- Man City beat Chelsea 3-0 at Stamford Bridge
- Rayan Cherki provided two assists in a dominant display
- Pep Guardiola’s side close gap in the Premier League title race
Manchester City secured a 3-0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, with Rayan Cherki providing two assists in a dominant second-half display.
Chelsea were persistent in the opening 20, with the Blues firing two shots wide on the left side. Despite City’s possession dominance, the Londoners still managed to garner more shots than City.
Cole Palmer hit the first one wide after he carried the ball off Pedro Neto. The Portuguese international does come back later in the 19th minute, as this time he was the one who shot the ball wide.
Then the home side celebrated too early. Cucurella hit the back of the net, which was flagged offside in the 16th minute.
City finally got their first dangerous moment as Jeremy Doku carried the ball down the left. Later, Nico O’Reilly picked it up, cut back to Bernardo Silva, who had a go, but was saved by Robert Sanchez.
The Englishman made another cutback in the 39th minute, this time for Rayan Cherki, who shot directly at the keeper.
Antoine Semenyo made a great run across the outside of the box in the 45th minute and then took a shot at the far post. However, the attempt was blocked well by Wesley Fofana, who deflected the ball a yard wide off the bottom corner.
Half-time: Chelsea 0-0 Manchester City
Rayan Cherki shines again
The right side worked its magic in the 50th minute as a cross from Cherki was headed into the net by O’Reilley, who beat Erling Haaland to the ball.
The playmaker then ran across the box in the 56th minute after he received a corner from Doku. Followed by a diagonal move, the Frenchman used his outside foot to serve Marc Guehi.
The English defender didn’t miss who placed the ball into the far corner, scoring the Sky Blues’ second. Nevertheless, City didn’t stop even after a comfortable two-goal lead.
Later, an attack landed straight into goalkeeper Sanchez’s hand, and the Spaniard rolled the ball out to Moises Caicedo.
The Ecuadorian turned back as the midfielder saw two City players rushing towards him. However, it was too late as Doku stole the ball, made a run and then scored the third for the visitors.
Full-time: Chelsea 0-3 Manchester City
Premier League title race heats up
With Pep Guardiola’s side going back to winning ways, the pressure now shifts to Arsenal. The Gunners lost their last game against Bournemouth, and City have now inched closer to the top.
Both clubs will be back next Sunday at the same time as they face each other at the Etihad Stadium. It will be their toughest fixture, after which the road looks easier for both clubs.
Despite the difficulty of the games on paper, the pressure is a different story, with both Guardiola and Arteta being the sole competitors for the title this season.
