Erling Haaland and Phil Foden provided an impressive comeback when Manchester City Chelsea defeated himself 3-1 to re-commit to the top four of the Premier League after as low as seventh earlier on Saturday.
Wins for Newcastle and Bournemouth had seen City glide to mid-table, but a revival from a goal means that they are added to Nottingham Forest, Arsenal and leaders Liverpool in the Champions League places, while Chelsea is to the sixth went out.
The well -extended blues from Enzo Maresca played early with a difficult city side, still from their collapse of midweek in Paris against PSG, while young defender Abdukodir Khusanov – one of the two debutants next to Omar Marmoush – suffer an opening evening to forget.
The 20-year-old, signed five days earlier from the lens for £ 33.5 million and addicted after 52 minutes, tolerated what Jamie Redknapp called a “nightmare start” and nodded a bouncing ball to Ederson in the third minute, who was not there , so Noni Madueke can tap into an empty net.
Khusanov was then booked for a rash challenge on Cole Palmer, where Gary Neville described his Premier League introduction as “brutal”.
Pep Guardiola had warned midweek that City was in survival mode and struggled to compete with the best teams, and so it proved, until Josko Gvardiol held out a timely equalizer shortly before half -time.
Gvardiol went close twice when he shot from close by and then depted widely, but his perseverance was finally rewarded when Marc Cucurella and Robert Sanchez made a terrible mess of an attempted clearance and a happy Ricoch fell his way.
From that moment the game turned around and the hosts have rediscovered part of the confidence to which the Eithad has become accustomed to the valued rule of Guardiola – City has won more points by losing positions than any other side in the Premier League this season (17).
Ederson's precise long ball found Haaland moving in the 68th minute and he rolled Trevoh Chalobah before he embarrassed Sanchez, hopelessly caught his line, with a brutal chip, while FODEN provided the victory with a third of another direct pass .
No player has made more mistakes (five) that led to a goal this season than Chelsea's goalkeeper.
Redknapp: Pep made a mistake to start Khusanov
Sky Sports' Jamie Redknapp:
“I said before the game I thought it was a risk to start him [Khusanov]. It is less a risk of Marmoush. If you play as a center back, it is a lot harder, with the risk and pressure that is on you.
“I think Pep will now say,” I shouldn't have played him. ” He is 20 years old, he has just come to the country, the team has no confidence as a defensive unity and you have Matheus Nunes as your right back.
“It is not as if the team is winning week, week out. Last year this would have been an easy job. But this season it is a lot harder. I think it was a mistake today.”
Guardiola: Khusanov will learn
Man City boss Pep Guardiola speaks of Abdukodir Khusanov:
“Well, what I thought, it's not the best start, right? He will take a lesson. So young, to tackle (Nicolas) Jackson and Cole (Palmer), all this kind of incredible players, it's not easy .
“I love the reaction of his teammates. He did not make a training session with us because it has just been recovery.
“And yes, he will learn. I am pretty sure that a lesson will follow and the reaction for the team. What can I say? ” Don't be wrong. “He doesn't want to do it, we know that the reaction of his teammates was great. “
Analysis: City is finally evolving?
Sky Sports' Laura Hunter:
Manchester City has a different way, who knew? For years they have been multidimensional under Pep Guardiola, but they have never preferred the direct route.
But the city is also not as sprit as before. They miss most of their former certainties and have one of the oldest squadrons per average age in the Premier League – now it is about working smarter, not more difficult.
It is clear that the demography of the Guardiola team has had its limitations this season, but they are still savior than most. The seasonal average of Ederson was to play 8.6 passes, but against Chelsea he played 16 and collected another assist for Haaland, who changed the game.
Guardiola has undoubtedly already suffered during his most debilitating season, but finding a plan to fit into the story will be his greatest strength forever. “We read the situation, the game was up and down and with that we are the worst team, we don't have our legs,” the manager said after the game.
“We have to make the ball work for us and maybe it is less attractive, but control was much better.”
Haaland's presence and uniqueness is also the key, and his summary of the events told a similar story: “Even Manchester City can go immediately, it's a good thing.”
Analysis: Maresca's decision -making is doubtful
Sky Sports' Lewis Jones:
Just a memory: Chelsea finished second on December 15, only two points behind Liverpool – they are now 13 points behind the leaders who only won once in their last seven games.
The way in which they folded so rather in the second half, not helped by the changes of Enzo Maresca, must be said, leaves the manager with a few questions to answer.
This season Maresca has received criticism for his tactical adjustments and replacements in the game and he left himself too open. They only made changes in the second half worse.
Maresca defends Sanchez after the last mistakes
Chelsea -Baas Enzo Maresca talks about Robert Sanchez:
“Robert is certainly completely aware that he should do better. He was fully aware after the game. He knows that perfectly. The good is that he is the first to be aware that he should do better.
“We trust Robert for sure. But the first to be completely aware that he makes mistakes at these moments is Robert. We continue to trust Robert, but now we have a whole week [before the next game] To see the reaction and then decide for the following games. “
Neville spreads in Palmer: Cole, you will be played by Pep!
Sky Sports' Gary Neville:
“I want to say something about Cole Palmer – he spoke with Pep Guardiola on the field at the end of the game and he smiled with him. Cole you are played, you will be played here.
“You didn't do enough in that field in the second half and he is a great player, but you know something that the Chelsea fans who traveled today, three or four thousand in that far corner you talk to the opposition manager and smiles to The end of the game.
“And I am not old -fashioned here, but there is something that I thought 'Pep Guardiola will play you here'.
“I know he had him, but he didn't play him and he sold him so he should have ignored him and immediately back to the dressing room. For the manager, but I just felt at the end that something was about that I Not felt from a Cole Palmer perspective.
“I know why Pep Guardiola did it – that's what Pep Guardiola does, but I wouldn't do that if I lost 3-1 away from home. I expected more from him in the second half.”
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