Man City vs Chelsea result, highlights & analysis as Guardiola's men thrash Blues
Dom Farrell
8 hours ago•20 min read
Getty Images
ETIHAD STADIUM, MANCHESTER — Manchester City put an injury-hit Chelsea to the sword with a swaggering 4-0 win in the third round of the FA Cup.
Riyad Mahrez scored the only goal when the sides met at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League three days ago and the Algeria winger opened the scoring again in the 23rd minute, this time dispatching a sumptuous free-kick for his seventh goal of the season and fourth since the start of November.
Jamie Redknapp predicts Antonio Conte and Daniel Levy will have a falling out 'pretty soon', and other top stories from January 02, 2023.
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Julian Alvarez made a first start for City since starring in Argentina’s run to World Cup glory and he fired home a penalty with half an hour played after Kai Havertz inexplicably handballed.
Pep Guardiola’s side played fitfully in west London during midweek but they turned on the style against a flagging Chelsea with a wonderful team goal that saw Phil Foden effectively seal a place in round four before halftime, where the six-time winners will face Premier League leaders Arsenal or Oxford United.
Man City vs Chelsea final score
1H 2H FT
MCI 3 1 4
CHE 0 0 0
Goals:
MCI — Riyad Mahrez — 23rd minute
MCI — Julian Alvarez (pen) — 30th minute
MCI — Phil Foden — 39th minute
MCI — Riyad Mahrez (pen) — 85th minute
Rodri, Sergio Gomez and Cole Palmer exchanged slick one-touch passes before the former switched play to Mahrez. The in-form winger found a typically delightful touch and played in the under-lapping Kyle Walker to cross for Foden to tap home.
A raft of substitutions and Chelsea’s first-half ordeal combined to make the second half a less compelling spectacle until Mahrez added gloss to the scoreline, thumping City’s second penalty of the afternoon into the top corner after Kalidou Koulibaly responded to Bernardo Silva’s driving run and pass by blundering into the back of Foden.
MORE: FA Cup fourth round draw in full
Why did Chelsea fans chant for Thomas Tuchel?
It’s been a horrible few months for Graham Potter, who must feel like he didn’t fully read the small print on his dream job at Stamford Bridge. There is mitigation — the midweek injuries to Christian Pulisic and Raheem Sterling ticked Chelsea’s first-team injury list into double figures. Also, City’s first and third goals on Sunday were right out of the top drawer.
However, Chelsea have a squad with enviable depth. Despite the absentees, the likes of Mason Mount, Jorginho, Conor Gallagher, Hakim Ziyech, Kai Havertz and Mateo Kovacic were able to start. The latter two were hauled off at halftime and could have no complaints, while Ziyech looked a shadow of the player who shone for Morocco at the World Cup. Gallagher again looked a pale imitation of the man who thrived on loan at Crystal Palace last season.
Domestically, Chelsea have won two of their past 10 and one of the most recent eight in all competitions. A section of the away support booed at the end of both halves and others sung for Thomas Tuchel, the Champions League-winning manager, who was sacked earlier this season.
“We were second best to a very, very good side. We’re not in a great moment ourselves,” Potter said. “At 2-0, you have to chase the ball against Manchester City and are caught between committing more men and not getting opened up. The first half was painful. Clearly, we’re suffering as a football club.”
Potter acknowledged, City were possibly the worst team to be facing in the circumstances and, despite some Chelsea fans clearly thinking otherwise, Guardiola believes he should be given an opportunity to turn things around. “I would say to [Chelsea owner] Todd Boehly give him time,” he said. “I know in big clubs results are important but I’d say give him time. What he has done in Brighton is outstanding. All the managers need time. In Barcelona I didn’t need two seasons because I had Messi there, one season is enough.
Why is Riyad Mahrez back on form?
When quizzed about why certain members of his team weren’t playing in recent games, Guardiola said he paid special attention to body language. The talent of his City squad is beyond doubt and much comes down to attitude for the Catalan tactician.
The resurgent Mahrez is the latest example of this. The Algeria winger’s brace took his goals tally for the season to eight. Half of those have come since the World Cup, with three this week at Chelsea’s expense and another to help down Liverpool in the Carabao Cup.
“The quality from Riyad is everything. He loves to play football. He helped us to break the game with a fantastic free-kick. He played an outstanding game,” Guardiola said.
“Riyad in important games is a fantastic player, I know how important he is. Riyad came on in the last game at Chelsea and was fantastic. At Aston Villa [earlier in the season] he came on and we drew. Sometimes I have to let them see in the mirror who they are. Since we came back, he is playing really, really well.”
If Mahrez has put a period of low form and mood behind him from earlier in the campaign, he can still be a huge asset to Guardiola and help to ease the scoring burden that has fallen increasingly upon Erling Haaland, who enjoyed a rare weekend with his feet up as City ran riot.
