That’s all folks And here’s what Pep made of it all The good news is we got three points. The bad news is we have 65 more games to play! For me it’s an immense privilege to be manager of these guys. They gave me everything: the joy, the happiness, the commitment to defend. I’m really impressed with the performance from Kevin [De Bruyne] because he’s only trained for one week. [On Rico Lewis] He does everything well. One on one defensively he is unbelievable. He arrives in the pockets, he moves like few players I have seen in my life. Erling Haaland’s reaction Yeah, three points, perfect start. I don’t feel in perfect shape but it’s good to get a goal and to win. Last year Sanchez made a great save from me. He often stays on his line, which is why I took a couple of extra touches so that he had to come out. Then I knew what to do. Pep says to us every day that the best players are the best at the “easiest” things [like your first touch in a busy penalty area]. He says this to me a lot! If I can stretch the centre-backs to create space for Bernardo Silva, I’ll do it. It’s hard but that’s my job. I want to be more involved in games, Pep always says that to me. But then a game like this: do I need to be more involved? I don’t know, it’s the million dollar question. He’s such a brilliant interviewee. I suppose it’s easier to speak the truth when you score 500 goals a season. Full time: Chelsea 0-2 Man City The champions begin with a low-key, almost routine victory at Stamford Bridge. Erling Haaland finished clinically in the first half, Mateo Kovacic finished the job with a stylish solo goal. The end. 90+5 min A long-range shot from Fernandez is spilled by Ederson but grabbed nonchantly, one-handed, after it loops up in the air. It’s been that kind of day for City. 90+2 min Chelsea’s race is run. 90 min Five minutes of added time. 90 min Doku goes on a glorious run from the left, beating Gusto and Fofana with ease to go through on Sanchez. He tries to cut the ball back to Haaland but it’s cut out. 89 min Caicedo takes out his frustration on Doku and is booked. Mateo Kovacic scores against his old club to seal a comfortable victory. He controlled Fofana’s clearance on the chest, just inside the Chelsea half, then set off. Kovacic moved smoothly past Caicedo and Fernandez before whipping a shot towards goal from 20 yards. Sanchez dived to his right but could only punch the ball into the corner of the net; he probably should’ve done better. GOAL! Chelsea 0-2 Man City (Kovacic 84) That’ll do! 82 min City’s performance is the kind teams usually value more at the end of a season: 1-0, just doing enough, job done. They started very well but since Haaland’s goal the match has been increasingly scruffy. 80 min: Chelsea substitution Renato Veiga, signed from Basel, replaces Cucurella at left-back. 79 min Cucurella has gone down and has a problem. At first it looked like cramp but it might be more serious. 77 min Gusto’s low cross is well blocked by a sliding defender at the near post. Gusto then knocks the ball against the arm of Kovacic, which leads to a VAR check for a Chelsea penalty. It’s cleared. His arm was bent but reasonably close to his body; again, though, that might have been given in previous seasons. It was a nonsense then and it would have been a nonsense now. 76 min Bernardo Silva arrows a fine pass between the lines to find Doku. He tries to put Haaland through on goal but Fofana reads the pass and cuts it out. 75 min Fernandez and Haaland have a bit of a slanging match, prompting Anthony Taylor to call them over and tell them what’s what. 73 min De Bruyne rams a curler well wide from the edge of the D. 71 min Cucurella’s deep cross is spilled by Ederson, who is relieved to see the ball drop to Doku rather than a Chelsea player. The move was started by Neto, who has been bright since coming on as substitute. 69 min City are passing the clock down at every opportunity. Truly, nobody does it better. 67 min: Double substitution for Chelsea Here come some of the new boys: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Marc Guiu replace Romeo Lavia, who had a really good game, and Nicolas Jackson. 65 min: Lewis has a goal disallowed! Haaland pulls away from Colwill to chest down De Bruyne’s flipped pass into the box. Colwill gets back to make a crucial interception and is then fouled by Haaland. The ball runs loose to Lewis, who rattles it past Ederson – but then Anthony Taylor blows for the foul. Haaland scraped his studs down Colwill’s leg and is booked. It wasn’t deliberate, but it looked painful. 63 min “I realise that the absurdities of football finances in general, and the current Chelsea regime in particular, have rendered transfer fees nearly meaningless, but has Enzo Fernández ever looked like a hundred million pound player?” asks Kári Tulinius. “He’s a very useful part of the Argentine national team, but he always seems a bit lost when playing for Chelsea. Though he’s not alone in that.” Not even close, although he’s only 23 and that’s pretty young for a player in his position. It’d be fascinating to know what data made Chelsea so desperate to pay that much money for him. Mind you, you’d probably the same about Caicedo on his Chelsea form and he was marvellous at Brighton. 