Coach Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City maintained their unbeaten run against Chelsea as they came from a goal down to beat the Blues 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium earlier today, January 25.
Note that the last time Chelsea tasted victory against Manchester City was in the Champions League final in 2021. Their defeat against Manchester City tonight dropped them down to the 6th spot in the Premier League table, while Guardiola’s men stepped into the 4th spot.
During the game, the decisive moment came courtesy of Erling Haaland, who capitalized on a critical error from Chelsea’s goalkeeper, Robert Sanchez. As Sanchez ventured out of his area in an attempt to clear a long ball played forward by City’s goalkeeper, Ederson, he left his position vulnerable.
Amidst a physical battle with Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah, Haaland bravely challenged for the ball and emerged victorious. Demonstrating his remarkable skill, he shifted the ball to his left foot and delicately chipped it over the stranded Sanchez, marking his 18th goal in the league this season and extending his remarkable scoring streak to six consecutive matches across all competitions.
With three minutes remaining, Phil Foden secured the victory for City by exploiting an opportunity created by Haaland. The talented forward received a well-timed lay-off from Haaland and made no mistake, finding the net for his fifth goal in just four games.
This victory not only extended City’s unbeaten league run to six matches but also highlighted a rare achievement for Ederson, who became the first goalkeeper in 16 years to register two assists in a single Premier League season.
The win was notably important for debutant Abdukodir Khusanov, who had made a blunder earlier in the match by inadvertently contributing to Chelsea’s opening goal. In just the third minute, Khusanov’s attempt to clear the ball led to a misjudgment, allowing it to fall directly to Nicolas Jackson, who quickly set up Noni Madueke for a tap-in.
While City was quick to respond, with Josko Gvardiol leveling the score as he reacted swiftly to convert a rebound after Sanchez had denied Matheus Nunes’ attempt, the momentum soon shifted decisively in favor of the visitors. Earlier in the match, Foden had struck the post, and another new signing, Omar Marmoush, saw a potential goal ruled out after a close offside decision.
Despite a promising start from Chelsea, they squandered a golden opportunity to double their lead when Cole Palmer failed to deliver a precise pass, leaving Jackson with an open goal that he could not capitalize on.
As the match progressed, Chelsea struggled to regain their early form and were unable to create significant scoring chances to challenge City’s dominance.
The defeat means Chelsea have now gone 11 consecutive matches without a win against Manchester City, illustrating their ongoing difficulties in breaking down Pep Guardiola’s formidable side.
