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Jamie Jackson was at the Etihad this evening. Here’s his report. Thanks for reading this MBM.
Enzo Maresca talks to Sky. “The game started very well for us … we scored the first one and could have scored the second goal two or three times … the game would have completely changed … we missed … the second goal changed the game … [Robert Sanchez] knows he has to do better … we are making progress … we are better than one or two months ago … these moments will make us better.”
Pep Guardiola talks to Sky Sports. “It was not the best start … we were lucky they did not punish us with 2-0 … after that we recovered emotionally and were really strong … we make a good performance … we had more of the ball than the last game … it was really important … [Abdukodir Khusanov] does not speak English so I didn’t speak with him … but he will be fine … he is aware of what happened … he will learn … any player can make a mistake … the fans always support a new player … he is so young … we are closer to Nottingham Forest … but Bournemouth are on an impressive run … we have games at home … we are fighting for the Premier [checks himself] Champions League!”
Erling Haaland, smiling broadly, speaks to Sky. “It was a really good performance … we started really bad … but we kept going … controlled a lot of the game … a great team performance … we have to keep winning games … we showed great spirit … keep going … Champions League is a must-win … then Arsenal … Chelsea went man against man and there was loads of space … sometimes even Manchester City can go direct and that’s a good thing … especially in the first half you could see that Omar Marmoush has something special … you can see why City bought him … he’s going to be a fantastic player for us … it’s nice to get to know new people and play with good players.”
What a turnaround by Manchester City! They looked stunned and shaken after their debutant Abdukodir Khusanov’s early mistake gifted Chelsea the lead. Chelsea could and should have built on that, with the hosts all over the shop, minds addled. But they allowed the champions back in, and a team like City, even in what seems at the moment like a transitional season, don’t need asking twice. Josko Gvardiol, Phil Foden and Erling Haaland were all excellent as City fought back; all ended up on the scoresheet. Omar Marmoush enjoyed a lively debut, while the unfortunate Khusanov allowed himself a small smile of relief at the final whistle. A good day at the office, all told. City get back into the top four, still on the fringes of the title race, and with renewed hope and confidence as they prepare for the visit of Brugge and their attempt to salvage their Champions League dream. As for Chelsea? Well, the high press was working, but the belief to put City to the sword wasn’t there. Enzo Maresca may have had a point when he said his team weren’t ready to become champions yet.
The Etihad erupts with relief and joy. A huge win for City in the race for a Champions League spot. A huge win for City in the title race as well? Let’s see.
90 min +5: On Sky, Gary Neville names Gvardiol as his player of the match. Then from a Chelsea corner coming in from the left, Colwill blazes wildly over the bar from six yards. There was contact from that man Gvardiol afterwards, but the ball had long gone and neither referee nor VAR is interested in awarding a penalty.
90 min +4: … so having said that, Madueke jinks his way down the right again but can’t find anybody with his cutback. He’s been Chelsea’s best player, with Palmer strangely subdued.
90 min +3: Chelsea look a beaten docket now. A team that just wants to hear the final whistle.
90 min +2: “This is a big missed opportunity for Chelsea,” observes Sky pundit Gary Neville, with reference to that aforementioned early dominance.
90 min +1: The first of five additional minutes sees Madueke scamper down the right, then along the byline. He sends a dangerous cross through the six-yard box, but there’s nobody there in royal blue to convert.
90 min: The Etihad en fête. At the risk of belabouring the point: Chelsea had Manchester City on the ropes early in the first half, only to let the champions back into the fight. You don’t let champions back into the fight.
89 min: City have gone unashamedly long in this second half, and how it’s worked for them. Niall Quinn will surely approve.
They won’t be giving up this lead, though! De Bruyne heads on to Haaland, who flicks Foden clear down the middle. Foden looks around for help, but he doesn’t need it, reaching the Chelsea box before slotting coolly into the bottom left. Game over! City back!
Manchester City’s Phil Foden bursts through … Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA
And slots the ball past Chelsea’s keeper Robert Sanchez to score their third goal. Photograph: Lee Smith/Action Images/Reuters
Dejection abounds the Chelsea ranks as Foden (left) wheels away in celebration. Photograph: Lee Smith/Action Images/Reuters
Foden celebrates with Erling Haaland, who provided the assist. Photograph: Lee Smith/Action Images/Reuters
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and the City fans celebrate Foden’s goal. Photograph: Peter Powell/Reuters
86 min: Chelsea are dominating possession now. But doing very little with it. Palpable anxiety among the home fans, though. Understandably so: they’ve seen their team ship leads late on more than one occasion this season.