61 min: Fine save by Ederson! After a bit of Chelsea pressure, Lavia heads the ball towards Jackson in the six-yard box. He twists to hit a volley that is kept out dramatically by Ederson. Either side of the keeper and it would probably have gone in. 60 min City break very dangerously from the corner, only for Doku to play a loose pass across to Haaland. Doku hasn’t had his finest game. 59 min Caicedo’s long-range shot is blocked and rebounds back to him. He plays an excellent pass to Fernandez on the right side of the area, and he slides a teasing low ball across goal. Lewis does brilliantly to get in front of the forward, not sure who it was, and put the ball behind for a corner. Without that touch Chelsea would have scored. 58 min: Chelsea substitution Pedro Neto replaces Christopher Nkunku, who had a quiet game on the left. City have controlled this second half so it’s a good time to bring on Neto. 57 min It took 57 minutes. “Can I be the first to congratulate Manchester City on their unprecedented fifth title in a row,” writes Matt Dony. “Best league in the world(!).” 56 min “Speaking of twin peaks, have a look at the finely groomed bald heads of Pep Guardiola and Enzo Maresca!” chirps Peter Oh. “Are they the best in the league though? I’m not sure. Arne Slot’s smooth and shapely pate and Erik ten Hag’s slick noggin will surely have something to say about that. I’ve got a hunch that this season will baldly go where no previous one has gone.” What do they know of baldness who only baldness know? 55 min Cucurella exchanges unpleasantries with Bernardo Silva, probably in an attempt to get himself going more than anything. 54 min Fofana flattens Haaland and is a bit lucky not to receive a yellow card. 53 min “Agree with your correspondent that this season has started with a bit of low-key shrug,” writes Ben Kybett. “I think this often seems the case in an Olympic summer, when the efforts of that spirit of plucky amateurism (however illusory in many cases) in underwatched-sports contrasts with the ubiquity of Premier League plutocrat-ball. We’ll be hooked again by the time the clocks go back.” Sil. Cheer me up babe. (NB: Clip contains adult language) 52 min: Good save by Sanchez! De Bruyne’s pass deflects to Bernardo Silva, who squares it to Haaland just inside the area. He sweeps a first-time shot that is pushed away to his right by the diving Sanchez. Haaland might have done better there, simply because he’s him. 50 min: “With all those beastliness flying about,” begins Steve Bradfield, “have Chelsea experienced a bit of EBH - egregious bodily harm?” For the unfamiliar, EBH are his initials: Erling Bloody* Haaland. * Braut 49 min Almost a chance for Chelsea, but Jackson and Fernandez get in each other’s way. Chelsea have been really heavy-footed in the City penalty area. 47 min Loud groans from the home fans as Sanchez passes the ball straight to De Bruyne on the left edge of the area. He got away with it because De Bruyne overhit his cross. 46 min Peep peep! Chelsea begin the second half. Update: Savinho is not okay. Some chancer called Phil Foden has come on to replace him. Half time: Chelsea 0-1 Man City City’s B-game is still enough for them to dominate most Premier League teams and that was the case in the first half at Stamford Bridge. Erling Haaland finished expertly in the 18th minute and, though Chelsea improved as the half progressed, their attacking play had a kind of virginal enthusiasm. They need to calm down in the second half. I think Savinho is okay to continue by the way. 45+6 min Another unsuccessful appeal for a penalty, this time when Nkunku goes down. My first impression is that he was trying it on. 45+3 min Chelsea again enquire about a penalty when Fernandez goes over in the area after a challenge from Dias, who kind of fell into him. VAR won’t overturn the decision but that’s the kind of penalty that would have been given in 2020-21 when they were penalising all contact. 45+1 min Five minutes of added time. 44 min: Jackson has a goal disallowed! Palmer’s shot from the edge of the area was spilled by Ederson, an unusual mistake that was punished by Jackson – or at least it would have been had Jackson not gone too early. 42 min “Loved Twin Peaks but utterly failed to understand what was going on towards the end,” says Richard Hirst. “Your reference to Killer BOB made me Google him, only to find that I utterly fail to understand what it says there about him. Still, it was fun being reminded of THE great watercooler TV show. Though if I was Haaland I might sue you for the comparison.” Come on now. It’s like I compared him to Windom Earle. 