Erling Haaland inspired Manchester City to an impressive 3-1 comeback victory over Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium, propelling Pep Guardiola’s side into the Premier League’s top four and reigniting their pursuit of Champions League qualification.
The match began disastrously for City as debutant Abdukodir Khusanov’s nerves showed early.
The Uzbek defender misjudged a header just three minutes in, gifting Chelsea possession and allowing Noni Madueke to tap in for an easy goal. It was a nightmare start for Khusanov, who narrowly avoided a red card moments later for a reckless foul on Cole Palmer.
Chelsea looked in control early on, with Nicolas Jackson and Madueke creating further chances. However, City’s response grew stronger, thanks to the marauding runs of Josko Gvardiol and the energy of new signing Omar Marmoush.
The Egyptian forward, making his debut after a £59 million move from Eintracht Frankfurt, thought he had equalized when he fired home a rebound, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
City’s pressure paid off just before halftime. Matheus Nunes, bursting forward from full-back, forced a save from Robert Sanchez, only for the rebound to fall kindly to Gvardiol, who calmly slotted home his fifth league goal of the season.
Pep Guardiola made adjustments at halftime, replacing the struggling Khusanov with John Stones to stabilize the defense. The changes worked as City dominated the second half.
Marmoush came close to scoring on his debut, blasting a shot wide from a clever Haaland pass, but it was the Norwegian striker who turned the tide.
In the 68th minute, Haaland outmuscled Trevoh Chalobah to latch onto a long clearance from Ederson. Using his pace and strength, he chipped the onrushing Sanchez with clinical precision, scoring his 24th goal of the season and putting City ahead.
Haaland wasn’t finished. Eight minutes later, he turned provider, setting up Phil Foden with a perfectly weighted layoff. Foden, who has been in sensational form, calmly finished for his sixth goal in four league matches, sealing the three points for City.
Chelsea’s struggles continued as they failed to recover from defensive errors and a lack of cutting-edge up front.
The defeat leaves them in sixth place with just one win in their last seven league games, while City leapfrogged them into the top four.
The victory marked City’s fourth win in five league games, a much-needed turnaround after a poor run of form earlier in the season. With a crucial Champions League clash against Club Brugge looming, City will hope to carry this momentum into Europe, where they need a win to keep their campaign alive.
