Manchester City, champion of the last four editions of the Premier League, began its 2024-2025 league season with a 2-0 victory on the ground of another of the greats of the country, Chelsea, where its new coach, Enzo Maresca debuted.
Norwegian Erling Haaland (minute 18) and Croatian Mateo Kovacic (84) signed the so many of the Citizens at Stamford Bridge, in a match in which Josep Guardiola’s men showed that they were already fully concentrated.
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Doesn’t he expect me to make a game like this? I know what these guys are capable of, but it’s day one and we’re out of training. “You can’t imagine how privileged I feel I can share this with this incredible group of players,” said the Catalan technician.
Thanks to this victory in the stellar clash of the first day, the City, which last weekend conquered the Community Shield (Super Cup of England), joins the group of teams that for now accumulated 3 points after winning their first-day matches: Brighton, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United.
Of all these, the interim leader remains Brighton for a better goal difference, having been imposed by three (3-0) in their clash with Everton.
There is only one match left to complete the English first date, Tottenham’s visit to Leicester on Monday.
This Sunday, the City managed to control the game from the beginning on its visit to London especially from the one of Haaland, the top scorer of the Premier League in the last two seasons.
The Norwegian attacker took advantage of a Jeremy Doku center, resisted the harassment of the defense, and managed to put the ball away from the reach of Spanish archer Robert Sanchez with a balloon-shaped touch with the left (18, 1-0).
Chelsea did not tie and planted a battle with the City, in search of the draw. The Blues also claimed untied penalties at various times.
When they pressed the most in search of 1-1, came 2 to 0 for the City thanks to a great move by Kovacic that culminated with a certain shot (84). The Balkan player barely celebrated his past at Chelsea.
Enzo Maresca, who replaced Argentine technician Mauricio Pochettino on the Chelsea bench, thus lost his first official match in the team to Guardiola of whom he was attached to the City.
I think we played a good game. We competed well and were at a similar level, if not even better. “We gave up well, but we didn’t take the opportunities,” lamented the Italian coach.
In the absence of Reece James, Maresca confided the headline bracelet to the Argentine Enzo Fernández. A show of confidence after the complicated moments that the player experienced for the criticisms received after singing a song considered racist within the celebrations for the title in the America’s Cup achieved in mid-July with the Albiceleste in Miami.
On the part of Guardiola, the Brazilian Savinho, who highlighted last year in the Girona, but was replaced by a physical problem at the end of the first half.
Brentford wins without Toney
This Sunday another match was played in the English league, in which Brentford prevailed in a London derby to the Crystal Palace by 2-1.
Bryan Mbeumo opened the scoring for Brentford on 29, three minutes after a superb so much direct foul of Eberechi Eze for Palace was overturned.
The tie for Crystal Palace came in 56 with a goal against Ethan Pinnock but Brentford prevailed with Yoane Wissa’s score in the 76th, after a reject by goaltender Dean Henderson.
His star attacker, Ivan Toney, did not play in the Brentford, who according to the press could soon be recalcling in Saudi football.
There’s a lot about Ivan, there’s a possible transfer. That’s why we decided not to include him in the team for today, club coach Thomas Frank told Sky Sports.
The operation could be particularly lucrative for Brentford, who wouldn’t want to put him at risk of an eventual injury.
