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Manchester City staged an impressive comeback to beat Chelsea 3-1, thanks to goals from Erling Haaland and Phil Foden. This victory lifts City back into the Premier League’s top four, leapfrogging Chelsea and Newcastle United in the process.
Chelsea had taken an early lead through Noni Madueke, capitalizing on a mistake by Manchester City’s debutant defender Abdukodir Khusanov. The 20-year-old, signed from Lens for £33.5m just five days prior, endured a nightmare start to his City career. Khusanov’s error allowed Madueke to tap into an empty net, giving Chelsea a 1-0 lead after just three minutes.
However, City equalized just before halftime through Josko Gvardiol. The powerful full-back eventually found the back of the net after being denied on two previous occasions. Matheus Nunes’ burst in behind was picked out by a ball over the top from Ilkay Gundogan, catching Marc Cucurella off guard. Gvardiol then crashed into a hesitant Robert Sanchez, sending the ball squirming into his own stride.
The equalizer seemed to galvanize City, and they came out stronger in the second half. Haaland scored a stunning chip in the 68th minute to give City the lead, cleverly pinning Trevoh Chalobah before spanking the ball over Sanchez.
Foden sealed the win with a third goal late on, as City rediscovered their confidence and form. After another long pass forward, which Kevin De Bruyne flicked on, Haaland set his teammate away for a game-sealing strike.
The victory marks a significant turnaround for City, who had been struggling to compete with the best teams. They now trail third-placed Nottingham Forest by just three points, while Chelsea slips to sixth place.
City’s manager Pep Guardiola had warned midweek that his team were in survival mode and struggling to compete with the best teams. However, this victory will provide a much-needed boost to City’s morale and top four aspirations.
The win lifts City above Chelsea and Newcastle United into the top four, with Chelsea now only above a resurgent Bournemouth side by virtue of scoring more goals this season.