Dom Farrell
8 hours ago•20 min read
Getty Images
ETIHAD STADIUM, MANCHESTER — Manchester City put an injury-hit Chelsea to the sword with a swaggering 4-0 win in the third round of the FA Cup.
Riyad Mahrez scored the only goal when the sides met at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League three days ago and the Algeria winger opened the scoring again in the 23rd minute, this time dispatching a sumptuous free-kick for his seventh goal of the season and fourth since the start of November.
Jamie Redknapp predicts Antonio Conte and Daniel Levy will have a falling out 'pretty soon', and other top stories from January 02, 2023.
0:00
Pause
Next video
Full-screen
READ MORE
Julian Alvarez made a first start for City since starring in Argentina’s run to World Cup glory and he fired home a penalty with half an hour played after Kai Havertz inexplicably handballed.
Pep Guardiola’s side played fitfully in west London during midweek but they turned on the style against a flagging Chelsea with a wonderful team goal that saw Phil Foden effectively seal a place in round four before halftime, where the six-time winners will face Premier League leaders Arsenal or Oxford United.
Man City vs Chelsea final score
1H 2H FT
MCI 3 1 4
CHE 0 0 0
Goals:
MCI — Riyad Mahrez — 23rd minute
MCI — Julian Alvarez (pen) — 30th minute
MCI — Phil Foden — 39th minute
MCI — Riyad Mahrez (pen) — 85th minute
Rodri, Sergio Gomez and Cole Palmer exchanged slick one-touch passes before the former switched play to Mahrez. The in-form winger found a typically delightful touch and played in the under-lapping Kyle Walker to cross for Foden to tap home.
A raft of substitutions and Chelsea’s first-half ordeal combined to make the second half a less compelling spectacle until Mahrez added gloss to the scoreline, thumping City’s second penalty of the afternoon into the top corner after Kalidou Koulibaly responded to Bernardo Silva’s driving run and pass by blundering into the back of Foden.
MORE: FA Cup fourth round draw in full
Why did Chelsea fans chant for Thomas Tuchel?
It’s been a horrible few months for Graham Potter, who must feel like he didn’t fully read the small print on his dream job at Stamford Bridge. There is mitigation — the midweek injuries to Christian Pulisic and Raheem Sterling ticked Chelsea’s first-team injury list into double figures. Also, City’s first and third goals on Sunday were right out of the top drawer.
However, Chelsea have a squad with enviable depth. Despite the absentees, the likes of Mason Mount, Jorginho, Conor Gallagher, Hakim Ziyech, Kai Havertz and Mateo Kovacic were able to start. The latter two were hauled off at halftime and could have no complaints, while Ziyech looked a shadow of the player who shone for Morocco at the World Cup. Gallagher again looked a pale imitation of the man who thrived on loan at Crystal Palace last season.
Domestically, Chelsea have won two of their past 10 and one of the most recent eight in all competitions. A section of the away support booed at the end of both halves and others sung for Thomas Tuchel, the Champions League-winning manager, who was sacked earlier this season.
“We were second best to a very, very good side. We’re not in a great moment ourselves,” Potter said. “At 2-0, you have to chase the ball against Manchester City and are caught between committing more men and not getting opened up. The first half was painful. Clearly, we’re suffering as a football club.”
Potter acknowledged, City were possibly the worst team to be facing in the circumstances and, despite some Chelsea fans clearly thinking otherwise, Guardiola believes he should be given an opportunity to turn things around. “I would say to [Chelsea owner] Todd Boehly give him time,” he said. “I know in big clubs results are important but I’d say give him time. What he has done in Brighton is outstanding. All the managers need time. In Barcelona I didn’t need two seasons because I had Messi there, one season is enough.
Why is Riyad Mahrez back on form?
When quizzed about why certain members of his team weren’t playing in recent games, Guardiola said he paid special attention to body language. The talent of his City squad is beyond doubt and much comes down to attitude for the Catalan tactician.
The resurgent Mahrez is the latest example of this. The Algeria winger’s brace took his goals tally for the season to eight. Half of those have come since the World Cup, with three this week at Chelsea’s expense and another to help down Liverpool in the Carabao Cup.
“The quality from Riyad is everything. He loves to play football. He helped us to break the game with a fantastic free-kick. He played an outstanding game,” Guardiola said.
“Riyad in important games is a fantastic player, I know how important he is. Riyad came on in the last game at Chelsea and was fantastic. At Aston Villa [earlier in the season] he came on and we drew. Sometimes I have to let them see in the mirror who they are. Since we came back, he is playing really, really well.”
If Mahrez has put a period of low form and mood behind him from earlier in the campaign, he can still be a huge asset to Guardiola and help to ease the scoring burden that has fallen increasingly upon Erling Haaland, who enjoyed a rare weekend with his feet up as City ran riot.
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