Relieved to see the offside flag go up when he spilled Cole Palmer's effort into Nicolas Jackson's path. Made up for it with a stunning point-blank save from Jackson in the second half. 6
Rico Lewis
Deservedly keeping his place at right-back, Lewis enjoyed a physical battle with Christopher Nkunku and it was his inverting into the attacking midfield area that opened up space for the opening goal - even if he didn't have a direct role. He even popped up with a brilliant goal-line clearance to keep City ahead. Kyle Walker won't have it easy coming back into the side. 8
Ruben Dias
It was like he had never been away, tracking back well, getting stuck in and not letting anyone past. It's a huge boost to see him back from the Euros and looking up to speed so quickly. 7
Manuel Akanji
His winning penalty at Wembley clearly gave him confidence, and this was another imposing performance in a game where he needed to be alert all the time. 6
Josko Gvardiol
Sometimes a little shaky out of possession, but with the ball produced some important moments to take the team up the pitch. Embracing his attacking left-back role from the end of last season. 6
Mateo Kovacic
A big ask to stand in for Rodri, especially without a partner at the base of midfield. Kovacic did most of the dirty work himself and the biggest compliment is that he was barely noticeable - just like Rodri - until his brilliant goal sealed the win. 8
Bernardo Silva
Did he mean to poke the ball into Haaland's path for the opener? Either way, he begins the season with an assist and did well between a double pivot and supporting De Bruyne further up. Guardiola can play him anywhere and he will perform. 7
Kevin De Bruyne
Not strictly a number 10, more a roaming attacking man. De Bruyne was always involved and linked well with the fluid options around him. 6
Savinho
Started on the right surprisingly and made the opener with his pass towards Haaland. Immediately switched to the left he continued to probe, but his afternoon was cut short by a collision towards the end of the first half that saw him replaced at the break. 7
Jeremy Doku
Much better when switched back to the left, earning praise from the manager in the technical area. One fine effort tipped over but a few final balls letting him down. 6
Erling Haaland
On his 100th appearance for the club, Haaland danced into the area and chipped home his 91st goal. Always there, even if he wasn't involved too much. To see that goal return after a century of appearances shows his superiority and he's off the mark for the new season. 7
SUBS
Phil Foden (on 45)
Easing his way back into action on his first appearance since the Euro 2024 final. Not his most involved, but there's a full season to come. 6
GK: Ederson - 5/10 - Got away with a woeful lapse in concentration in the first half, gifting Jackson a free shot from a close distance.
RB: Rico Lewis - 7/10 - Usually a tidy player who keeps the ball safe, this was one of Lewis' more adventurous performances, both coming into midfield and bombing on down the wing to overload Chelsea.
CB: Manuel Akanji - 6/10 - Nothing too outrageous either way for Akanji to shout about. Sometimes allowed Jackson to wriggle free though this didn't harm City in the end.
CB: Ruben Dias - 7/10 - When City were under the cosh, it was often Dias who came up with the defining block, tackle or interception to spare their blushes.
LB: Josko Gvardiol - 6/10 - Chelsea's lack of natural width made Gvardiol's task a fair bit simpler, even if he did fail to close down Palmer on a few occasions.
DM: Mateo Kovacic - 8/10 - Doesn't quite provide the same defensive sturdiness that Rodri brings, which is a given and to be expected. Tidy enough on the ball to make up for that lack of presence, and came up with the decisive goal to cap off a fine return to Stamford Bridge.
CM: Bernardo Silva - 8/10 - Pushed high into the final third and was often the one to play final passes at the end of moves, notably resulting in Haaland's opening goal.
CM: Kevin De Bruyne - 7/10 - Played the game at a slower pace than usual, allowing the game to follow suit and deny Chelsea the chance to quickly break away.
RW: Savinho - 6/10 - Started on the left but swapped with Doku early on. Showed glimpses of real quality before being substituted at half-time with a knock.
CF: Erling Haaland - 7/10 - Marked his 100th City game with his 91st goal for the club. Hardly involved from that point onwards.
LW: Jeremy Doku - 6/10 - As pleasant to watch as he is frustrating. So often dribbled his way into great areas before bringing an attack to an end with a wayward pass or cross.
Substitutes
Phil Foden (46' for Savinho) - 5/10 - Only returned to training a few days ago and essentially used this match just to get back up to speed again. Didn't try anything too brave.
Manager Pep Guardiola - 7/10 - City showed exactly why they've won four titles in a row, outlasting Chelsea through the final stages of the game and landing the killer blow.
