Erling Haaland and Mateo Kovacic were on the scoresheet as Manchester City started their Premier League title defence with a 2-0 win away to Chelsea.
2024/2025 Premier League
0-2
Match Report
Manchester City opened their Premier League title defence with little trouble after sweeping aside Chelsea with a 2-0 away victory on Sunday.
Pep Guardiola's team are chasing a record-extending fifth consecutive title and opened their 2024-25 campaign with a routine three points at Stamford Bridge, in stark contrast to the remarkable 4-4 draw in this fixture last term.
Erling Haaland chipped past Robert Sanchez with a well-taken opener in the first half of his 100th appearance for City, profiting from Bernardo Silva's deft offload to send the visitors on their way to victory.
Nicolas Jackson responded for Chelsea by having an equaliser ruled out before the break, with the Blues striker caught offside after Ederson unconvincingly parried from Cole Palmer's dipping strike.
Jackson again tested Ederson after the interval with a volley from Romeo Lavia's header, but Mateo Kovacic's fine individual finish against his former club six minutes from time sealed the win.
Victory saw City – who also had a Rico Lewis goal disallowed – join seven other teams on three points, while Enzo Maresca's Chelsea are just one place above the bottom three after his first match at the helm.
Data Debrief: Haaland provides further opening-game heroics
Haaland has been directly involved in 106 goals in 100 appearances for City, and the Norway talisman has enjoyed the opening fixture in this competition as well.
The 24-year-old became the first City player to score on matchday one in three consecutive Premier League seasons, after David Silva (2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16).
He has also scored 13 times across his nine Premier League appearances in August, two more than Chelsea have managed as a team since the start of the 2022-23 season.
Chelsea, meanwhile, are winless in their last seven league meetings with Man City (D2 L5), since a 2-1 away win in May 2021, and will have to recover before their next top-flight trip to Wolves on Sunday.
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
4' Doku tries to clip a cross over to Haaland but it goes over the bar
8' Bernardo Silva's shot from a tightish angle is deflected wide by Colwill
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9' Match Event for Chelsea vs Man City
11' Jeremy Doku's shot is so wayward it goes towards the corner flag
14' Jackson doesn't look up to see Nkunku free in the centre and fouls Ruben Dias
17' Highlight from Chelsea vs Man City
18' He's back! Haaland opens the scoring for the visitors! Chelsea 0-1 Man City
22' De Bruyne curls a shot just wide from outside the box
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27' Christopher Nkunku is penalised for pulling Manuel Akanji down
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33' Savinho bundles into the back of Enzo but the referee says no penalty
35' Highlight from Chelsea vs Man City
37' A world-class save from Sanchez to deny Doku
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38' Enzo Fernandez's shot is blocked by Manuel Akanji
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40' Doku makes wrong decision and Bernardo Silva has a shot saved
42' Savinho gets treatment after a injury on knee and comes back
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45' Jackson has the ball in the net but it's ruled out for OFFSIDE
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46' Phil Foden replaces Savinho, who picked up injury near the end of the first half
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48' Huge mistake by Sanchez to give De Bruyne the ball but luckily the cross is poor
49' Another Chelsea penalty appeal involving Enzo but it's not given again
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50' Nkunku has a shot blocked, and is then tackled but not given
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52' CLOSE! Sanchez denies Haaland's effort
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59' Pedro Neto's on for his Chelsea debut to replace Nkunku
62' A point-blank Nicolas Jackson effort is saved by Ederson!
65' Rico Lewis scores but it's ruled out for a foul from Haaland who sees yellow
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67' Kieran Dewsbury-Hall and Marc Guiu on, Jackson and Lavia are replaced
73' Match Event for Chelsea vs Man City
74' Highlight from Chelsea vs Man City
76' Not a handball for Kovacic as PL has relaxed the handball law this season
80' Renato Veiga replaces Marc Cucurella
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84' Kovacic doubles the lead against his old side! Chelsea 0-2 Man City
88' Match Event for Chelsea vs Man City
89' Highlight from Chelsea vs Man City
Line-ups
Chelsea XI: Marc Cucurella, Nkunku, Robert Sánchez, Cole Palmer, Wesley Fofana, Enzo Fernández, Moisés Caicedo, Levi Colwill, Malo Gusto, Roméo Lavia, Nicolas Jackson
Subs: T.Adarabioyo, Pedro Neto, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Benoît Badiashile, Noni Madueke, Mykhaylo Mudryk, Filip Jørgensen, Renato Veiga, Marc Guiu
Man City XI: De Bruyne, Kovacic, Ederson, Ruben Dias, Bernardo, Akanji, Haaland, Jérémy Doku, Josko Gvardiol, Rico Lewis, Savinho
Subs: Walker, Stefan Ortega, Ake, Stones, Grealish, Foden, Matheus Nunes, James McAtee, Nico O'Reilly