Premier League: Chelsea 0 Manchester City 2 [Haaland 18, Kovacic 84]
This was Diet Pep proving no match for the full-fat version. Master met apprentice at Stamford Bridge and the result was predictable as Manchester City began their title defence by sweeping Chelsea aside thanks to slick goals from Erling Haaland and Mateo Kovacic.
There were flickers from Chelsea, who are at the start of another rebuild under Enzo Maresca, and they will improve once Cole Palmer’s sharpness returns. For all their spending, though, they could not match City’s class or experience. Pep Guardiola dealt easily with his former assistant.
If there is a good time to play City then it is probably when they are still working key players back to full fitness after a major tournament. There a few gaps in their line-up, particularly with Rodri yet to recover from the thigh injury that forced him off in the Euro 2024 final, although it did not exactly seem that Chelsea were geared to take advantage of any signs of rust at first.
Maresca, who is trying to usher in a more methodical approach after replacing Mauricio Pochettino, would soon hear the home fans grumbling about his team’s ponderous build-up.
Change does not necessarily mean better. Chelsea appeared to be moving in the right direction under Pochettino, only to part company with the Argentinian after finishing sixth last season, and the mood in the stands was restless at times.
City’s opener, made by Bernardo Silva’s little touch and converted by Haaland in the 18th minute, would soon be followed by defiant chants for the discarded Conor Gallagher, who is waiting to complete his move to Atletico Madrid.
You sensed that Gallagher’s energy would have disrupted City and prevented Kovacic from pulling the strings at the base of midfield. Chelsea, though, are doing things their way.
Along with ditching Gallagher, Maresca has also banished Trevoh Chalobah and Armando Broja while they wait for moves away, decided that Djordje Petrovic does not fit his vision for a ball-playing goalkeeper, said that Ben Chilwell should leave before the transfer window shuts and, by not even naming Raheem Sterling on the bench here, made it clear that the former City winger’s days at Stamford Bridge are also numbered.
Sterling, it was said through his representatives before kick-off, will be seeking “clarity about his future” in the coming days.
Maresca, meanwhile, will simply be holding an inquest into the defending that allowed City to take control. There had already been a few warning shots from the visitors, not least when Savinho’s pass cut Chelsea open and forced Wesley Fofana to divert Silva’s shot, and it felt too easy when Jérémy Doku was allowed to dribble inside from the left flank.
There was too much time for Doku to move the ball inside and too much space in front of Chelsea’s back four. One of Moisés Caicedo or Roméo Lavia had to be closer to Silva when the pass reached him. Instead, the Portuguese was able to unbalance Chelsea with a clever flick to Haaland, who sorted out his feet before lifting a clinical shot over Robert Sánchez.
Up and running, City could have been out of sight at half-time. Kevin de Bruyne, so full of effortless class, whistled a shot narrowly wide. Silva and Doku had shots repelled by Sánchez.
Savinho, who enjoyed a promising debut after joining from Troyes, went on a few exciting dribbles down the right. As for the hosts, there were a few grumbles after three wayward passes from Enzo Fernandez, who was wearing the captain’s armband weeks after his involvement in a racism storm that briefly sparked civil war in Maresca’s dressingroom.
It was telling that Chelsea were better when they played with more intensity and targeted City’s high line. There were a few dangerous dribbles down the left from Christopher Nkunku, albeit nothing that unduly worried the excellent Rico Lewis, and a couple of penalty appeals from Fernández. Nicolas Jackson would also have a goal disallowed for offside, much to the relief of Ederson after he made a meal of Palmer’s low shot.
There were hints of anxiety from Guardiola as half-time approached. He responded, Phil Foden coming on for Savinho, and City began the second half well. Haaland almost had his second, only for Sánchez to make another fine save.
Chelsea had to offer more in the final third. Maresca turned to Pedro Neto – off came Nkunku, who had done little to show he was more worthy of a place than Sterling – and the pressure grew. Lewis made a brilliant clearance to deny Neto a debut goal and Jackson almost turned a loose ball past Ederson. City stirred at the other end, only for Lewis to have a goal disallowed for Haaland’s foul on Levi Colwill.
Unable to secure the cushion of a second goal, City fell back after the hour and relied on Rúben Dias, Manuel Akanji and Josko Gvardiol to hold firm in defence. They sensed that Chelsea were short of ideas. Palmer, who did not have much of a pre-season after his exertions for England, was not at the races.
In the end Chelsea had Marc Guiu, an 18-year-old newcomer with seven senior appearances to his name, running around gamely up front after replacing Jackson. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, a Maresca stalwart at Leicester, was also introduced, and that was probably the moment when you knew City were going to win. They had the know-how of players who have seen it all and it was their second goalscorer who really twisted the knife.
It was over when Kovacic, a player not deemed worthy of a place in Chelsea’s grand rebuild, took a loose clearance, breezed past Caicedo and Fernández, and fired a shot past Sánchez, who should have done better.
Todd Boehly. Chelsea’s co-controlling owner, was soon seen leaving his seat. After over £1 billion spend on new players, Chelsea are still playing catch-up. – Guardian
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