 44th minute.
Haaland’s lunge on Levi Colwill saw Lewis’s powerful strike ruled out for a foul after the interval, before Chelsea wanted a penalty when Malo Gusto’s cross struck Kovacic’s arm in the 77th minute.
VAR confirmed referee Anthony Taylor’s decision as Kovacic was in too close proximity to be penalised, and the midfielder had the final say when capping a powerful run with an immaculate right-footed effort into the left corner of Chelsea’s goal.
Much to ponder for Maresca
Maresca was somewhat of a left-field choice as the successor to Mauricio Pochettino, with Leicester City’s Championship win last season the standout achievement on his managerial CV.
The former Man City elite development coach made his first big Blues call on Sunday, omitting Ben Chilwell and Raheem Sterling from his matchday squad.
Sterling had featured in the opening Premier League match in each of the last 11 seasons, but difficult decisions may be a repeated theme throughout Maresca’s first term, as he battles to appease a big squad.
Christopher Nkunku was subbed off before the hour to make way for debutant Pedro Neto, who announced his arrival by teeing up Enzo Fernandez’s looping header before Jackson was denied by Ederson.
Maresca’s former Leicester charge Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was also introduced, though Chelsea largely failed to threaten the City defence – an aspect they must improve before their next league outing, a visit to Neto’s old side Wolves on Sunday.
Lewis steps up in Rodri’s absence
Questions remained as to how City would perform without Rodri as their star midfielder continues to recover from the injury he suffered in the UEFA EURO 2024 final last month.
Prior to this fixture at Stamford Bridge, City had lost just six times in 102 matches in which Rodri had started, so there were big shoes to fill. Indeed, this was Man City’s first win in an away Premier League match without Rodri since February 2022 against Norwich City. They lost their last four without him.
Yet versatile youngster Lewis stepped up and slotted in seamlessly alongside Chelsea old boy Kovacic, allowing Kevin De Bruyne and Silva to play higher in pockets of space.
Silva profited from that freedom, ghosting onto Doku’s pass to tee up Haaland’s opener with a delicate assist – a feat he almost replicated in the second half, once again linking up with the City striker.
De Bruyne also whipped narrowly wide before Silva forced another low Sanchez stop as Guardiola’s advanced pair dragged Chelsea here, there and everywhere.
Lewis’s defensive work was as important, though, as the 19-year-old stepped in to clear when Neto was waiting for a back-post tap-in just moments after the winger’s introduction.
With or without Rodri, Guardiola has the reliability of Lewis, who was unfortunate not to cap his excellent display with a goal, ahead of promoted Ipswich Town visiting the Etihad Stadium next Saturday.
See: Chelsea report | Man City report
By Premier League