Man City vs Chelsea LIVE: Result and reaction as resurgent City clinch important win
Man City 3-1 Chelsea: A horror debut for Abdukodir Khusanov gave the Blues a 1-0 lead but City deservedly hit back through Gvardiol, Haaland and Foden
Erling Haaland and Phil Foden spared the blushes of new team-mate Abdukodir Khusanov as Manchester City came from behind to beat Chelsea 3-1.
Khusanov, the £33.6m Uzbekistan defender signed from Lens this week, made a nightmare start in the Premier League with an error that led to a Chelsea goal and a booking inside the opening four minutes.
Noni Madueke took full advantage of the mistake to put the visitors ahead at the Etihad Stadium but Josko Gvardiol equalised and the tried-and-trusted figures of Haaland and Foden settled the contest in the second half.
The win lifted City back above Chelsea into the top four and raised spirits after their midweek capitulation at Paris St Germain.
Relive everything in our live blog below:
Khusanov off to a terrible start at City
This is shaping up as a hideous debut for poor Abdukodir Khusanov, who already looks traumatised. Within four minutes, he was horribly responsible for a Chelsea goal and then booked, both after giving the ball away.
Pep Guardiola has said the newcomer doesn't speak much English. He appears to be on a different wavelength from his teammates. It has already become a real test of character for the £33m signing just to complete the game with nothing else going badly wrong.
Manchester City 0-1 Chelsea
5 mins: Khusanov is enduring probably the hardest minutes of his career so far.
He once again gives the ball away, this time to former City boy Palmer, before taking him out to concede a foul and a yellow card.
It could’ve been worse, with VAR briefly considering whether the foul was a red card offence.
He desperately needs to find his bearings here.
GOAL! Manchester City 0-1 Chelsea
3 mins: GOAL! It’s a NIGHTMARE for Man City new boy Khusanov.
The Uzbek lets the ball bounce over his head and can’t get nearly enough power on the header back to his keeper, allowing Jackson to nab the ball and square it to Madueke for an easy tap in.
It’s a moment where you feel like crying for the lad.
Manchester City 0-0 Chelsea
2 mins: Marmoush is immediately into the thick of the action as he runs through the middle and is found by Phil Foden, before stinging the hands of Sanchez.
A very encouraging start for the Egyptian.
KICK-OFF! Manchester City 0-0 Chelsea
1 min: KICK-OFF! This should be a cracker.
Tributes paid to Tony Book and Denis Law
Fans and players are uniting prior to kick-off to oversee a minute’s applause in honour of ex-Manchester City captain Tony Book, who recently passed away at the age 90, as well as the late, great Denis Law.
A touching rendition of Blue Moon plays as applause echoes around the Etihad.
Closing in on kick-off
Less than five minutes until kick-off here at the Etihad.
Man City will be eager to get back to winning ways after seeing their Champions League campaign plunged into peril in midweek, squandering a 2-0 lead to lose away at PSG. With the risk crashing out of Europe’s premier competition looming, a win against the Blues will provide them with a timely boost as they look to regain a place in the top four.
The visitors are also riding a rough patch, slipping out of the title race. Chelsea did, at least, return to winning ways against Wolves last weekend but scrutiny remains on Enzo Maresca as he looks to restart a stuttering season. Back at his former club, can Guardiola’s former lieutenant pile more pain on the champions?
We’ll have all the action right here.
Man City debuts for Marmoush and Khusanov tell a story
Omar Marmoush and Abdukodir Khusanov are thrust in for Manchester City debuts. If it is partly a sign of their plight that the newcomers are immediately handed such pivotal roles, it may also be a case of Pep Guardiola working backwards. Neither is eligible to play in Wednesday's Champions League decider against Brugge so it makes sense to bench players like John Stones and Kevin de Bruyne, who can play then. Chelsea welcome back Enzo Fernandez, which means Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, a strange signing, drops out of their team.
Man City could return to top four with win today
Manchester City’s decline this season has been something to behold. The once seemingly untouchable champions have paled in comparison to previous seasons - and as such, they’ve plummeted out of the title race, falling down the table after going on a seven-game winless streak.
However, last week’s thrashing of Ipswich indicates that they’re finding their feet again - and if they beat Chelsea today, they will hop above the Blues and regain a top four place.
Man City's January spending proves they won't get back to their best this season
Pep Guardiola has three new players by his side and a long four months ahead of him. The new-look Manchester City is taking shape at pace, after a week in which some £122m was spent on Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis, and yet Guardiola believes the old City will not return this season.
“Next season we will be back,” he said. But not before. “Really, now it is a question to survive, to qualify [for the Champions League], to fight for the title if it is possible; otherwise to accept the reality is completely different from the last eight or nine years.”
The reality is so different that it is very plausible that City, 25th in the Champions League, will not even secure a play-off place. “In the beginning I would not think we could not qualify or be in the 24,” Guardiola said. He feared a slide, but the extent has surprised even him. “Three months ago, two months ago, I said this season we are going to suffer, I smell it and it has happened and it is going to happen,” he explained.
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