84 min: Palmer curls the free kick long. Gvardiol, facing his own goal, does extremely well to trap, turn and clear under pressure from Nkunku.
83 min: Palmer bustles his way down the inside-left channel only to be floored from behind by Kovacic. The City man goes into the book, and this is a free kick in a dangerous position, 30 yards out. Everyone lines up on the edge of the box.
Chelsea’s Cole Palmer is fouled by Manchester City’s Mateo Kovacic. Photograph: Peter Powell/Reuters
82 min: Neto works his way down the left and earns a corner. The set piece is hit long and finds Caicedo, just inside the box on the right. Caicedo should shoot, but miscontrols and can’t get anything away. A half-chance goes begging.
81 min: Haaland nearly barrels his way clear down the middle again, some good old-fashioned 1980s-style barging. But Chalobah stands up to him this time. Chelsea not yet looking as though they’ll get back into this.
79 min: Silva is booked for a pretty cynical clip on the heel of Fernandez. “Every week, I think goalkeeping standards can drop no lower. And then they do.” Gary Naylor there, who as an Evertonian will have been spoilt over the years by greats such as Neville Southall, Gordon West and, eh, Jordan Pickford. But the point stands.
77 min: Nunes one-twos crisply with De Bruyne down the right, and has options in front of him as he enters the box. But then he shows too much of the ball to Cucurella, and the crowd groan.
76 min: City extract some sting from the game with a bit of their old-school possession play. All of a sudden, they’re back, baby!
74 min: Marmoush’s promising debut comes to an end. On comes De Bruyne.
73 min: Chelsea make a double change. James and Sancho make way for Gusto and Neto.
72 min: … nowt.
71 min: Madueke dribbles down the right. He looks like he’s run the ball out for a goal kick, but flicks it off Gvardiol’s startled face just in time. Corner. Which leads to …
70 min: The Etihad, so quiet minutes before, is now bubbling with joyous noise. To reiterate: Chelsea had Manchester City on the ropes early in the first half, only to let the champions back into the fight. You don’t let champions back into the fight.
City go long again, and hit the jackpot! Ederson creams a long pass down the right for Haaland, who holds off Chalobah with ease. He spins inside, putting Chalobah on his backside, then floats a careful curler over Sanchez, who had rashly come to the edge of his box for whatever reason. Brilliant by Haaland, not so great from Chelsea’s point of view.
Manchester City’s Erling Haaland seizes on the error made by Chelsea’s keeper Robert Sanchez and puts the home side ahead with an astute finish. Photograph: Lee Smith/Action Images/Reuters
Haaland celebrates. Photograph: Peter Powell/Reuters
Then is joined in the celebrations by Matheus Nunes and joyous City fans. Photograph: Peter Powell/Reuters
67 min: A simple long ball down the middle nearly does for Chelsea. Haaland holds it up, advancing down the inside-left channel before rolling infield for Marmoush, who could feed Foden to his right, but opts to shoot instead. His effort isn’t far away from the top-right corner, but high and wide nonetheless.
65 min: City aren’t achieving much at the moment. Pep doing a lot of pointing. The home crowd becoming a little pensive.
63 min: … in fact Foden one-twos with Gundogan before attempting to send a ball into the box. The eventual delivery is no good, and Chelsea clear their lines without fuss.
62 min: Nunes advances down the right and wins a corner off Cucurella. Foden to deliver.
61 min: This is now pretty scrappy stuff from two of England’s blue-chip clubs. Silva hoicks a free kick from the right straight into Sanchez’s arms; Cucurella has the chance to release Jackson down the left but slices the ball out for a throw. That’s the last we’ll see of Jackson, who is then hooked in favour of Nkunku.
59 min: Sancho crashes a shot off the base of the left-hand post. But he’d already been flagged offside, the whistle gone.
58 min: Ah, here we go. Chelsea pick up the pace, and Jackson dribbles hard down the left. He’s got options in the middle, but slips and his shot-cum-cross dribbles through to Ederson. Seconds after the restart, Caicedo is booked for hauling back Marmoush, though that might be a final-straw thing rather than for the foul itself.
57 min: The match restarts, but doesn’t restart. You get the drift.
55 min: In the meantime, Chalobah requires some treatment after Haaland accidentally landed on top of him, on his head, with predictable consequences. Thankfully after a good look by the physio, the Chelsea defender is good to continue.
