Final Score – 3-1
Manchester City overcame their Covid-19 absences and blew away Chelsea with a team performance that put the game out of sight by half time and poured pressure on Frank Lampard with a fourth defeat in six.
The lowlight for Chelsea was Kevin De Bruyne’s 34th minute goal to put City 3-0 up, as an attacking free kick for the home side resulted in Raheem Sterling streaking clear from the half-way line to curl a shot against the post after being pushed wide, De Bruyne gathering and passing into the net.
Both teams had looked skittish to start, perhaps due to poor form and missing players respectively.
Zack Steffen, making his Premier League debut, picked up an early back-pass, and Rodri almost conceded a penalty.
But once Ilkay Gundogan turned Thiago Silva confidently on the edge of the area and hit a low shot past Edouard Mendy in the 18th minute things changed completely.
The goal clearly settled the nerves as City doubled their lead two minutes later, Phil Foden turning a De Bruyne ball in at the near post as the Manchester side were suddenly up to full speed.
Embed from Getty ImagesChelsea visibly wilted as they saw another result piling up in this bad period with Christian Pulisic virtually the sole respondent, as City passed rings around them and De Bruyne made it three.
An obviously angry Lampard sent his team out early after the break but only a fantastic Mendy save kept a Rodri header out as a Chelsea response never materialised despite an injury-time consolation from Callum Hudson-Odoi.
Click here to read Ryan Moran’s preview of the match.
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