Manchester City 3-1 Chelsea: Erling Haaland and Phil Foden power crucial win as Pep Guardiola’s side show top-four fight | Football News

Erling Haaland and Phil Foden powered an impressive comeback as Manchester City beat Chelsea 3-1 to reinsert themselves in the Premier League’s top four after slipping as low as seventh earlier on Saturday.

Wins for Newcastle and Bournemouth had seen City slide towards mid-table but a resurgent display, coming from a goal behind, means they rejoin Nottingham Forest, Arsenal and leaders Liverpool in the Champions League places, while Chelsea slip to sixth.

Enzo Maresca’s well-rested Blues played havoc with a laboured City side early on, still reeling from their midweek collapse in Paris against PSG, as young defender Abdukodir Khusanov – one of two debutants alongside Omar Marmoush – suffered an opening night to forget.

The 20-year-old, signed five days prior from Lens for £33.5m and hooked after 52 minutes, endured what Jamie Redknapp called a “nightmare start”, nodding a bouncing ball towards Ederson in the third minute, who wasn’t there, allowing Noni Madueke to tap into an empty net.

Khusanov was then booked for a rash challenge on Cole Palmer, with Gary Neville describing his Premier League introduction as “brutal”.

Pep Guardiola had warned midweek that City were in survival mode and struggling to compete with the best teams, and so it proved, until Josko Gvardiol unearthed a timely equaliser shortly before half time.

Gvardiol twice went close as he blasted over from close range and then dabbed wide but his persistence was finally rewarded when Marc Cucurella and Robert Sanchez made a horrible mess of an attempted clearance and a fortunate ricochet fell his way.

From that moment the game flipped, and the hosts rediscovered a slice of the confidence the Eithad crowd have become accustomed to under Guardiola’s esteemed rule – City have won more points from losing positions than any other side in the Premier League this season (17).

Ederson’s precise long ball found Haaland on the move in the 68th minute and he rolled Trevoh Chalobah before embarrassing Sanchez, caught hopelessly off his line, with a cheeky chip, as Foden made sure of the win with a third from another direct pass late on.

No player has made more errors (five) leading to a goal this season than the Chelsea goalkeeper.

Redknapp: Pep made a mistake starting Khusanov

Sky Sports’ Jamie Redknapp:

“I said before the game I thought it was a risk to start him [Khusanov]. It’s less of a risk for Marmoush. When you’re playing as a centre-back, it’s a lot more difficult, with the risk and the pressure that’s on you.

“I think Pep, right now, will be saying, ‘I shouldn’t have played him.’ He’s 20 years of age, he’s just come to the country, the team hasn’t got any confidence as a defensive unit, and you’ve got Matheus Nunes as your right-back.

“It’s not like the team is winning week in, week out. Last year, this would have been an easy job. But this season it’s a lot more difficult. I think throwing him into an environment like this today was a mistake.”

Guardiola: Khusanov will learn

Man City boss Pep Guardiola speaking about Abdukodir Khusanov:

“Well, what I thought, it’s not the best start, right? He will take a lesson. So young, to deal with (Nicolas) Jackson and Cole (Palmer), all these kinds of incredible players, it’s not easy.

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“I love the reaction of his team-mates. He didn’t make one training session with us because it’s just been recovery.

“And yeah, he will learn. I’m pretty sure take a lesson for that and the reaction for the team. What can I say? ‘Don’t do a mistake.’ He doesn’t want to do it, we know that. The reaction from his team-mates was amazing.”

Analysis: Are City finally evolving?

Sky Sports’ Laura Hunter:

Manchester City do have another way, who knew? For years under Pep Guardiola they have been multi-dimensional but never before have they favoured the direct route.

But City are also not as spritely as they used to be. They lack most of their former certainties and have one of the oldest squads by average age in the Premier League – now it’s about working smarter, not harder.

Clearly the demographic of Guardiola’s team has had its limitations this season but they’re still savvier than most. Ederson’s season average has been to play 8.6 passes long, but against Chelsea he played 16, collecting another assist for Haaland, which changed the game.

No doubt Guardiola has suffered during his most gruelling season yet but finding a plan to fit the narrative will forever be his greatest strength. “We read the situation, the game was up and down and with that we are the worse team, we don’t have the legs,” the manager said post-match.

“We have to make the ball work for us and maybe it’s less attractive, but control was much better.”

Haaland’s presence and uniqueness is key, too, and his summary of events told a similar story: “Even Manchester City can go direct, it’s a good thing.”

Analysis: Maresca’s decision making is questionable

Sky Sports’ Lewis Jones:

Just a reminder: Chelsea were second on December 15, just two points behind Liverpool – they are now 13 points behind the leaders having won just once in their last seven matches.

The way they folded so tamely in the second half, not helped by Enzo Maresca’s changes it must be said, does leave the manager with some questions to answer.

Maresca has received criticism for his in-game tactical tweaks and substitutions this season and he left himself too open. Second-half changes only made them worse.

Maresca defends Sanchez after latest errors

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca speaking about Robert Sanchez:

“Robert for sure is completely aware that he has to do better. He was completely aware after the game. He knows that perfectly. The good thing is he is the first one that is aware that he has to do better.

“We trust Robert, for sure. But the first one who is completely aware that he is making mistakes in these moments is Robert. We continue to trust Robert, but now we have one entire week [before the next game] to see the reaction and then decide for the next games.”

Neville hits out at Palmer: Cole, you’re being played by Pep!

Sky Sports’ Gary Neville:

“I want to say something about Cole Palmer – he was talking to Pep Guardiola on the pitch right at the end of the game and he was smiling with him. Cole you’re being played, you’re being played here.

“You didn’t do enough out on that pitch in the second half and he’s an amazing player but you know something those Chelsea fans that have travelled up today, three or four thousand over in that far corner they don’t really want to see you conversing with the opposition manager and smiling at the end of the game.

“And I’m not being old school here but there’s something about that I thought ‘Pep Guardiola’s playing you here’.

“I know he’s had him but he didn’t play him and he sold him so he should have ignored him and headed straight back to the dressing room. Have a conversation inside the dressing room, I’m not against that – obviously he’s played for the manager but I just felt at the end that there’s something about it I didn’t feel was right from a Cole Palmer perspective.

“I know why Pep Guardiola’s done it – that’s what Pep Guardiola does but I wouldn’t if I’d lost 3-1 away from home. I expected more from him in the second half.”

Story of the match in stats…

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