Manchester City picked up where they left off and won their opening game of the new Premier League season 2-0 against Chelsea.
Erling Haaland and Mateo Kovacic scored a goal in part to get Pep Guardiola’s men off to a winning start, who have now won 10 straight games in the top flight and are seeking their fifth straight league title. It’s less about continuity for new Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca, who endured frustration in his first competitive game after a busy summer of signings.
Surprisingly, the Blues boss hasn’t named a single new face in his starting line-up there have been returns for long-term absentees Wesley Fofana and Romeo Lavia. Maresca eventually made several starts off the bench, but his performances did not change the rules of the game as City cruised to victory with their usual ease.
Here are six talking points from Stamford Bridge.
Raheem Sterling did not take his omission from the Chelsea squad very well, making public his sadness after the news of the Blues team spread at 3:30 p. m. In a normal move, Sterling’s representatives released a statement on behalf of the 29-year-old. who, according to Enzo Maresca, had been ruled out for “tactical” reasons.
It included a passage that read: “Given his inclusion in the official locker room ahead of the club’s tune-up this week, we expected Raheem to be concerned in some way about this weekend’s tune-up. As a team, we have had positive conversations with him, and “Chelsea FC is confident about Raheem’s long career at the club, so we hope to clarify the situation. “
Her long career is now at a climax with 12 days to go before the summer moving window.
It’s your turn! Should Chelsea Raheem Sterling before the transfer deadline?Join the discussion in the comments section
They say pre-season friendlies are temporarily forgotten once serious things start, but Chelsea players will have to be tired of watching Erling Haaland walk away celebrating. The City striker scored a hat-trick as those teams met at United. He opened the scoring on Sunday with a well-scored goal.
Taking advantage of a deft touch from Bernardo Silva, Haaland pounced on the ball in the area and cut it in front of Robert Sánchez. Chelsea called for offside, but the new semi-automatic formula temporarily showed the Norwegian striker offside, giving City a deserved still uncomfortable lead at half-time.
Right winger, number 26: It looked like Riyad Mahrez was back at City once Pep Guardiola swapped wingers at the start of the first half. In his first start since arriving from sister club Girona in the summer, Brazilian winger Savinho wasted no time in making an impact and setting an exciting benchmark for long-term performances.
The 20-year-old created the maximum number of chances (three), dribbled the maximum (three) and won the maximum number of duels (five) until the hour mark, which is all the more impressive considering he had to be substituted at half-time. a blow. Chelsea’s defence breathed a sigh of relief when Phil Foden replaced Savinho at half-time and Ipswich Town will be hoping the £30m signing will not be available next Saturday.
City arguably would have had more ownership and played most of the game, but it was Chelsea who had the highest percentage of clear-cut chances. Of course, Nicolas Jackson had a number of chances but couldn’t beat Ederson unless the Chelsea striker was offside.
Enzo Fernandez’s late arrivals into the box also posed a threat, but Maresca’s men, as on many occasions under former coach Mauricio Pochettino, were toothless. Les Bleus are in the market for a new number 9, even though they have already signed. Marc Guiu of Barcelona, and it is clarified why.
It’s hard to say how many first-team goalkeepers Chelsea have in their ranks lately, because as you read this, that number has possibly changed. It was Robert Sanchez who received Maresca’s approval for this match and had a stable afternoon until Mateo Kovacic composed himself with goal intent and blocked a shot from outside the area. repair.
Sanchez had a hand on the former Chelsea midfielder’s shot, but his wrist proved weak, allowing Kovacic to make it 2-0. The Croatian respectfully celebrated his opposition to his former club, as Maresca certainly handed over the gloves worth £20. 7m by signing Filip Jorgensen for the Blues’ next game.
It is not surprising that Chelsea are in favor of a solution in goal.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a coach who wasn’t influenced by Guardiola in those days, but for Maresca, it’s much more personal. The Italian component of the City manager’s coaching staff in the 2022-23 season before taking the reins at Leicester, where he won the league title and landed the Chelsea managerial position.
Although Maresca will be pleased with the way the Blues stayed in the game until Kovacic finished the match, his team is a City of kind years in the grand scheme of things. Sunday’s break against Wolves will be easier to win, although first will be the first leg of the Conference League play-offs, in which they will face Swiss side Servette.
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