GK: Ederson - 5/10 - Got away with a woeful lapse in concentration in the first half, gifting Jackson a free shot from a close distance.
RB: Rico Lewis - 7/10 - Usually a tidy player who keeps the ball safe, this was one of Lewis' more adventurous performances, both coming into midfield and bombing on down the wing to overload Chelsea.
CB: Manuel Akanji - 6/10 - Nothing too outrageous either way for Akanji to shout about. Sometimes allowed Jackson to wriggle free though this didn't harm City in the end.
CB: Ruben Dias - 7/10 - When City were under the cosh, it was often Dias who came up with the defining block, tackle or interception to spare their blushes.
LB: Josko Gvardiol - 6/10 - Chelsea's lack of natural width made Gvardiol's task a fair bit simpler, even if he did fail to close down Palmer on a few occasions.
DM: Mateo Kovacic - 8/10 - Doesn't quite provide the same defensive sturdiness that Rodri brings, which is a given and to be expected. Tidy enough on the ball to make up for that lack of presence, and came up with the decisive goal to cap off a fine return to Stamford Bridge.
CM: Bernardo Silva - 8/10 - Pushed high into the final third and was often the one to play final passes at the end of moves, notably resulting in Haaland's opening goal.
CM: Kevin De Bruyne - 7/10 - Played the game at a slower pace than usual, allowing the game to follow suit and deny Chelsea the chance to quickly break away.
RW: Savinho - 6/10 - Started on the left but swapped with Doku early on. Showed glimpses of real quality before being substituted at half-time with a knock.
CF: Erling Haaland - 7/10 - Marked his 100th City game with his 91st goal for the club. Hardly involved from that point onwards.
LW: Jeremy Doku - 6/10 - As pleasant to watch as he is frustrating. So often dribbled his way into great areas before bringing an attack to an end with a wayward pass or cross.
Substitutes
Phil Foden (46' for Savinho) - 5/10 - Only returned to training a few days ago and essentially used this match just to get back up to speed again. Didn't try anything too brave.
Manager Pep Guardiola - 7/10 - City showed exactly why they've won four titles in a row, outlasting Chelsea through the final stages of the game and landing the killer blow.
Very fortunate that Jackson was offside when the goalkeeper spilled Palmer's weak shot at his feet. Did show fine reactions to deny Jackson in the second half, and was his usual confident self with the ball at his feet, but did spill a couple of balls late on.
Rico Lewis (6/10):
Troubled at times by Nkunku, but stood up to the France international pretty well. Fine back-post clearance denied Neto a certain goal in the second half.
Manuel Akanji (6/10):
Had a couple of shaky moments in possession early on but grew into the game and was strong up against Jackson.
Ruben Dias (8/10):
Led the City defence superbly. Positioning was excellent throughout and made some key challenges to kill Chelsea attacks.
Josko Gvardiol (7/10):
Showcased excellent defensive nous to halt a couple of dangerous Chelsea counters. Didn't get forward as much as he might have liked, but managed to mostly keep a lid on Palmer.
Mateo Kovacic (8/10):
Deputised for the absent Rodri and put in a passable imitation of the Spain star as he dominated at times against his former club. Capped a fine performance with a goal.
Bernardo Silva (8/10):
Pure class whenever he got on the ball, and it was his all-important toe that diverted Doku's pass into Haaland's path for the City goal.
Kevin De Bruyne (6/10):
Began his potential farewell tour in relatively quiet fashion. Dribbled through the Chelsea midfield on a couple of occasions, but couldn't find his usual killer ball. Curled a couple of shots wide, too.
Jeremy Doku (5/10):
Started on the right and endured a dreadful opening 15 minutes before switching wings. Got more joy on the left and played his part in Haaland's goal, though his final ball was still lacking at times.
Erling Haaland (8/10):
He only needs one chance. Showed immense strength to make room for himself in the box before producing a deft finish over Sanchez to open the scoring. A nuisance otherwise, even if he wasn't always that involved.
Savinho (7/10):
Enjoyed a very bright Premier League debut as he caused problems on both flanks with his pace and dribbling ability. Unfortunate to be forced off at half-time with an apparent knee injury.
Subs & Manager Phil Foden (6/10):
Not his thrilling best after coming on at half-time, but kept the ball ticking over and worked well with Lewis down the right.
Pep Guardiola (7/10):
Got it wrong when it came to Doku and Savinho's starting positions, but once he switched his wingers, City never looked in any trouble. An ominous display given the players that were missing.
Ederson, 5: Fortunate to get away with a spilled Palmer shot which Jackson tapped home, only for an offside flag to save him. Spilled a cross late in the game but City’s defence bailed him out.
