Chelsea crash 2-0 at home to champions Manchester City leaving many home fans perplexed at their style of play and tactics
By Paul Lagan at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea 0 v Man City 2
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It's going to be a long, long season for the boys and fans at SW6 – as Chelsea crashed to a season open defeat at Stamford Bridge 2-0 to champions Manchester City.
Goals either side of the break were enough for City to show Chelsea how to play possession football with a clinical finishing edge.
The stadium was unusually quiet for most of the game City fans the ones making the noise.
At one point when Chelsea's Levi Colwill had the ball in his own half, he stopped. There was no one to pass to as City, rightfully defended space and opposition.
This was the new possession philosophy at it's weakest.
The fans booed, unsure if this is the way forward – literally.
The game started as one would expect, with a great deal of trepidation, with neither side wanting to make an early error.
A quick break almost reaped dividends for Chelsea on 10 minutes, by Malo Gusto, who broke the City offside trap, could not cross to a free Cole Palmer, but had to settle for a corner when Joska Gvardiol intercepted the ball.
But inevitable, with a so-called new system in play, it was ripped apart by the sheer power and deft precision of Erling Haaland on 19 minutes when the striker bulldoze past a couple of Chelsea defenders before c;lipping the ball past Robert Sanchez.
But VAR then intervened over a possible offside with Bernardo's right boot.
Quite rightly it was given.
Kevin De Bruyne almost scored a trademark rasper on 22 minutes after excellent set up play by Savinho, but his right-footer was just wide of Sanchez's left post. On 23 minutes.
Despite going 1-0 down the Blues continued with their new found philosophy of maintaining possession.
That was fine but when it means that City stayed back when the centre-backs had the ball and were unable to pass to anyone, the fans started to crumble.
Referee Antony Taylor has never been the Chelsea's favourite man in black and when Enzo dropped to the ground tin the penalty area, and he waving away a potential spot kick, they started to get on his back.
Sanchez produced a remarkable acrobatic save on 38 minutes, tipping over Jeremy Doku's slightly deflected thumper from range for a corner.
Enzo saw his first-time left-footer deflected away for a corner a minute later as the Blues had a free-flowing attack thwarted at the last minute.
Sanchez the hacked away a Silva shot as the game see-sawed towards half-time.
Chelsea had the ball in the back of the net on 44 minutes when Ederson spilled a Cole Palmer shot and Jackson followed up to tick home. VAR intervened again to see if the striker was offside and he was.
There were no changes by Chelsea at half-time.
A Bruyne-inspired set-up play saw Haaland strike a left footer towards goal from the edge of the penalty area on 52, minutes, but Sanchez was equal to it and parried the ball away to safety.
New boss Enzo Maresca had seen enough to suggest changes were needed and he brought on new winger Pedro Neto on 58 minutes – off went ineffectual Christopher Nkunku.
A last-gasp save saw City prevent an equaliser as Rico Lewis haled Neto's first touch being a tap-in.
A point black stop by Ederson prevented a goal when Jackson tried an angled flick from close range as Chelsea went on a charge. Lewis lashed the ball home from close range on 65 minutes after Colwill and Haaland went for the ball. VAR had a look at the incident after Taylor ruled a foul.
While that was going on Jackson was replaced by Marc Guiu.
VAR opted to agree with the referee and the goal was disallowed.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall replaced Lavia on 67 minutes.
Marc Cucurella was taken off with an injury on 80 minutes – replaced by Renato Veiga.
The new philosophy about playing out from the back killed off Chelsea's chances of nabbing at least a point when Sanchez fed the ball to Fofana, who pumped the ball straight tom Mateo Kovacic. The ex-Chelsea start brushed aside Moises Caicedo's weak change, he strode unchallenged for 20 yards before letting fly a powerful right-footer that sailed past Sanchez – much to the delight of Guardiola who left off his feet in delirium.
From that point on, the fans, players were just hoping for the final whistle.
It came as a relief when the five added minutes were done and dusted..
Teams: Chelsea, Sanchez, Cucurella, Colwill, Enzo, Jackson, Nkunku, Palmer, Caicedo, Gusto, Fofana, Lavia
Subs: Tosin, Badiashile, Mudryk, Noni, Jorgensen, Neto, Dewsbury-Hall, Guiu, Veiga
Man City: Ederson, Dias, Kovacic, Haaland, Doku, De Bruyne, Silva, Gvardiol, Akanji, Savinho, Lewis
Subs: Ortega, Walker, Stones, Ake, Grealish, Nunes, Foden, O'Reilly, McAtee
Referee: Anthony Taylor
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