Chelsea vs Man City LIVE: Premier League result and final score as Jack Grealish sets up Riyad Mahrez winner
Chelsea 0-1 Man City: Pep Guardiola’s side reduced the gap to leaders Arsenal to just five points as the champions returned to winning ways
Manchester City cut the gap to Premier League leaders Arsenal to five points as substitutes Riyad Mahrez and Jack Grealish combined to sink Chelsea.
City were struggling to break though Chelsea in the first half at Stamford Bridge and Pep Guardiola had to make a slew of changes to add spark to his team.
That included Grealish and Mahrez, with the England international producing a perfect cross to the back post for the winner on 63 minutes.
Chelsea lost Raheem Sterling and Christian Pulisic to injury in the first half, adding to a mounting list of absentees, to leave the Blues with just four points from their last five Premier League matches under Graham Potter.
Follow all the reaction below
Chelsea 0-0 Man City
57 mins: Chance! Chelsea cross the ball in from the left wing and perfectly pick out Kai Havertz. His touch is a poor one and the ball runs away from him before he can shoot.
Luckily for Chelsea it bounces over to Thiago Silva who shoots on the spin and laces his effort wide of the far post!
Chelsea 0-0 Man City
54 mins: City have kept Chelsea relatively quiet so far in the second half but the Blues get forward on the counter with Kai Haverz driving the ball down the inside right channel.
He sends it out wide to Hakim Ziyech who whips in a cross. Chukwuemeka is the target but he’s beaten to it in the air and the ball goes out for a corner.
Chelsea 0-0 Man City
51 mins: Phil Foden swivels around Cesar Azpilicueta who tries to recover and gives away a free kick. Kevin De Bruyne takes the set piece but Azpilicueta is there to charge it down and deflect the ball out for a corner.
The corner is played short before Foden returns the ball to De Bruyne. He lifts the ball over to the back post where Nathan Ake leaps into the air and heads his effort into the crossbar!
Chelsea 0-0 Man City
48 mins: Akanji has slotted in alongside Stones in City’s defence which allows Rodri to hold his position in central midfield.
Aubameyang loses the ball to City inside Chelsea’s half and it’s quickly sent up to Haaland who snatches at a shot and boots it wide of the right-hand post.
Second half: Chelsea 0-0 Man City
Pep Guardiola makes a double change at the half-time break with Kyle Walker and Joao Cancelo taken off to be replaced with Rico Lewis and Manuel Akanji.
It should give City a more solid and recognised shape for the next 45 minutes.
HT Chelsea 0-0 Man City
Benoît Badiashile is the only player born in the 21st century to have played more than 100 games in Ligue 1 (106 appearances). He’s now joined Chelsea and will ply his trade in the Premier League.
Enzo Fernandez: Benfica coach brands Chelsea ‘disrespectful’ over pursuit of midfielder
Benfica coach Roger Schmidt has labelled Chelsea’s pursuit of Enzo Fernandez ‘disrespectful’.
Chelsea, who today confirmed the signing of Monaco defender Benoit Badiashile, are looking to add Fernandez to their ranks before the end of the January transfer window.
The midfielder joined Benfica in August before going on to win the World Cup with Argentina in December, and he has a release clause of approximately £106million.
Benfica coach brands Chelsea ‘disrespectful’ over Enzo Fernandez pursuit
Half-time: Chelsea 0-0 Man City
45+2 mins: Nothing to separate the two teams at the break then. Chelsea have looked confident with City seemingly getting used to this formation that Pep Guardiola has set them up in.
Things will probably have to change in the second half.
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