Super City claim brilliant win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge

It was a performance full of graft and hard work, as well as moments of wonderful attacking football. 

Gabriel Jesus’ deflected strike won it for City, who thoroughly deserved the victory having dominated proceedings and been by far the bolder team. 

It was Pep Guardiola’s 221st win as City boss – more than any other manager in the Club’s history.

What happened? 

City dominated a somewhat cagey first half, enjoying most of the possession and consistently winning the ball back within seconds of losing it thanks to the team’s high press. Chelsea barely managed a sustained period of possession and chose instead to defend in numbers.

But City struggled to craft clear-cut chances, despite our dominance. Chelsea weren’t expansive, but their defensive line was solid and it left City with little space to create.

But the second half was a much more open affair.

Jack Grealish curled one wide in the opening moments of the second period as City looked to turn possession into goals. And on 53 minutes, we were deservedly ahead when Gabriel Jesus turned superbly in a tight area inside the box before firing low into the bottom corner via a deflection to beat Edouard Mendy.

It was a fine goal and that changed the complexion of the game. Chelsea, who had been passive, had to open up and it became a superb game as a result. 

Grealish, a threat throughout with his exquisite touch and vision, forced a brilliant save from Mendy low to his left, before Jesus was denied a second after a wonderful goal-line clearance from Thiago Silva.

Kevin De Bruyne’s free-kick found Aymeric Laporte at the backpost, but he couldn’t find a finish, and Mendy made another fine stop to deny Grealish when one-on-one.

As we entered the final stages, there was a feeling City could rue so many missed chances – but we stood firm to claim a vital victory. 

It means City have won back-to-back top-flight league games at Stamford Bridge for the first time since 1955.

Fluid City

Much of the pre-match talk centred around the striker position. Chelsea, a side who prioritised the signing of a specialist goalscorer in the summer with the acquisition of Romelu Lukaku, against City, who operate without a recognised No. 9.

But on the evidence of what we saw here, City don’t necessarily need one. There’s a fluidity to our play, with Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Kevin De Bruyne and Gabriel Jesus all comfortable in a variety of roles. At Stamford Bridge, they interchanged positions and left Chelsea bamboozled.

And with just one goal conceded in the Premier League so far this season, this is a side with steel as well as silk.

Man of the Match: Joao Cancelo 

Energy. Defensive solidity. Attacking quality. 

This was a performance that had it all. 

His fitness levels are incredible. Back at the CFA early in the summer after missing the Euros, his preparation has been close to perfect - and it’s showing on the pitch. 

His linkup play with Jack Grealish was a key feature of our game, and his deliveries into the box were exceptional throughout. 

Superb display. 

Teams

Chelsea XI: Mendy, Azpilicueta, Christensen, Rudiger, James (Thiago Silva 29’), Kante (Havertz 60’), Jorginho (Loftus-Cheek 76’), Kovacic, Alonso, Lukaku, Werner

Unused subs: Arrizabalaga, Chilwell, Chalobah, Saul, Hudson-Odoi, Ziyech

City XI: Ederson, Walker, Dias, Laporte, Cancelo, Rodrigo, Bernardo, Foden (Fernandinho 87’), Grealish (Sterling 87’), De Bruyne (Mahrez 80’), Jesus

Unused subs: Steffen, Stones, Ake, Torres, Palmer, Lavia

What it means

City are second in the embryonic Premier League table, with 13 points from our first six matches.

Liverpool, who sit top, are also on 13, but they have played one game fewer. 

Next up

Our difficult week continues with a trip to Paris Saint-Germain in Group A of this season’s Champions League on Tuesday. City are looking to build on our 6-3 win over RB Leipzig on Matchday 1. PSG started with a draw against Club Brugge. Kick off in Paris is 20:00 UK time.

And then next Sunday, we travel to Anfield to face a rejuvenated Liverpool side in the Premier League. That game gets under way at 16:30 UK.

You can follow both of those games in detail on ManCity.com and the official Man City app.

Live text updates get under way two hours before kick off, before Matchday Live gets going around 45 minutes later.