Second-half goals from Erling Haaland and Phil Foden helped Manchester City to a 3-1 victory over Chelsea, as they replaced the Blues in the Premier League's top four.
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Noni Madueke punished a glaring error from City debutant Abdukodir Khusanov early on as Chelsea looked to move five points clear of the champions for UEFA Champions League qualification.
However, City began to exert control towards the end of an action-packed first half, and Josko Gvardiol's fifth league goal of the season dragged them level.
In the second half, Haaland latched on to Ederson's long ball and lobbed an out-of-position Robert Sanchez to put City ahead, then Foden raced clear to make the points safe in the 87th minute.
The victory takes City up to fourth in the table on 41 points, ahead of fifth-placed Newcastle United on goal difference and one clear of Chelsea and AFC Bournemouth.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Liverpool
LIV
|
22 | +33 | 53 |
| 2 |
Arsenal
ARS
|
23 | +23 | 47 |
| 3 |
Nott'm Forest
NFO
|
23 | +6 | 44 |
| 4 |
Man City
MCI
|
23 | +17 | 41 |
| 5 |
Newcastle
NEW
|
23 | +14 | 41 |
| 6 |
Chelsea
CHE
|
23 | +15 | 40 |
How the match unfolded
Just three minutes in, Khusanov was at fault for a Chelsea goal as his attempted header back to Ederson was intercepted by Nicolas Jackson, who squared for Madueke to tap home.
Khusanov recovered to deny Jadon Sancho with a vital block, then Foden fired against a post as City grew into the contest.
Gvardiol missed two good chances either side of Omar Marmoush having a close-range finish disallowed for offside. The defender blazed over right-footed then flicked narrowly wide with the outside of his boot.
However, it was third time lucky for the defender when Sanchez could only parry a Matheus Nunes effort, Gvardiol pouncing to tap into an unguarded goal.
Sanchez made a smart save to keep out Haaland early in the second half, but the Norwegian would not be denied in the 68th minute.
He showed tremendous strength to outmuscle Trevoh Chalobah from Ederson's long punt forward, then spotted Sanchez wrongly off his line and found the net with a composed chip.
Chelsea's offside trap was sprung again as City added a late third, with Foden taking in Haaland's pass before cruising clear and slotting home.
Khusanov’s wobble not costly for City
City have been uncharacteristically busy in the January transfer window, with a rebuild under way following an unconvincing first half of the season.
The signings of young defenders Khusanov and Vitor Reis were clearly made with the long-term future in mind, but the former was thrown in at the deep end here, with Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake out and John Stones only making the bench.
Khusanov endured a difficult start. Within three minutes and 37 seconds, he had played a central role in a Chelsea goal and been booked for a panicked challenge on Cole Palmer.
It was little surprise when he was withdrawn for Stones after 54 minutes, though another new arrival – Marmoush – enjoyed a more positive debut, showing some nice touches and linking well with Haaland.
In the end, however, it was a route-one approach that paid off for City, with Ederson's long ball into the right channel earning him an assist for Haaland's goal. He now has five in the Premier League overall, the joint-most by any goalkeeper alongside Paul Robinson.
While City were far from flawless at the back, they proved they can still beat teams in a variety of ways. They now need their new boys to get up to speed ahead of a tough run of league fixtures against Arsenal, Newcastle and Liverpool, as well as a must-win Champions League match at home to Club Brugge.
Maresca schooled by former colleague
Enzo Maresca served as Pep Guardiola's assistant coach during City's most successful season, aiding their treble in 2022/23.
The Italian was making his first return to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, having whipped up plenty of optimism around Chelsea by instilling a proactive approach in and out of possession.
But Guardiola had clearly done his homework, and City exploited Chelsea's high line as they earned a morale-boosting victory.
Chelsea had their warnings. The offside flag saved them when Marmoush pounced on a Sanchez fumble to tap home, then Gvardiol was inches from finding the bottom-left corner after breaking in behind in the 40th minute.
Within two minutes of that latter miss, the Chelsea defence's failure to step up in time with his team-mates allowed Nunes to beat the offside trap, and Gvardiol was on hand to convert when the Portugal international saw his shot parried.
City went direct for both of their goals after the break, with battering ram Haaland winning tussles with Chelsea centre-backs in the build-up to both.
Having won just one of their last seven league games to slide to sixth in the table, Chelsea must pick themselves up for a London derby against West Ham United on 3 February.
Club reports
Man City report | Chelsea report
What the managers said
Pep Guardiola: "Not the best start. Lucky they didn't punish us for 2-0. After we recovered emotionally and made a good performance. We had more of the ball than the last games. It was really important. If we don't pass the ball, we are one of the worst teams. We need the ball to survive."
Enzo Maresca: "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 team was there but in the last minutes we conceded for 1-1. The second goal changed the game."
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Key facts
City have won 17 points from losing positions, more than any other side in the Premier League this season. Indeed, five of their 12 wins this season have come after conceding the first goal.
Having failed to win just two of their first eight away league games under Enzo Maresca this season (W6 D1 L1), Chelsea have now failed to win each of their last four on the road (D2 L2).
Foden has scored in four consecutive Premier League games for the very first time, while he’s scored more Premier League goals so far in 2025 than any other player (six).
No player has made more errors leading to a goal in the Premier League this season than Robert Sanchez, with his five also the most on record (since 2007/08) by a Chelsea player in a single campaign.