41 min In fact it was Caicedo who clobbered De Bruyne, though Doku was in the vicinity. Savinho is also down and that looks more serious. It’ll be such a shame if he has to go off; he’s been really impressive. 40 min Bernardo Silva’s low shot from a tight angle is kicked away by Sanchez after a fast City break. He was set up by De Bruyne, who was then flattened – possibly by his teammate Doku – and is still down. 39 min Chelsea’s best move. Palmer crosses deep, Nkunku heads down, Jackson lays off and Fernandez’s shot flies off Akanji for a corner. 37 min: Fine save by Sanchez! Doku lashes a shot from 25 yards that takes a big deflection and is pawed over acrobatically by Sanchez. The replays suggest it wasn’t quite as brilliant as it looked at first, though he still did well. 35 min Savinho escapes Cucurella again and moves into the area from the right. He can’t decide what to do so eventually plays the ball back to Kovacic, whose first-time shot from 20 yards is blocked. Chelsea break and Jackson is slightly offside when put through on the left wing. Play continues for a good 30 seconds before the flag goes up. Pep is giving the fourth official a mouthful. 33 min Chelsea want a penalty when Enzo Fernandez goes over after a challenge from behind by Savinho. It was clumsy, but Fernandez had lost the ball and was looking for it. 32 min “So Haaland is alternatively a beast or a machine?” says Joe Pearson. “Maybe he is one of those Transformers that can turn into a raging bear or something.” He’s a beast. The Killer BOB of football. An assassin. 30 min Savinho dribbles past Cucurella with ease before his cross is headed away at the near post. He’s started really well and looks like yet another bargain that City have found. They don’t get enough credit for that. 30 min Savinho dribbles past Cucurella with ease before his cross is headed away at the near post. He’s started really well and looks like yet another bargain that City have found. They don’t get enough credit for that. 28 min Lavia plays a really good pass into Palmer on the edge of the area. He turns quickly but is then crowded out by a group of City defenders. 27 min Possession is 50:50, which is a surprise. I suppose a lot more of Chelsea’s possession has been in the middle third. 26 min Nkunku is penalised for a challenge on Akanji on the edge of the area. He would have been through on goal, though replays suggest Anthony Taylor made the right decision. 22 min Savinho charges infield from the right and plays a short pass to De Bruyne on the edge of the D. He curls a cracking shot that goes just wide of the post. Chelsea are on the ropes, and if they’re not careful they’ll be outside the ring by half-time. The goal stands! Fofana was playing Bernardo Silva onside. The first of many in 2024-25 for Erling Haaland. Doku cut inside from the left and slid a pass slightly behind Bernardo Silva on the edge of the area. He stretched to divert it into the path of Haaland, who rumbled between Fofana and Cucurella and lifted the ball calmly over Sanchez. That’s a cracking finish, and a brilliant touch from Bernardo Silva if he meant it. Hang on, there’s a VAR check for offside against Bernardo Silva. GOAL! Chelsea 0-1 Man City (Haaland 18) The beast is back. 18 min “1-0 aet following an absolute peach of a header from Embiye,” reports our Motherwell correspondent James Humphries. “Changed my mind, all is forgiven until next week, etc.” 17 min Doku and Savinho have swapped wins, so Doku is now on the left. 16 min “Alternatively, football could just go back to the 90s,” says Phil Podolsky. “While I have no idea what this even means, all I can think of since I started watching Presumed Innocent is ‘We would be in a much better place as a global community if only we had more 90s-style thrillers instead of whatever it is they’re producing these days.’” 14 min Chelsea are starting to have their moments on the break. Fernandez plays a promising pass through to Jackson, who is held up by the last man Akanji and then dispossessed by the supporting Dias. Good defending. 11 min City move the ball smoothly across the field from left to right. Lewis feeds Doku, who whips a left-foot shot miles wide. City look good though. 9 min Gusto’s cross is turned behind by Gvardiol for Chelsea’s first corner. Palmer takes it short, gets it back and swings in a cross that is volleyed over by Fofana 12 yards out. A tricky chance. 8 min Savinho moves infield to receive possession, turns and pokes a nice pass through to Bernardo Silva. His first-time shot is blocked at source and goes behind for a corner. 6 min “Is it just me but is the thought of another season of this show a bit of a downer?” asks Niall Mullen. “Feels like creatively it ran out of juice a good 20 years ago but here we go again. I guess the movie never ends but perhaps one year football should just cut to black.” Are you saying what I think you’re saying? Because what I think you’re saying is STOP FOOTBALL. 