Manchester City started their quest for a fifth consecutive Premier League title with a confident 2-0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, marking their 13th victory in 14 opening day fixtures.
Despite the anticipation surrounding this marquee match, the early stages were subdued as both teams settled into the new season. City, however, quickly found their rhythm and began applying pressure. Their persistence paid off midway through the first half when Erling Haaland outmuscled Marc Cucurella and calmly chipped over Robert Sánchez, continuing his streak of scoring on matchday one for the third straight season.
Sánchez was pivotal in keeping Chelsea in the game, making a stunning full-stretch save to deny Jérémy Doku just before halftime. Chelsea nearly equalized on the stroke of halftime when Nicolas Jackson fired home after Ederson spilled a Cole Palmer shot, but the goal was disallowed for offside, sparing the City goalkeeper’s blushes.
In response to Chelsea’s late first-half threat, Pep Guardiola introduced Phil Foden at halftime. City continued to press for a second goal, with Haaland forcing another fine save from Sánchez early in the second half. City appeared to double their lead when Rico Lewis found the net, but the goal was ruled out due to a foul by Haaland on Levi Colwill in the buildup.
Chelsea’s head coach Enzo Maresca made several substitutions in a bid to turn the game around, but it was former Blue Mateo Kovačić who sealed the victory for City. The Croatian midfielder drove forward and unleashed a powerful shot from the edge of the box that Sánchez couldn’t keep out, securing all three points for the defending champions. Chelsea, meanwhile, face early questions ahead of their UEFA Europa Conference League qualifier against Servette.
