Chelsea vs. Man City final score, result (Premier League): Mahrez gives Man City three points

Chelsea vs. Man City Highlight

Manchester City started the year in alarming manner, defeating Chelsea 1-0 and cutting the distance between themselves and Premier League Leaders Arsenal to five points. The second-placed reigning champions finally upped the ante in the second half and scored when two replacements combined, with Riyad Mahrez tucking in Jack Grealish's low cross. Arsenal's stalemate against Newcastle at home on Tuesday provided an opportunity for the defending champions to close the gap (63’).

Erling Haaland, the league's leading scorer, was held without a goal at Stamford Bridge, but it was City's 11th straight Premier League victory, positioning them for another championship challenge in 2023. Chelsea will have the chance to respond when they play City in the FA Cup third round at the Etihad on Sunday, but Graham Potter's issues are growing as Raheem Sterling and Christian Pulisic limp off the field early on and Chelsea has only earned six points from their last eight games, which is their worst stretch since 2010. They remain in 10th place, 10 points behind the top four.

Chelsea vs. Man City Summary

Both clubs had just had disappointing draws, with City sharing points with Everton at the Etihad and Chelsea hanging on at Nottingham Forest. These outcomes increased the strain on this heavyweight encounter, and the tense first half, which saw Sterling grip his hamstring and Pulisic take a hit after being magnificently denied by player of the match John Stones, was evidence of the stress. However, 19-year-old Chukwuemeka, who was inserted in place of Pulisic, had an effect. He started a counterattack, advanced into the box, saw Bernardo Silva block his attempt, and then struck a post with a deflected shot.

De Bruyne tested Kepa Arrizabalaga in stoppage time after that effort spurred City into action, but coming into halftime, City hadn't been as sharp as they may have been. The visitors weren't at their best early in the game—their first shot didn't arrive until the 33rd minute—and Joao Cancelo, Kyle Walker, and Phil Foden were making their World Cup comeback debuts. Everything was different after the break. When Manuel Akanji and Rico Lewis replaced Walker and Cancelo, City suddenly appeared to be a more potent force. Haaland missed a shot before Ake leapt to head a beautiful De Bruyne cross against the post.

The Belgian then launched a few jabs of his own, either side of a rare Chelsea opportunity that Thiago Silva squandered. However, it was Grealish who used cunning to finally break the tie, threading a pass through the six-yard box for Mahrez to tap in, despite Kepa's apparent hesitation. At that time, Chelsea's choices were restricted due to the lack of experience on their bench, but debutants Omari Hutchinson, Lewis Hall, and Conor Gallagher brought fresh enthusiasm. As a result, the home team concluded strongly with Hall's blazing overshot.

Despite this promise and potential, Chelsea's forwards—including Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who was less than thrilled to be substituted off after coming on earlier for Sterling—once again struggled to find the back of the net. Potter now faces a challenging task in trying to guide this team up the league to where they want to be. He must work out how to break Chelsea's losing skid to Man City before Sunday, which is a more pressing concern.

Chelsea vs. Man City final score

Goals

Riyad Mahrez 63’

Chelsea vs. Man City Line Up and Ratings

Chelsea: Kepa (5), Azpilicueta (6), Koulibaly (7), Silva (7), Cucurella (5), Zakaria (7), Kovacic (6), Ziyech (6), Sterling (N/A), Havertz (6), Pulisic (6).

Subs: Aubameyang (5), Chukwuemeka (7), Hutchinson (6), Hall (6), Gallagher (6)

Man City: Ederson (6), Walker (5), Stones (8), Ake (7), Cancelo (5), De Bruyne (7), Rodri (7), Bernardo Silva (7), Gundogan (7), Foden (6), Haaland (6).

Subs: Akanji (6), Lewis (6), Mahrez (7), Grealish (7), Phillips (N/A)

Player of the match: John Stones