MANCHESTER CITY host Chelsea at the Etihad as Pep Guardiola’s side play for the first time since being crowned Premier League champions.
Arsenal’s defeat against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground meant that the title would be City’s for a third consecutive season.
The Cityzens will lift the Premier League trophy on their home patch after their clash with Chelsea this afternoon.
- Kick off time: 4pm BST
- TV channel: Sky Sports Main Event/ Sky Sports Premier League
- Live stream: NOW
- Stadium: The Etihad
- Man City XI: Ortega, Walker, Akanji, Laporte, Lewis, Phillips, Foden, Palmer, Mahrez, Gomez, Alvarez
- Chelsea XI: Kepa, Fofana, Thiago Silva, Chalobah, Azpilicuta, Loftus-Cheek, Fernandez, Gallagher, Hall, Sterling, Havertz
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Kick-off – Man City 1-0 Chelsea
The action restarts with neither side having made a change during the half-time break.
Yippee Kai Yay
Not the best 45 minutes for Chelsea’s Kai Havertz.
First half facts and figures
At least Chelsea are winning on tackles…
Half-time – Man City 1-0 Chelsea
The champions are in charge at the break thanks to a crisply-taken Julian Alvarez goal.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
45+2. Fernandez’s free-kick clatters into the wall, but almost falls kindly for Sterling.
However, Lewis was just as alert as the Chelsea forward and stuck out a long leg to claw the ball away for the visitors’ first corner of the match.
It’s a corner that comes to nothing.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
45. The fourth official’s board goes up to signal one minute of stoppage time.
At that very moment, Laporte clatters into Fernandez to gift Chelsea. a free-kick 25 yards from goal.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
44. There’s not much happening in the game right now which perhaps explains why Gary Neville has turned his attention to discussing the relegation run-in for Everton, Leeds and Leicester.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
42. Kalvin Phillips is keen to make up for lost time.
He lines up a shot from 30 yards out that whistles off target.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
40. Five minutes until half-time, and City have retaken a grip on possession.
Some of these players are doing their bid to play in the club’s upcoming finals no harm whatsoever.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
38. The noise levels have dipped slightly inside the Etihad with Chelsea coming into the game.
I’m not sure why really, it’s not as if there are any reasons for City’s fans to be nervous at what might happen.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
36. Gallagher rattles the post!
There’s been a shift in momentum now, and Chelsea are at least beginning to show some attacking effort.
Hall picks out Gallagher with a curling cross, and the midfielder’s stooping header rebounds off the base of the goalframe and away via the knee of Ortega.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
35. Oh, Ruben Loftus-Cheek is playing.
I’d completely forgotten about that.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
33. Another chance for Chelsea, and this is one they should score.
Fernandez and Sterling combine again to send the former City through on goal, but somewhere between a weak shot and a strong hand, Ortega manages to keep the ball out.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
31. A rare Chelsea attack.
Fernandez picks out Sterling in the box, whose first touch is cut out by Walker, only for the ball to bounce back off the Chelsea man and behind for a goal kick.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
30. Foden! So close to the sensational!
The City forward takes a lovely touch to control Phillips’ smart pass, and then unleashes a glorious chipped volley towards the top corner of Kepa’s goal from the edge of the penalty area.
The Chelsea keeper is beaten, but unfortunately for Goal of the Season compilers, it drops inches wide.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
28. This is like a testimonial game.
Manchester City are playing through Chelsea time and time again without getting out of first gear.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
26. Manchester City fans have begun doing the Poznan.
You’d think if anyone had a reason for turning their back on the pitch it would be the away supporters.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
24. City go close to a sensational second.
Foden and Lewis exchange passes midway inside the Chelsea half with the former then slipping Palmer in on the left to shoot.
Firing across goal, it’s only a Fofana slide that gets a touch on the ball and stops it from finding the corner before Chalobah boots to safety.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
21. The sun’s out, and these Manchester City fans are enjoying watching their reserves toy with Chelsea.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
19. The director hovers on a shot of the Chelsea caretaker manager during a break in play.
Co-commentator Gary Neville decides it’s time to drop a truth bomb or two: “Every time I see Frank Lampard, he has the look of someone who really doesn’t like his players.”
Man City 1-0 Chelsea – Havertz yellow card
17. An air of frustration creeping in already? Havertz lunges in on Phillips with a horrible challenge, and receives a yellow card from Michael Oliver.
The VAR do take an extended look at it, but eventually declare themselves satisfied with the on-pitch referee’s original decision.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
15. Manchester City’s players are literally queuing up to score a second.
Alvarez gets in the way of Foden’s shot after another Palmer cross from the left, and Mahrez is unable to mop up at the back post.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
13. Azpilicueta looks as though he wishes he were anywhere else right now.
He could have been playing for Barcelona this season…
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
11. The champions have the lead!
Wesley Fofana gives the ball away unnecessarily in his own half, and City waste no time in taking advantage.
With Cesar Azpilicueta and Trevoh Chalobah out of position, Cole Palmer pushes forward and slips a pass right to Julian Alvarez, who arrows past Kepa Arrizabalaga to score.
Simple. Scintillating. City.
The party begins!
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
