Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City started their title defense in impressive fashion, securing a 2-0 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. Erling Haaland, in his 100th appearance for the club, marked the occasion by opening the scoring with a delightful finish over Robert Sanchez. This goal was Haaland’s 91st for City since joining from Borussia Dortmund in 2022.
The match itself lacked excitement, with few fireworks on display. After Haaland’s opener, Kevin de Bruyne came close to doubling City’s lead with a curling strike that narrowly missed the target. Sanchez also made an excellent save from Jeremy Doku’s deflected drive.
Chelsea thought they had equalized just before halftime when Nicolas Jackson capitalized on Ederson’s mistake, as he fumbled Cole Palmer’s shot into his path. However, replays showed that Jackson had strayed offside, much to the disappointment of the home side.
In the second half, Jackson continued to push for an equalizer, firing a first-time volley straight at Ederson. However, City held on to their advantage despite Chelsea’s best efforts. Pep Guardiola’s men responded by going close through Haaland, while Rico Lewis had a goal disallowed.
Any doubts about the outcome were put to rest in the 84th minute when Mateo Kovacic, playing in place of Rodri, scored against his former team. The Croatian midfielder unleashed a curling effort from outside the penalty area that left Sanchez with no chance.
Looking ahead, City will face newly promoted Ipswich Town in their next home match, while Chelsea will travel to take on Wolves.
