Cityzens begin the season on a high thanks to Erling Haaland magic

On Saturday, 18th of August, Chelsea hosted Manchester City at Stamford Bridge in London for the opening game of the new Premier League season for both clubs. The match was officiated by referee Anthony Taylor. The teams had previously faced off in a pre-season friendly just over two weeks ago, where Manchester City secured a 4-2 victory, with Erling Haaland scoring a hat trick.

Manchester City entered the game as the reigning Premier League champions for the fourth consecutive season, having also won the Community Shield against their rivals Manchester United, 7-6 on penalties, after a 1-1 draw last week.

Chelsea, on the other hand, finished 6th in the league last season under manager Mauricio Pochettino, whom they sacked. This match marked the Premier League debut of their new manager, Enzo Maresca, who had guided Leicester City to promotion last season.

Erling Haaland delivers for Manchester City

In the 18th minute, Manchester City took the lead through Erling Haaland, who was making his 100th appearance for the club. The goal went to VAR for a review but was ultimately ruled onside. Manchester City had several more chances to extend their lead, but Chelsea’s goalkeeper, Robert Sanchez, made a number of crucial saves to keep his team in the game.

In the 44th minute, Chelsea thought they had equalized through Nicolas Jackson, who slotted home a rebound. However, the offside flag was raised, much to the relief of the away team, and the goal was disallowed. Manchester City went into halftime with a 1-0 lead.

After the break, Chelsea applied sustained pressure, but Manchester City’s defense held firm. In one instance, City thought they had doubled their lead when a ball aimed at Haaland deflected back to Rico Lewis, who found the net. However, the goal was disallowed due to a foul by Erling Haaland, who was also shown a yellow card.

In the 84th minute, former Chelsea player Mateo Kovačić sealed the victory for Manchester City with a spectacular goal from outside the box, dribbling past several players to make it 2-0. This goal secured all three points for City, who now sit 4th in the league, level on points with eight other teams.