Manchester City kicked off their Premier League title defence with a convincing 2-0 win over Chelsea, marking a successful start to their campaign. Erling Haaland, marking his 100th appearance, scored his 91st goal for City, while Mateo Kovacic added another goal to the scoresheet. Despite missing key players like Rodri, Kyle Walker and starting with Phil Foden on the bench until the second half, City remained dominant in Enzo Maresca's debut match as Chelsea manager.
Despite missing key players, Man City managed to make a statement against one of the few teams they couldn't beat in the league stage last season. The opening minutes saw both teams test each other, with Bernardo Silva getting a shot off in the 8th minute, only for Levi Colwill to block it. A promising City buildup in the 11th minute ended with Jeremy Doku's shot going wide. However, City broke the deadlock in the 19th minute when Savinho advanced from the left and passed to Bernardo Silva, who set up Haaland. The Norwegian calmly chipped the ball over Sanchez into the net.
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City Triumphs 2-0 Over Chelsea Despite Late Pressure
City maintained their momentum as De Bruyne narrowly missed the target with a shot in the 22nd minute. Chelsea responded by applying pressure on City's defence, gaining more control of the ball in the following minutes. However, City soon regained their footing and began probing Chelsea's defence once more. Doku forced a fine save from Robert Sanchez, followed by another effort from Silva that tested the Chelsea goalkeeper in the 39th minute.
Chelsea ended the first half with momentum and should have equalised before the break as Ederson fumbled Cole Palmer's weak shot, but Nicolas Jackson's unnecessary offside position nullified the rebound goal.
City made a substitution at the start of the second half, bringing on Phil Foden for Savinho. Palmer kept up the pressure on City's defence, nearly connecting with Jackson in the box early in the half, but not to be.
Haaland nearly doubled City's lead in the 52nd minute, but Sanchez made a crucial save. Chelsea responded by substituting Nkunku with their big-money signing, Pedro Neto, who nearly made an immediate impact. Despite Chelsea's increased intensity and a strong effort from Jackson, Ederson kept them at bay. Rico Lewis found the net for City, but the goal was disallowed due to a foul by Haaland in the build-up.
Chelsea appeared to be staging a comeback, but Kovacic delivered a decisive blow in the 85th minute, scoring to secure a 2-0 win for Manchester City.