Chelsea 0-2 Man City: Erling Haaland Scores as Guardiola’s Team Triumphs in Stamford Bridge

Manchester City started the defense of their Premier League title with a 2-0 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, with Erling Haaland scoring again. The Norwegian striker opened the scoring in the 18th minute, calmly lobbing the ball over the head of Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. Chelsea tried to stage a comeback but could not do so as Mateo Kovacic, who was coming up against his old team, scored a second for Pep Guardiola’s side.

City, who have just completed another title-winning season, looked equally comfortable even though they were without midfielder Rodri. They dominated the ball from the start and did not let Chelsea settle into the game. Savinho, one of the new signings at the Etihad, was particularly impressive in the match's early stages with some good touches that included a good pass to Bernardo Silva, who later directed a shot off target.

But Haaland, as usual, didn’t let his start of the season take a bad shape. The striker opened his goalscoring account for the campaign by putting the ball into the net, thus extending his run of scoring in the first match of every Premier League season since his arrival at the Etihad Stadium. His goal came after a beautiful team play, and Haaland chipped the ball over Sanchez, who had come into the opposition area to close him down, to give City a well-deserved lead.

The Chelsea side, which hired Enzo Maresca as a new manager, became better in the second part of the game; they believed they equalized just before the half-time whistle, but the attempt was disallowed due to offside. The home side had a few nervy moments late on but never really threatened to cause an upset and City’s solid defensive formation was evident all game.

When the Blues started to attack and apply pressure to force the needed equalizer, they were exposed at the back, and Kovacic seized the chance. The Croatian midfielder had played for Chelsea for five seasons before moving to City in the 2023 summer and his goal in the 84th minute from a shot outside the area sealed the victory. It was a culmination of redemption for Kovacic as City easily secured the three points in the opening of their title defense campaign.

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