#Manchester City FC vs Chelsea FC



Manchester City extended their dominance over Chelsea with yet another victory.

On January 26 (KST), Manchester City hosted Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium in the 23rd round of the 2024-25 English Premier League season and came out on top with a 3-1 comeback win.

Despite an early blunder from debutant Husenov, which led to an initial setback, City bounced back with goals from Gvardiol, Haaland, and Foden, securing a hard-fought victory. With this win, City climbed back to fourth place in the league standings and maintained their undefeated streak against Chelsea, which now spans 11 matches over four years.



Starting Lineups

Manchester City’s lineup featured goalkeeper Ederson, supported by Nunes, Husenov, Akanji, and Gvardiol in defense. Kovacic, Gündoğan, and Bernardo Silva controlled the midfield, while Marmoush, Foden, and Haaland led the attack.

Chelsea began with goalkeeper Sánchez, alongside defenders James, Chalobah, Colwill, and Cucurella. The midfield trio consisted of Caicedo, Fernández, and Madueke, with Palmer, Sancho, and Jackson in the forward line.




Match Highlights

City started brightly with a chance in the second minute, initiated by Husenov’s buildup play and culminating in Marmoush’s shot from Matheus’ cross. However, the breakthrough belonged to Chelsea just a minute later when Husenov’s critical error allowed Jackson to intercept, with Madueke converting to make it 0-1.

City struggled with defensive lapses early on, including a failed offside trap by Husenov that allowed Palmer to set up Jackson, though the chance was squandered.

City gradually took control of the game, mounting pressure on Chelsea’s defense. In the 10th minute, Bernardo’s pass led to Foden’s long-range effort, which struck the woodwork. Several other opportunities followed, including Gvardiol’s shot over the bar in the 25th minute and Foden’s header in the 32nd minute, which also went high.

The equalizer finally came in the 42nd minute. A long pass from Gündoğan found Nunes, whose shot was saved by Sánchez, but Gvardiol pounced on the rebound to make it 1-1. The first half ended with the teams deadlocked.


Second-Half Comeback

City’s determination carried over into the second half. In the 51st minute, a long ball from the back found Haaland, though Sánchez denied him with a brilliant save. Chelsea countered in the 52nd minute through Sancho and Cucurella, but the latter’s shot sailed over the crossbar.

In the 67th minute, Haaland set up Marmoush for a long-range strike that narrowly missed. Moments later, Ederson’s precise long pass found Haaland, who capitalized on a Sánchez error to slot the ball into an empty net, giving City a 2-1 lead.

City sealed the victory in the 87th minute. Another long pass from Ederson initiated the attack, with De Bruyne and Haaland combining to set up Foden for a one-on-one chance, which he finished clinically to extend the lead to 3-1.

Chelsea pushed hard for a consolation goal in the final moments, but their efforts were thwarted by City’s resolute defending. Even Colwill’s last-minute opportunity failed to find the back of the net.

The match concluded with Manchester City securing a deserved 3-1 victory, maintaining their impressive run of results against Chelsea and reinforcing their place in the top four.