The Blues were excellent and led thanks to former City player Raheem Sterling’s smart first-half strike, but Rodri scored late in the game to mask Pep Guardiola’s side’s unusually poor performance.
Erling Haaland wasted two great headed chances and sent another effort wide of the goal, summing City’s problems.
As City got off to a fast start, Julian Alvarez fired wide inside the first two minutes, before Haaland sent a header well wide of the goal when he should have celebrated a simple tap in.
Chelsea did pose an actual danger on the counter. Conor Gallagher’s dangerous cut-back was well cleared, as was a smart through-ball to Cole Palmer, while Sterling found an inch of space but could only muster a poor effort.
Nicolas Jackson should have scored 20 minutes in after a counterattack put him one-on-one with Ederson, but the City goalkeeper made himself huge and blocked the effort. Ten minutes later, Sterling made a similar mistake, but a late offside flag saved him.
Sterling, on the other hand, would not make such a mistake at halftime. Another counter-attack put the former City star through on goal, and after cutting inside his defender, he ensured his strike went into the net.
The second half began with another excellent opportunity for Haaland. A lovely passage of play saw Phil Foden whip a cross into the back post, but the Norwegian striker couldn’t keep his feet to control his shot.
Ederson had to save another close-range shot from Sterling and get enough on the follow-up from Ben Chilwell to give Ruben Dias enough time to clear the ball away, with City’s defence appearing disjointed at times.
Starting at the hour mark, the hosts threw everything at Chelsea, leaving an ocean of space behind them. Haaland was given another fantastic opportunity from a Kevin De Bruyne cross, but his header was deflected wide.
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