Erling Haaland celebrated his 100th game for Manchester City by netting his 91st goal, helping the reigning champions secure a 2-0 victory over Chelsea as they embarked on their quest for a fifth consecutive Premier League title on Sunday. Haaland broke the deadlock in the 18th minute, while Mateo Kovacic extended the lead in the 84th minute with a powerful strike from just outside the box, dampening the debut of Chelsea’s new head coach Enzo Maresca.
After Chelsea showed initial promise, Haaland showcased his clinical finishing by receiving the ball near the penalty area, weaving between Levi Colwill and Marc Cucurella, and delicately lifting the ball over Robert Sanchez to put City ahead. This decisive play highlighted the lack of a clinical forward that troubled Chelsea last season and was evident again in this match, despite significant summer investments. Chelsea’s striker Nicolas Jackson had a goal ruled out for offside just before halftime and later missed a close-range opportunity by striking straight at City’s goalkeeper Ederson in the 61st minute before being substituted for the young Marc Guiu.
Despite the defeat, there were positive signs for Maresca, formerly an assistant under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. Romeo Lavia, who started his first league match after an injury-plagued previous season, formed a promising midfield duo with Moises Caicedo. Additionally, Pedro Neto, a new signing from Wolves, made his debut as a substitute in the 59th minute and nearly found the back of the net immediately, narrowly missing a low cross from Enzo Fernandez.
Kovacic added the second goal against his former club after intercepting a high ball and launching a shot that found the net with the help of the post, sealing a strong start to Manchester City’s season. In the earlier match, Brentford secured a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace.
