Chelsea v Manchester City LIVE: Premier League result and final score after Mateo Kovacic scores stunner
Man City began their title defence with a confident victory at Stamford Bridge against Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea side
Erling Haaland scored his 91st goal in his 100th appearance for Manchester City on Sunday as the champions kicked off their Premier League title defence with a lively 2-0 away win over Chelsea.
The big Norwegian, fed by Bernardo Silva, forced his way between Marc Cucurella and Wesley Fofana and finished neatly past Robert Sanchez in the 18th minute.
Former Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic made sure of victory for the visitors six minutes from time, racing through a disorganised Chelsea midfield and thumping the ball into Sanchez’s net.
Chelsea, in their first Premier League outing under new manager Enzo Maresca, fashioned some hopeful attacking moves through Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson and recent signing Pedro Neto but were largely outclassed by their more composed visitors.
Chelsea 0-1 Man City
67 mins
Chelsea make two changes – Marc Guiu comes on for Jackson, while Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall replaces Lavia.
Chelsea 0-1 Man City
65 mins
City are knocking it around but there isn’t a lot of penetration to their play – but they do score a disallowed goal!
They try the simple clip in to Haaland and he takes it down on his chest before failing to get the shot away properly. He rakes his boot across the leg of Colwill as he tries to shoot, and Lewis fires the ball into the back of the net on the rebound, but it’s overturned and Haaland is instead given a yellow card.
Chelsea 0-1 Man City
62 mins
All of a sudden it’s Chelsea with all the chances! They come forward again and the cross comes in. Fernandez heads it past the goal but Gusto is there to clip it back in – it’s headed clear, though Lavia comes in to head back towards goal, and Jackson is there to wrestle with the defender and get a shot away from point blank range, but it’s straight at Ederson! Bit chaotic there.
Chelsea 0-1 Man City
58 mins
Pedro Neto comes on for Christopher Nkunku, who’s probably been Chelsea’s best player so far today.
City are starting to try and impose themselves a bit more on this half, but it’s Chelsea with the best chance so far. They work the ball to the right wing and it’s Fernandez to fizz in an early cross. It’s a great ball, right into the gap between ‘keeper and defenders, but Rico Lewis tracks back well to put it behind for a corner.
Chelsea 0-1 Man City
56 mins
Scrappy over the last couple of minutes, with both sides giving away cheap fouls and sloppily losing possession.
Foden hasnt been able to have the same attacking impact as Savinho yet, with City often forced to go backwards rather than forwards (or inside) at the moment.
Chelsea 0-1 Man City
52 mins
CLOSE! City collect possession as well and it’s moved to De Bruyne near the edge of the box. His pass in is deflected perfectly into the path of Silva, who then squares it to Haaland in the box.
The Norwegian opens up to curl it into the far corner, but he hasn’t wrapped his foot around it enough and it’s a fairly simple save for Sanchez.
Chelsea 0-1 Man City
51 mins
Gusto gives it away cheaply before doing brilliantly to track back and win it back, but Caicedo’s clipped ball into Jackson is collected by Ederson.
Chelsea 0-1 Man City
48 mins
A slow start to this half, with City taking plenty of possession but not creating anything with it.
Palmer slips it through to Fernandez in the box, but he collides with Jackson and the opportunity goes begging.
Chelsea 0-1 Man City
47 mins
Sanchez with a poor pass straight to De Bruyne, but the Belgian can’t capitalise as he clips a cross beyond the sky blue shirts in the box.
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