53 min: Khusanov’s disappointing debut is over. He’s replaced by Stones, and walks off with sad doe eyes. To the great credit of the City fans, they make sure to give the young lad a proper reception as he leaves the pitch. Pep gives him a big hug too. He’ll be back, stronger and wiser for the experience.
Manchester City’s Abduqodir Khusanov (right) is hugged by manager Pepe Guardiola after being substituted. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA
51 min: The press pays dividends again, but Palmer and Fernandez both take turns to dither over a shot. City counter and Haaland tries to show them how it’s done, cutting in from the right, taking advantage of a Colwill misread, and bashing low and hard. Sanchez parries.
Manchester City’s Erling Haaland attempts a shot towards goal. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA
50 min: Ederson shanks a pass out for a throw, under pressure from Jackson. Nothing comes of it, but still. Chelsea’s high press, so successful early on in this match, but strangely forgotten for the rest of it, is suddenly back.
49 min: Kovacic nearly finds Haaland down the middle with a slide-rule pass, but Sanchez reads the danger and comes out of his box to larrup clear.
47 min: Madueke spins past Gvardiol and looks to make good down the right. Marmoush comes across to help his defender out. The new striker has been lively at both ends of the pitch. All augurs well. “For all of Chelsea’s money spent, it is ironic that three-quarters of their backline are English academy graduates,” writes Sam Jessop. “The production line of defenders that Chelsea produce (Aina, Hall, Livramento, Tomori, Colwill, Chalobah, James, Lamptey, Guehi, Christensen and even Akè) is quite ridiculous.”
Manchester City get the second half started. No changes. Before the restart, a lovely scene as Haaland and Sancho embrace and chat. Buddies from their days at Borussia Dortmund.
… and as for poor Abdukodir Khusanov … well, the young man wasn’t the first, and he won’t be the last.
Half-time entertainment. Coronation Street currently the third most-gripping Mancunian soap opera.
A scoreline that’s probably about right, when taken in the round. But Chelsea had City on the ropes early doors, and let the champions back into the fight. You don’t let champions back into the fight. All of which could make for a very entertaining second half. Go nowhere!
45 min +2: Madueke dribbles in from the right and has a shot from the edge of the D. It’s deflected inches over the bar. There’s no time to take the corner, though. There goes that whistle.
45 min +1: The first of two additional minutes. Nowt to report.
45 min: Palmer, making good down the middle, has Jackson and Madueke either side. He hesitates, allowing Silva to get back and nick the ball off his toe. “Why are Chelsea knocking their goal kicks short to the keeper to immediately hoof down field?” wonders Dan Christmas. “Have goal kicks become so ubiquitously taken short that players have forgotten you can hoof the dead ball?”
43 min: VAR has a quick check, but Madueke was too deep out on the Chelsea right and playing Nunes onside.
City go down the middle again, and this time hit paydirt! Gundogan pings down the middle for Nunes, who gets the better of Cucurella and shoots upon entering the box. Sanchez saves, but the ball deflects towards Gvardiol, romping in from the left. Gvardiol can’t miss with the goal unguarded. City level!
A leaping Josko Gvardiol celebrates getting the home side back on level terms. Photograph: Carl Recine/Getty Images
40 min: City remain patient … then suddenly spring forward. Foden floats a pass down the middle to release Gvardiol, who gets in ahead of the dozing James. Sanchez comes out to close the angle. Gvardiol flicks a leg insouciantly to take an early shot. The ball squirts past Sanchez and inches wide of the bottom-left corner. That would have been some goal.
38 min: City enjoy a period of quiet possession. Calm dominance. Remember when they were always like this? It’s not so long ago, either, which makes it all so odd.
36 min: Marmoush has looked lively, though. So far, his debut has been as promising as Khusanov’s has been unfortunate.
34 min: Gundogan shoots through a crowded Chelsea box towards the bottom right. Sanchez parries, but spills into the road of Marmoush, who slots across the keeper and into the bottom left. But it’s not going to count. Marmoush was offside when the initial shot was struck.
Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush finds the net but doesn’t end up on the scoresheet courtesy of the offside flag. Photograph: Peter Powell/Reuters
33 min: Cucurella has the opportunity to release Sancho down the left. The pass is no good, though, handing Khusanov the opportunity of a confidence-building slide tackle.
32 min: The resulting free kick is worked wide left to Marmoush, who whips a deep cross towards Foden, rushing in from the other side. Foden’s header, from six yards, is high and wide. But he’d have been flagged offside had it gone in.
31 min: Kovacic bustles down the middle and is skittled by Caicedo, who is rather fortunate not to go into the book. Just a stern talking-to from the referee.
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