Manchester Metropolis defended their Premier League title with a 2-0 victory over Enzo Maresca in his first sport answerable for Chelsea, with targets from Erling Haaland and Mateo Kovacic. Haaland scored his 91st objective in 100 appearances for the membership earlier than Kovacic struck on his return to Stamford Bridge to offer Pep Guardiola’s facet the proper begin to their record-breaking third consecutive season. The five-time winner of England’s high flight ready him for the job. Metropolis misplaced all 4 Euro 2024 finalists from the beginning – Rodri, Kyle Wake, John Stones and Phil Foden – as Guardiola opted to offer them further time Come and recuperate from the laborious work of the summer season.
Nonetheless, the Championship facet have been nonetheless in a position to tackle one of many few groups they did not beat within the league final season.
Maresca faces the daunting process of placing collectively a functioning squad from a bloated Chelsea squad that boasts 43 gamers and greater than 50 together with loanees.
The implications of those powerful choices have been felt even earlier than kick-off, with Raheem Sterling’s group releasing an announcement expressing his frustration at being not noted of the matchday squad.
Ben Chilwell is one other who faces elimination, whereas Conor Gallagher and Romelu Lukaku are amongst those that haven’t been given group numbers.
None of Chelsea’s 9 summer season signings thus far have made it into Maresca’s beginning XI.
Much more stunning was the appointment of Enzo Fernandez as captain, regardless of being embroiled in a match dispute over a social media publish after Argentina received the Copa America final month.
Cities, against this, are fashions of continuity and constant excellence.
Haaland, one in all Metropolis’s few stars who has had a summer season off from worldwide responsibility, wanted simply 18 minutes to attain his mark.
Jeremy Doku’s low cross was deflected into the trail of the Norwegian by Bernardo Silva, who coolly crossed previous Roberto Sanchez.
Kevin De Bruyne’s arc was inches huge and Sanchez leapt excessive to dam Doku’s deflected shot.
However Chelsea ended the primary half in a dominant place and will have equalized earlier than the break.
Ederson missed Cole Palmer’s tame effort however Nicolas Jackson was needlessly offside to dam the ball earlier than the rebound was turned in.
Foden was compelled into motion sooner than Guardiola would have preferred at half-time because the full of life Savinho went off injured on his Premier League debut.
There was a scarcity of enjoying time in pre-season for a lot of who’ve been concerned, and it has proven itself in a extra pedestrian than regular tempo in a serious Premier League fixture.
Chelsea performed a lot of the half within the equalizer but in addition offered Metropolis with the chance to increase their lead.
Sanchez made a effective save to disclaim Haaland earlier than De Bruyne fired once more unmarked from the sting of the world.
Nonetheless, a mistake by Chelsea’s goalkeeper led to the objective that sealed their destiny.
Kovacic broke by the midfield unimpeded and aimed for the highest nook, the place he discovered the again of the online because of Sanchez’s weak palms.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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