Chelsea vs Manchester City: Riyad Mahrez came in as a substitute to help Manchester City defeat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Manchester City got their first win of the new year in a fashionable way as they condemned Chelsea to the 10th place on the Premier League table.
Arsenal played a goalless draw at the Emirates against Newcastle, and it was an opportunity for Manchester City to reduce the deficit between both teams.
Raheem Sterling, who faces his former club for the second time this season, injured his hamstring and was immediately substituted. Also in the first half, Chelsea lost Christian Pulisic to injury after John Stones denied him a goal.
Manchester City’s performance in the first half was below average, the first shot came in the 33rd minute for Manchester City as Kepa denied Kevin De Bruyne from scoring the first goal of the match.
Carney Chukwuemeka’s attempt hit the goal post in the 44th minute as Chelsea looked strong in the first half.
After poor performances from Kylie Walker and Joao Cancelo, Guardiola quickly made a change with Rico Lewis and Manuel Akanji coming on in the second half.
The change triggered Manchester City’s goal-scoring ability as Erling Haaland’s first shot went wide.
A few minutes into the second half, Nathan Ake’s header hit the post, with Kepa having no chance of saving the ball.
Manchester City eventually broke Chelsea’s stubborn defense after Mahrez put in the low cross from Jack Grealish past Kepa Arrizabalaga in the 66th minute.
At that point, Chelsea’s options appeared limited due to the lack of experience on their bench, but rookies Omari Hutchinson, Lewis Hall, and Conor Gallagher brought fresh enthusiasm to the team.
Haaland narrowly missed turning in a De Bruyne cross, the home team finished on the front foot with Hall blazing over the last Chelsea opportunity.
However, the reaction from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang after he was substituted in the second half sums up what he is going through at his new club.
Manchester City have won four straight matches against Chelsea since losing the Champions League finals in 2021.
The Pep Guardiola side has reduced the gap between them and Arsenal to five points as they look forward to Arsenal losing more points.
What Next For Chelsea and Manchester City
Chelsea faces Fulham in the London Derby at Craven Cottage on January 12, 2023. If Graham Potter wants to save his job, he needs to start winning matches before the owner thinks of replacing him.
Manchester City will face its neighbors Manchester United in a Manchester derby on January 14, 2023, at Old Trafford.
It is likely to be a revenge mission for Erik Ten Hag’s team, which lost heavily to Manchester City last year.
