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
34 mins
Despite that touch Fernandez is one of the Chelsea players who’s having a good game so far, along with Nkunku and Lavia. Palmer is yet to really get into the game, but he’ll pick his moment.
A reprieve for Nico Jackson too, as he raced clear, beat a couple of the sliding challenges from City and slid a weak shot straight at a defender, but it was offside anyway.
Chelsea 0-1 Man City
32 mins
Chelsea fans think they have a shout for a penalty but in truth it’s a terrible touch from Fernandez, who was receiving the ball on the edge of the box under the challenge from Savinho.
Chelsea 0-1 Man City
30 mins
Rico Lewis slides in to intercept - he’s played well so far today, as he did in the Community Shield. You’d have thought City will call upon his flexibility many times this season, especially since he looks so comfortable in more attacking positions too. Have they already found the Kyle Walker replacement, or does his future lie in another position?
The match has calmed down now, with Chelsea happy to knock it around their half for the moment and City declining to press them.
Chelsea 0-1 Man City
28 mins
Chelsea are building better attacks now but the pace of it all is still pretty hectic, as Nkunku clips a ball over all the blue shirts and then Palmer delivers one straight to Ederson.
Chelsea 0-1 Man City
24 mins
Chelsea have some sustained possession now but it’s very frantic and not very cohesive. Caicedo tries to fizz a through ball into Jackson, but it’s straight to Akanji.
Moments after, Nkunku thinks he’s won the ball and is clean through, but he’s penalised for pulling Akanji back.
Chelsea 0-1 Man City
22 mins
Problems for Chelsea now, as the midfield can’t get a hold of the match. Silva ships a pass across to De Bruyne, who has plenty of space as he opens his body up to shoot, but it’s wide of the far corner.
GOAL! Chelsea 0-1 Man City
19 mins
GOAL! Out of nothing, but is it offside?
Doku has it on the left wing and he fizzes a pass into the box. Silva can’t control it but he can stretch out a leg to poke it to Haaland. The Norwegian still has a lot to do, but he takes a touch into his path, shrugs off the challenge from Cucurella and reverses a little chip past Sanchez for 1-0!
Chelsea 0-0 Man City
18 mins
No clear-cut chances for either side yet, but both teams are looking sharp in periods. City are beginning to keep the lion’s share of the ball though.
Chelsea 0-0 Man City
15 mins
Cucurella does well to win a foul off Doku as the Belgian looked to get onto the end of the one-two into the box. At the other end, Dias does well to, shepherding Jackson off the ball on the edge of the City box before winning a foul.
Lavia brings down De Bruyne near halfway and City have possession as De Bruyne’s early cross finds the gloves of Sanchez.
Doku and Savinho have already switched wings.
Chelsea 0-0 Man City
12 mins
Poor again from Doku, twice in as many minutes. He works some space on the right to get past Cucurella but ends up losing out to the Spaniard, and then moments later Savinho does well to get the ball across but the Belgian skews a shot well wide.
Chelsea go up the other end but it’s a little pedestrian before Palmer is dispossessed by Kovacic.
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