A second-half strike from Riyadh Mahrez earned a narrow 1-0 win for the visitors Manchester City against Chelsea in Thursday’s Stamford Bridge contest.
MATCH PROCEEDINGS
City dominated the possession in the opening stage of the game but it was Chelsea who were handed the early opportunities with Pulisic coming close to scoring before Stones made an important intervention.
The American international’s presence on the pitch, however, was cut short when a muscle strain meant he was brought off midway through the first half with Chukwuemeka coming on to replace him.
Hakim Ziyech forced City goalie Ederson to make a low save after Chukwuemeka’s effort with the teenager making an instant impact following his introduction from the bench.
Chukwuemeka almost got his side the lead just before the break when he slipped in behind the City backline and fired a shot against the foot of the post.
Nathan Ake almost broke the deadlock on his return to Stamford Bridge with the City defender heading against the upright as Chelsea were granted a major respite following the start of the second period.
Guardiola’s changes off the bench reaped an instant reward for his side as Grealish and Mahrez combined for the latter to score past Kepa and give City the lead.
City’s resistance was strong in the later stages of the game to get them past the finish line and ensure the three points up for grabs in the English capital.