4 min City have started well, snapping the ball around with swagger and purpose. Chelsea are playing with Enzo Fernandez closest to Jackson, so more of a 4-2-1-3 than a 4-1-2-3 shoot me now. 3 min “It’s not often I envy the lot of the MBM scribe,” writes James Humphries, “but entering what must now be the fifth cumulative hour of no goals at fir park is the closest I’ve come yet. Why must we do this to ourselves.” If you tolerate this… 2 min Rico Lewis, ostensibly the right-back, moves into midfield, plays a give-and-go with Doku and screws a cross into the side netting. For a 19-year-old, his tactical maturity is pretty special. 1 min Peep peep! City kick off from left to right ass we watch. A reminder of the teams Chelsea (possible 4-1-2-3) Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella; Lavia; Caicedo, Enzo; Palmer, Jackson, Nkunku. Substitutes: Mudryk, Dewsbury-Hall, Veiga, Jorgensen, Madueke, Neto, Guiu, Adarabioyo, Badiashile. Man City (possible 4-1-2-3) Ederson; Lewis, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol; Kovacic; De Bruyne, Bernardo; Doku, Haaland, Savinho. Substitutes: Grealish, Nunes, Foden, McAtee, O’Reilly, Ortega, Walker, Ake, Stones. Referee Anthony Taylor. Raheem Sterling will seek clarity over his future after his surprise omission from Chelsea’s squad to face Manchester City. The former City winger has had an up and down time since moving to Stamford Bridge two years ago. It’s pretty crowded in Chelsea’s attack since the arrival of Pedro Neto but you still would have expected a player of Sterling’s experience to be in the squad. He scored twice against City last season. But Enzo Maresca has plenty of wingers at his disposal and there are suggestions that Sterling, who earns around £300,000 a week, is up for sale. Juventus have been linked with him. The early game has finished Brentford 2-1 Crystal Palace, with Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa showing there’s nothing to fear about a future without Ivan Toney. Enzo Maresca on the Chelsea fanbase For sure we need their support in any case because when you are on the pitch and you can hear the support, it’s like a 12th player. If they support us and are patient, we will pay them back with performances and results. Pep Guardiola on the business of winning When we arrive in the last month and we are close to winning another Premier League, then that will be the motivation. But now? For me the motivation to win another Premier League is not there … for me it will be in the last month. Now it’s: ‘Can we beat Chelsea?’ Enzo Maresca on his young Chelsea squad I like the age. The important thing is they are full of talent. But talent is not enough and we need something more. This is the reason we are trying to create some culture, not only on the pitch but also outside the pitch. Team news No new signings in the Chelsea XI, though there are six on the bench including Pedro Neto. Savinho starts in attack for Manchester City, whose four Euro 2024 finalists are either on the bench or, in the case of Rodri, not involved at all. Chelsea (possible 4-1-2-3) Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella; Lavia; Caicedo, Enzo; Palmer, Jackson, Nkunku. Substitutes: Mudryk, Dewsbury-Hall, Veiga, Jorgensen, Madueke, Neto, Guiu, Adarabioyo, Badiashile. Man City (possible 4-1-2-3) Ederson; Lewis, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol; Kovacic; De Bruyne, Bernardo; Doku, Haaland, Savinho. Substitutes: Grealish, Nunes, Foden, McAtee, O’Reilly, Ortega, Walker, Ake, Stones. Referee Anthony Taylor. Preamble What’s the best time to play Manchester City? Trick question: there isn’t one. When the fixture list was published, I thought this might be a good time for Chelsea to play City, who will be without a number of players for one reason or another. Then I looked at City’s Premier League record in August under Pep Guardiola: P24 W19 D4 L1 F72 A17 Pts 61. There has been speculation that this will be Pep’s last August as City manager. All he really cares about is April, May and occasionally June, when the celebratory cigars come out. He and City are aiming for a record-extending fifth straight title, and a seventh in eight years. It’s only three years since Chelsea beat City in the Champions League; now they live on different planets. Chelsea are starting again, again, under Enzo Maresca, with the same concerns about what they’re doing and whether he’ll be given enough time. In the last 20 years, only Jose Mourinho has lasted longer than two seasons at Stamford Bridge. “My advice is to give him time and it will work,” said Guardiola, who worked with Maresca at City. “All managers need time. I don’t know if Chelsea is the place to do this, but it will work if they give him time. This is my feeling.” Chelsea caused City as many problems as anyone last season, drawing both league games and losing a tight FA Cup semi-final 1-0. Whether that counts for anything now they have a new manager, we’ll soon find out. Kick off 4.30pm.