Man City Bounces Back to Beat Chelsea 3-1

A defensive slip-up gave Chelsea an early lead, but Manchester City bounced back in style to grab a 3-1 win at the Etihad!

January 25, 2025
8:49 pm

Manchester City showed their grit and skill, bouncing back from an early blunder to take down Chelsea 3-1 in an exciting Premier League match at the Etihad Stadium. This win pushes Pep Guardiola’s squad into fourth place, while Chelsea’s winless streak against City stretches to 11 matches.

After a surprising 4-2 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, Guardiola shook things up by bringing in two fresh faces. Omar Marmoush and Abdukodir Khusanov made their debuts, with Khusanov making history as the first Uzbekistani to play in the Premier League. Unfortunately, it was a debut to forget for him, as an early mistake gave Chelsea the lead.

The action kicked off just three minutes in when Khusanov misjudged a looping ball, letting it bounce over his head and into the path of Nicolas Jackson. The Chelsea striker quickly passed it to Noni Madueke, who calmly slotted it into an open net for a dream start.

Chelsea almost doubled their lead minutes later during a lightning-fast counter-attack. Cole Palmer, facing his old club, sent a pass to Jackson, but the forward’s first touch took him wide, letting City’s defense recover. At the other end, Phil Foden came close to leveling the score, hitting the post with a powerful shot. Joško Gvardiol then missed a golden opportunity, blasting over from close range.

City finally found their equalizer just before halftime. Matheus Nunes, showing great vision, drove forward and set up Gvardiol, who made up for his earlier miss by slotting the ball into the bottom corner. The goal shifted the momentum in City’s favor as they went into the break on level terms.

Don’t miss out – click below for the best odds and exclusive bonuses!

In the second half, City took control, with Chelsea’s early confidence fading. A misplayed clearance by Levi Colwill gave Erling Haaland his first clear chance, but the Norwegian shot straight at Robert Sánchez. Moments later, though, Haaland made no mistake. A perfect long ball from Ederson caught Chelsea’s defense off guard, and Haaland raced through to chip the ball over Sánchez, putting City ahead for the first time.

Chelsea struggled to find their rhythm, with Marmoush and Foden causing trouble for their defense. Marmoush, who had a solid debut despite the rocky start, nearly scored himself, sending a curling shot just wide of the post.

City sealed the deal in the 75th minute with a fantastic team play. Haaland held off a defender and laid the ball into Foden’s path, who zipped past Chelsea’s defense and coolly slotted home his sixth goal in four league matches.

Despite late attempts from Chelsea to get one back, City’s defense stood strong, with Ederson rarely tested in the final moments. This win sees Guardiola’s squad leapfrog Chelsea into fourth place, while Enzo Maresca’s team drops to sixth, having won just once in their last four Premier League matches.

For City, this victory was more than just three points—it was a bold statement as they chase the Premier League title. Meanwhile, Chelsea needs to regroup quickly, as their hopes of snagging a Champions League spot are starting to slip away.