It was the 9th minute, and Manchester City was already behind 1-0. It was a great chance for Nicolas Jackson to make it 2-0 with a first-time shot with his left foot, but the striker chose to pass the ball.
That there could have been the difference between a loss or a win for Chelsea, guess we’ll never know.
Debutant howler, goalkeeping blunders, stunning finishes, and dominant doubles over the opposition – we got to see all that.
In the clash of light and dark blue, the lighter shade prevailed.
No revenge for Chelsea this time, as Manchester City breezed past the struggling side with a comeback after struggling in the initial 10 minutes of the match.
It’s just too often now that we see Chelsea take a lead against a team and fumble it for a draw or loss, but this time it was not because Chelsea couldn’t manage the game, they were completely obliterated.
Manchester City wasted no time integrating their new signings into the Premier League spotlight.
Omar Marmoush had a respectable debut, showcasing his athleticism and knack for exploiting pockets of space, although he was often flagged offside.
In stark contrast, Abdukodir Khusanov endured a nightmare start.
Within the first five minutes, the 20-year-old committed an error that led to a goal and received a yellow card for a reckless challenge on Cole Palmer.
The anguish was evident on his face as he struggled to process the chaotic start. Though he managed a decent 35 minutes afterwards, the damage had already been done.
Time and again, Manchester City cut through Chelsea’s defensive line like a hot knife through butter.
While City, as expected, dominated possession with 57% compared to Chelsea’s 43%, it was their ability to create chances that truly set them apart.
Pep Guardiola’s men crafted more than double Chelsea’s big chances, registering seven compared to Chelsea’s three, with an expected goals (xG) tally of 2.50 to Chelsea’s 1.8.
To place more emphasis, two of Chelsea’s big chances came within the first 10 minutes of the match.
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Manchester City Exploit Chelsea’s Tactics or Lack Thereof
One of the key dynamics in Chelsea’s approach was their decision to deploy a high defensive line – a bold tactic, no doubt.
While the idea itself wasn’t flawed, the execution had its loophole.
Instead of addressing the individual threats posed by Manchester City’s players, Chelsea opted for man-marking, and that’s where it unravelled for Enzo Maresca’s side.
It was a real dilemma for Chelsea. When they focused their efforts on Erling Haaland, City always seemed to have another player making a run into space, ready to exploit the gap.
On the flip side, when they went for man-marking, Haaland simply used his sheer strength to overpower the defender tracking him, making it nearly impossible to contain him.
In the first half, City frequently broke through Chelsea’s high line, though Haaland wasn’t always the direct target.
By drawing two or more defenders toward him, the Norweighan created space for a free-roaming City attacker to exploit, leading to five big chances conceded in the opening 45 minutes.
In the second half, Chelsea shifted their focus away from Haaland, but this adjustment proved equally costly. With less attention on him, Haaland scored one goal and assisted another to seal Chelsea’s fate.
The lesson here is clear: when faced with a player of Haaland’s calibre, it’s imperative to prioritize containing him – even if it means doubling up on him.
Let’s take a moment to unpack that Haaland goal – it was nothing short of laughable. But seriously, what on earth was Robert Sanchez thinking?
Why on God’s green earth was he so far off his line when his defender still had Haaland covered? Only Sanchez himself could explain the logic behind that decision.
That split-second decision by Sanchez to step off his line turned an innocuous moment into a nightmare, skyrocketing the xG from 0.03 to 0.42 – a massive jump.
And, of course, an elite striker like Haaland wasn’t going to let that kind of gift slide, executing the finish with flawless technique to punish the error.
The horror show didn’t just rattle the fans; even his teammates couldn’t hide their frustration.
Enzo Fernández’s visible head shake summed up the disbelief coursing through the Chelsea squad after yet another costly mistake from their goalkeeper.
This marks his second error leading to a goal in consecutive games, bringing his tally to five for the season. He’s now tied for the most errors leading to goals in the Premier League.
For a top team like Chelsea, such mistakes from their goalkeeper are proving to be a massive liability.
This result means Chelsea have now managed just one win in their last seven Premier League matches, collecting only six points out of a possible 21 – a run that’s simply not good enough.
Meanwhile, the reigning champions have displaced Chelsea from the top four, reclaiming the spot to bounce back from their disheartening European loss to PSG.
City, however, remain 12 points behind league leaders Liverpool, who still have a game in hand.
Despite the gap, with 15 matches remaining, Guardiola’s side might still fancy their chances of mounting a late challenge.
Will we witness another trademark Manchester City surge? Maybe, maybe not—but one thing’s for sure: it’ll be fascinating to see how this title race unfolds.