Half-time reading

Half time: Chelsea 0-1 Man City

45+6 min Another unsuccessful appeal for a penalty, this time when Nkunku goes down. My first impression is that he was trying it on.

45+3 min Chelsea again enquire about a penalty when Fernandez goes over in the area after a challenge from Dias, who kind of fell into him. VAR won’t overturn the decision but that’s the kind of penalty that would have been given in 2020-21 when they were penalising all contact.

45+1 min Five minutes of added time.

44 min: Jackson has a goal disallowed! Palmer’s shot from the edge of the area was spilled by Ederson, an unusual mistake that was punished by Jackson – or at least it would have been had Jackson not gone too early.

42 min “Loved Twin Peaks but utterly failed to understand what was going on towards the end,” says Richard Hirst. “Your reference to Killer BOB made me Google him, only to find that I utterly fail to understand what it says there about him. Still, it was fun being reminded of THE great watercooler TV show. Though if I was Haaland I might sue you for the comparison.”

Come on now. It’s like I compared him to Windom Earle.

41 min In fact it was Caicedo who clobbered De Bruyne, though Doku was in the vicinity.

Savinho is also down and that looks more serious. It’ll be such a shame if he has to go off; he’s been really impressive.

40 min Bernardo Silva’s low shot from a tight angle is kicked away by Sanchez after a fast City break. He was set up by De Bruyne, who was then flattened – possibly by his teammate Doku – and is still down.

39 min Chelsea’s best move. Palmer crosses deep, Nkunku heads down, Jackson lays off and Fernandez’s shot flies off Akanji for a corner.

37 min: Fine save by Sanchez! Doku lashes a shot from 25 yards that takes a big deflection and is pawed over acrobatically by Sanchez. The replays suggest it wasn’t quite as brilliant as it looked at first, though he still did well.

35 min Savinho escapes Cucurella again and moves into the area from the right. He can’t decide what to do so eventually plays the ball back to Kovacic, whose first-time shot from 20 yards is blocked.

Chelsea break and Jackson is slightly offside when put through on the left wing. Play continues for a good 30 seconds before the flag goes up. Pep is giving the fourth official a mouthful.

33 min Chelsea want a penalty when Enzo Fernandez goes over after a challenge from behind by Savinho. It was clumsy, but Fernandez had lost the ball and was looking for it.

32 min “So Haaland is alternatively a beast or a machine?” says Joe Pearson. “Maybe he is one of those Transformers that can turn into a raging bear or something.”

He’s a beast. The Killer BOB of football. An assassin.

30 min Savinho dribbles past Cucurella with ease before his cross is headed away at the near post. He’s started really well and looks like yet another bargain that City have found. They don’t get enough credit for that.

28 min Lavia plays a really good pass into Palmer on the edge of the area. He turns quickly but is then crowded out by a group of City defenders.

27 min Possession is 50:50, which is a surprise. I suppose a lot more of Chelsea’s possession has been in the middle third.

26 min Nkunku is penalised for a challenge on Akanji on the edge of the area. He would have been through on goal, though replays suggest Anthony Taylor made the right decision.

22 min Savinho charges infield from the right and plays a short pass to De Bruyne on the edge of the D. He curls a cracking shot that goes just wide of the post. Chelsea are on the ropes, and if they’re not careful they’ll be outside the ring by half-time.

The goal stands! Fofana was playing Bernardo Silva onside.

The first of many in 2024-25 for Erling Haaland. Doku cut inside from the left and slid a pass slightly behind Bernardo Silva on the edge of the area. He stretched to divert it into the path of Haaland, who rumbled between Fofana and Cucurella and lifted the ball calmly over Sanchez. That’s a cracking finish, and a brilliant touch from Bernardo Silva if he meant it.

Hang on, there’s a VAR check for offside against Bernardo Silva.

GOAL! Chelsea 0-1 Man City (Haaland 18)

18 min “1-0 aet following an absolute peach of a header from Embiye,” reports our Motherwell correspondent James Humphries. “Changed my mind, all is forgiven until next week, etc.”

17 min Doku and Savinho have swapped wins, so Doku is now on the left.

16 min “Alternatively, football could just go back to the 90s,” says Phil Podolsky. “While I have no idea what this even means, all I can think of since I started watching Presumed Innocent is ‘We would be in a much better place as a global community if only we had more 90s-style thrillers instead of whatever it is they’re producing these days.’”

14 min Chelsea are starting to have their moments on the break. Fernandez plays a promising pass through to Jackson, who is held up by the last man Akanji and then dispossessed by the supporting Dias. Good defending.

11 min City move the ball smoothly across the field from left to right. Lewis feeds Doku, who whips a left-foot shot miles wide. City look good though.

9 min Gusto’s cross is turned behind by Gvardiol for Chelsea’s first corner. Palmer takes it short, gets it back and swings in a cross that is volleyed over by Fofana 12 yards out. A tricky chance.

8 min Savinho moves infield to receive possession, turns and pokes a nice pass through to Bernardo Silva. His first-time shot is blocked at source and goes behind for a corner.

6 min “Is it just me but is the thought of another season of this show a bit of a downer?” asks Niall Mullen. “Feels like creatively it ran out of juice a good 20 years ago but here we go again. I guess the movie never ends but perhaps one year football should just cut to black.”

Are you saying what I think you’re saying? Because what I think you’re saying is STOP FOOTBALL.

4 min City have started well, snapping the ball around with swagger and purpose. Chelsea are playing with Enzo Fernandez closest to Jackson, so more of a 4-2-1-3 than a 4-1-2-3 shoot me now.

3 min “It’s not often I envy the lot of the MBM scribe,” writes James Humphries, “but entering what must now be the fifth cumulative hour of no goals at fir park is the closest I’ve come yet. Why must we do this to ourselves.”

If you tolerate this…

2 min Rico Lewis, ostensibly the right-back, moves into midfield, plays a give-and-go with Doku and screws a cross into the side netting. For a 19-year-old, his tactical maturity is pretty special.

1 min Peep peep! City kick off from left to right ass we watch.

A reminder of the teams

Chelsea (possible 4-1-2-3) Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella; Lavia; Caicedo, Enzo; Palmer, Jackson, Nkunku.
Substitutes: Mudryk, Dewsbury-Hall, Veiga, Jorgensen, Madueke, Neto, Guiu, Adarabioyo, Badiashile.

Man City (possible 4-1-2-3) Ederson; Lewis, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol; Kovacic; De Bruyne, Bernardo; Doku, Haaland, Savinho.
Substitutes: Grealish, Nunes, Foden, McAtee, O’Reilly, Ortega, Walker, Ake, Stones.

Referee Anthony Taylor.

The early game has finished Brentford 2-1 Crystal Palace, with Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa showing there’s nothing to fear about a future without Ivan Toney.

Enzo Maresca on the Chelsea fanbase

For sure we need their support in any case because when you are on the pitch and you can hear the support, it’s like a 12th player. If they support us and are patient, we will pay them back with performances and results.

Pep Guardiola on the business of winning

When we arrive in the last month and we are close to winning another Premier League, then that will be the motivation. But now? For me the motivation to win another Premier League is not there … for me it will be in the last month. Now it’s: ‘Can we beat Chelsea?’

Enzo Maresca on his young Chelsea squad

I like the age. The important thing is they are full of talent. But talent is not enough and we need something more. This is the reason we are trying to create some culture, not only on the pitch but also outside the pitch.

Team news

Preamble