Rico Lewis, 7: Defended well throughout the game, making a strong early tackle on Nkunku and an important late interception in his own six-yard box.
Manuel Akanji, 6: Erred with a poor mistake which almost gifted Chelsea a goal but otherwise tidy enough.
Ruben Dias, 8: Made a couple of crucial last-gasp challenges to protect his team defensively.
Josko Gvardiol, 7: Strong and reliable, but not tested nearly enough for Chelsea’s liking. Made the most interceptions (4) of anyone on the field.
Mateo Kovacic, 9: Probably the best player on the pitch. In Rodri’s absence, Kovacic stepped up to fulfil the role of City’s tempo setter expertly, and his late goal was the cherry on top of an outstanding display.
Kevin De Bruyne, 6: Some neat turns and touches in midfield, but his finishing was off today.
Bernardo Silva, 8: Typically smart and efficient on the ball, and picked up an assist with his touch on to Haaland in the build-up to City’s goal.
Savinho, 5: Bright and sharp in the opening minutes but faded, and he was replaced at half-time by Foden.
Jeremy Doku, 5: Shut down by Cucurella in the opening moments. Doku improved, but when he did break in behind, consistently failed to find a teammate with his cross.
Erling Haaland, 8: Brilliantly taken goal by a brilliant striker, who caused Chelsea defenders constant problems in physical duels. Booked in the second half for an inadvertent scrape on Colwill’s knee.
Ederson- 6.5/10: He was cool in possession but made one error in the first half. He made a superb save on the hour mark to preserve City’s 1-nil lead.
Rico Lewis-8.5/10: An outstanding display from Lewis. He would’ve been City’s man-of-the-match if not for the performance of Mateo Kovacic. Looks set for a big season.
Manuel Akanji-7/10: A professional performance from Akanji. Did what he had to do with minimal fuss.
Ruben Dias-7.5/10: He carried his strong showing from the Community Shield into today’s game. Some crucial blocks and a fantastic display from Dias.
Josko Gvardiol-6.5/ 10: Not at his best today. He defended well at times but not as smooth in possession as he usually is.
Mateo Kovacic-9/10: The best compliment to pay Kovacic was that was a Rodri-esque performance. His goal was a fine reward for a fantastic all around display. Kovacic was by far the most dominant midfielder on the pitch.
Kevin De Bruyne-6.5/10: Had several good chances but his radar was unusually off. He looks to be one of several City players who will build into the season.
Bernardo Silva-7.5/10: He picked up an assist with a sublime touch for Haaland’s opener. Another professional performance from Bernardo.
Jeremy Doku-7/10: He can be City’s most dangerous and most frustrating player in the same game. Today was the perfect encapsulation of that. He was dangerous but his end product wasn’t there. But to his credit he was always a threat to Chelsea.
Savinho-7/10: A lively debut in his first start for Manchester City. He was more dangerous on City’s right-hand side rather than the left and he gave Marc Cucurella a torrid time. Unfortunately he had to be replaced at halftime after suffering an injury late in the first half.
Erling Haaland-7.5/10: Haaland looks set for a big season. A superb finish for City’s opener and he was always a threat.
Substitutes Phil Foden-6/10: He didn’t have a major impact after coming on at halftime. He will be better for the run after a long summer.
Ederson ( 4 ): After a summer filled with rumours he could be off to Saudi Arabia, he is staying. I don’t know why he would want to leave, as he is basically on vacation whenever City play games but guess some people like to get busy and have a big bag of money. The offside flag saved him from a horrendous mistake and he dropped an easy cross that he was lucky that Chelsea did not capitalise on. Only had an easy save from Jackson to make
Rico Lewis ( 8 ): One of our editors loves him so I have to give him a good rating; otherwise, I will not be writing on this website anymore. On a more serious note, he was good at inverting and building up play, dealt with Nkunku and Pedro Neto well and was an outlet in the attack. A solid performance from the young right back. The best player on the pitch today.
Manuel Akanji ( 6.5 ): The man who always does the job for City. No fuss, no nonsense, no transfer saga. Akanji proves every game why he is one of City’s best investments. A solid performance from the Swiss defender.
Ruben Dias ( 6.5 ): Fresh from his Euro 2024 disappointment with Portugal and partnering 41-year-old Pepe, the Portuguese centre back returns to City and shows why he is one of the best in business. It’s time to win some trophies on the club level. Dealt with whatever threat Chelsea created well.
