Erling Haaland netted his 91st goal in 100 appearances for Manchester City during a dominant 2-0 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, marking the start of City’s Premier League title defense. The prolific striker opened the scoring in the 18th minute, finding a gap between defenders Marc Cucurella and Wesley Fofana to slot the ball past goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, thanks to an assist from Bernardo Silva.
Mateo Kovacic, a former Chelsea player, secured the win with a powerful strike just six minutes before the end, capitalizing on a disorganized Chelsea midfield to score against his old club.
Chelsea, playing their first Premier League match under new manager Enzo Maresca, had some promising moments with Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, and recent acquisition Pedro Neto attempting to create scoring opportunities, but they were ultimately outdone by City’s more polished performance.
The teams lined up as follows:
Chelsea XI: Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella; Lavia, Caicedo, Fernandez; Palmer, Jackson, Nkunku.
Manchester City XI: Ederson; Lewis, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol; Kovacic, Bernardo; Doku, De Bruyne, Savinho; Haaland.
After the match, Haaland expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance, emphasizing that winning the first game is crucial regardless of pre-season preparations. He reflected on his goal, remarking it was a perfect moment, especially after having previously been thwarted by Sanchez in a prior encounter.
Kovacic stated his respect for Chelsea, emphasizing the importance of winning over personal accolades, as he embodies the winning mentality within the City team.
Despite losing, Chelsea showed potential for improvement as they could have converted several chances throughout the match. While City maintained control with 52% possession and ten shots, Chelsea created opportunities but struggled with execution, underscored by a disallowed goal.
As both teams move forward in the season, City continues its pursuit of another title, while Chelsea aims to refine their play under Maresca and capitalize on their attacking potential in upcoming fixtures.