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Match report and 3 interviews from the Champions League qualification


Manchester City leapfrogged Chelsea in the Premier League table, curling into the division’s top four thanks to a 3-1 win over the Blues on Saturday afternoon.

Noni Madueke fired the visitors in front three minutes after the start, but Chelsea never capitalized. City equalized on the stroke of half-time and scored twice without reply in the second half, with Erling Haaland scoring the go-ahead goal before Phil Foden turned in an inspired display.

However, it was mostly an affair at the Etihad Stadium, explaining why both sides are struggling Champions League Qualification, not the Premier League title.

How the game unfolded

“He will surely return soon,” said Enzo Maresca Fr Manchester City in front of the beginning. “I have no doubt.” The defending champions resolutely failed to rediscover their dominant edge enough to prevent Chelsea taking the lead after three minutes.

The Blues collapsed on two frantic moments of indecision from Debutant Abdukodir Khusanov. After pouncing on a high ball, the £42m recruit curled a header from the back of the net, which Nicolas Jackson latched onto Madueke to give Chelsea an early lead.

The hosts recovered their composure late on, creating a flurry of chances throughout the first half that also offered Chelsea some scoring opportunities. Most of City’s threat is directed through the buccaneering figure of Josko Guardiola. After being denied twice, the powerful full-back eventually found the back of the net.

Matheus Nunes broke behind and picked the ball over the top of Ilkay Gundogan. Caught unawares by an uncharacteristically direct approach, Marc Cucurella failed to hold his Portuguese counterpart, who crashed into the beleaguered Roberto Sanchez, sending the ball grinding into Guardiola’s grateful progress.

City maintained their determination to bypass Chelsea’s press after the interval. Moments after Haaland teed up Omar Marmoush’s effort after a long strike from Ederson, the Norwegian goalscorer took the onus.

A smart tackle from Trevoh Chalobah, Haaland latched onto a 70-yard drive and slotted the ball over Sanchez who was stranded with no man.

An air of nervous energy gripped the Etihad Stadium as memories of City’s frequent boundaries remain fresh. Phil Foden coolly converted the third goal to end those doubts. After another long pass, which Kevin de Bruyne tapped in, Haaland set up his teammate for a strike to seal the game.

City’s win lifts them above the Blues and Newcastle United into the top four, trailing third-placed Nottingham Forest by just three points. Chelsea, by contrast, have dropped to sixth place and are only above reigning Bournemouth side thanks to scoring more goals this season.

See Man City 3-1 Chelsea scores here.

It wasn’t a good start for Abdukodir Khusanov / Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA / GetTyImages

Khusan’s career in the Premier League He was three minutes and 36 seconds old by the time he scored and was shown his first yellow card of the competition. In comparison, Omar Marmoush proved his threat inside the opening 40 seconds when he uncorked an early shot.

Freed for his calculated dive for the first ball, Khusanova caught a missed, four-footed logic when he tried to direct a pass to Ederson from the edge of his own box.

The Uzbek centre-back cleared his mind to avoid more meltdowns but was hooked within ten minutes of the restart, shortly after narrowly escaping a second yellow card for Jackson. Guardiola wrapped the 20-year-old in a warm embrace that few could have stuck with the youngster.

Marmoush was taken off shortly after City took a 2-1 lead. Without marking his debut directly contributing to the goal, there were glimpses of the fruitful partnership the Egyptian could form with Haaland – especially if City maintain their newly direct approach.

Robert Sanchez (left) didn’t cover himself in glory for Man City’s equalizer / Carl Recine / GettyImages

“He’s getting better,” Maresca said of his first-choice goalkeeper Roberto Sanchez this week, “but he’s still far, far, far from where I want him to be.” That gap in performance and expectations will widen after Spain’s display of the Spaniard at the Etihad.

Sanchez spent Saturday night in a fog of indecision. Locked in his six-yard box when presented with the chance to intercept Nunes’ heavy touch for City’s equaliser, the unconvincing custodian should have stayed on his line for Haaland’s chip. Sanchez’s bone wanderer forced the Norwegian into goal, creating an opening that wouldn’t have existed if he hadn’t gone for a walk.

Chelsea’s number one made five mistakes leading to Premier League Goals this season – no other goalkeeper in the division can top it.

Enzo Maresca could not point the way to victory for Chelsea / Michael Regan / GettyImages

Despite the obvious outward respect Maresca – a former Guardiola assistant – showed his past employers, this was a golden opportunity for Chelsea to end their ten-game winless streak against City. Thomas Tuchel, another confident The guard A schoolboy, he was the last Blues boss to beat the reigning English champions.

Chelsea took a three-minute lead going over due to the uncertainty still ingrained in the seams of City’s watch. “Our problem is with the ball,” Guardiola explained before the game. “This season, that’s what we’ve missed. If you have the ball and you don’t pass properly to your partner, everything is so difficult.”

Khusanov highlighted that vulnerability, but the Blues hardly tested City’s resolve after that, sitting in the middle block for much of the contest. Before the visitors could rediscover their magical advantage, City finally realized they could avoid any nervous passes in their own box and threaten Chelsea’s area by sending long balls forward to Haaland.

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