See also Everton's Stance On Jarrad Branthwaite Has Not Changed Despite Manchester United Interest
Joško Gvardiol ( 6 ): Signed as a CB, now playing as a LB. No one really knows where he plays but I guess this is the thing with Pep’s teams. Solid performance from the Croatian, who contained Palmer most of the game.
Matteo Kovacic ( 8 ): Returning back to his old stomping grounds and putting in a serious shift in place of Rodri. Helped City get out of Chelsea pressure, was disciplined, read the game really well and did not feel like Rodri was missed all game. Scored the killer goal. It is difficult to choose between him and Rico as the best players on the pitch.
Kevin De Bruyne ( 5 ): He was not so good at the end of the last season, and was not so good at this game. He did not really impact the game the way we know he can.
Bernardo Silva ( 6.5 ): City’s joker and enforcer; isn’t everybody in City a joker, though? Was everywhere and created the goal with a daft touch for Haaland.
Savinho ( 7.5 ): The guy who added an -inho to his name to appear more Brazilian did not need to do that, as his performances showed he is Brazilian. Tormented Cucurella all game long and was at the heart of anything dangerous City created. Hooked at the 45th minute but what looked like an injury was an electric performance from the Brazilian.
Jeremy Doku ( 5 ): Another game and nobody can really know if Doku is a serious footballer or not. He struggled on the right against Cucurella and did not really impact the game much from the left, barring some take ons. He destroyed all of City’s counterattacks; other than his contribution to City’s first goal, this was a performance to forget from Doku.
Erling Haaland ( 7 ): Another season, same robot. One chance, one goal.
Officials at Manchester City will look to renew the contract of midfield mainstay Rodrigo before turning attentions to Erling Haaland’s own deal, according to reports.
It is claimed that City bosses now view the Spaniard as ‘their most influential player’, and are ready to recognise that by increasing his wages to around a basic fee of £375,000-a-week, giving him parity with top-earners Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne.
Premier League champions Manchester City are continuing to target the recruitment of two new signings before the summer transfer window’s deadline, according to reports.
Fresh impetus from Etihad Stadium officials in the transfer market comes after a string of outgoing transfers from Pep Guardiola’s first-team squad, accompanied by the long-term injury sustained by Oscar Bobb in training.
the Premier League champions are aiming to sign two players between now and the end of the summer transfer window: a holding midfielder and a striker
Premier League champions Manchester City will reportedly demand a pay-cut from Kevin De Bruyne as part of discussions and negotiations over a new contract.
Rico Lewis should have played more for Manchester City last season, Pep Guardiola admitted in light of another glowing performance from the versatile defender.
The teenager was once again writing his own headlines on Sunday afternoon having put in an exemplary performance from right-back against Chelsea on the Premier League’s opening weekend of action.
Manchester City have reached an agreement with Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal regarding the transfer of Joao Cancelo, according to Portuguese media.
The report claims that the two clubs have agreed on a €40 million transfer fee for the 30-year-old right-back, who is expected to put pen to paper on a three-year agreement in Saudi Arabia worth a total salary package of €70 million across the contract.
Manchester City and Ilkay Gundogan have now reached a FULL AGREEMENT for the German to re-sign for the Premier League champions. Gundogan will sign a one-year contract with, with the option of a further 12 months. (Pol Ballus, The Athletic)
Pep Guardiola has been ‘absolutely key’ to bringing Ilkay Gündogan back to Manchester City. As soon as Barcelona informed the midfielder of their plan to let him leave on a free transfer, Guardiola wanted to talk to the 33-year-old. (Fabrizio Romano)
An official announcement of Ilkay Gundogan to Manchester City is expected tomorrow. (Adrià Albets)
Ilkay Gundogan held a 50-minute meeting with Pep Guardiola at TAST Restaurant in Manchester on Wednesday night. (The Sun)
Manchester City are weighing up a move for Celtic forward Kyogo Furuhashi (29). City are aiming to replace Julian Alvarez with a player who is prepared to accept a squad role and have now whittled down their search to Kyogo and one other younger forward. Kyogo has caught City’s eye and personal terms would not be a problem – if he is the final choice – given the Japan international’s desire to move to the Etihad Stadium. (Sam Lee, The Athletic)
Manchester City have not definitely committed to moving for another striker, believing they may have options in their squad to cover the position, but Celtic’s Kyogo Furuhashi is under consideration. Celtic would hold out for a club-record fee (£25 million) given Kyogo’s effectiveness, impact and popularity since he was signed in 2021 for £4.5 million. (Michael Grant, The Times)
Aug 19 2024, 02:47 AM
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