Chelsea 0-2 Manchester City: Haaland and Kovacic help champions to opening triumph

Manchester City opened their Premier League title defence with little trouble after sweeping aside Chelsea with a 2-0 away victory on Sunday.

Pep Guardiola’s team are chasing a record-extending fifth consecutive title and opened their 2024-25 campaign with a routine three points at Stamford Bridge, in stark contrast to the remarkable 4-4 draw in this fixture last term.

Erling Haaland chipped past Robert Sanchez with a well-taken opener in the first half of his 100th appearance for City, profiting from Bernardo Silva’s deft offload to send the visitors on their way to victory.

Nicolas Jackson responded for Chelsea by having an equaliser ruled out before the break, with the Blues striker caught offside after Ederson unconvincingly parried from Cole Palmer’s dipping strike.

Jackson again tested Ederson after the interval with a volley from Romeo Lavia’s header, but Mateo Kovacic’s fine individual finish against his former club six minutes from time sealed the win.

Victory saw City – who also had a Rico Lewis goal disallowed – join seven other teams on three points, while Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea are just one place above the bottom three after his first match at the helm.

13 – Since 2022-23, Erling Haaland has scored more Premier League goals in August (13) than Chelsea have managed as a team (11), as well as four more than rivals Man Utd (9). Ready. pic.twitter.com/eOeXuUI0VU

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) August 18, 2024

Data Debrief: Haaland provides further opening-game heroics

Haaland has been directly involved in 106 goals in 100 appearances for City, and the Norway talisman has enjoyed the opening fixture in this competition as well.

The 24-year-old became the first City player to score on matchday one in three consecutive Premier League seasons, after David Silva (2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16).

He has also scored 13 times across his nine Premier League appearances in August, two more than Chelsea have managed as a team since the start of the 2022-23 season.

Chelsea, meanwhile, are winless in their last seven league meetings with Man City (D2 L5), since a 2-1 away win in May 2021, and will have to recover before their next top-flight trip to Wolves on Sunday.