Newcomer Cole Palmer’s injury-time penalty kick helped Chelsea secure a thrilling 4-4 draw against Manchester City in the 12th round of the Premier League on the evening of November 12.
Following their comeback victory against Tottenham in the 11th round, Chelsea displayed resilience against the defending champions. Stamford Bridge felt like an arena, witnessing a continuous exchange of heavy blows until the final minutes.
Chelsea attempted 17 shots throughout the match, nine of which found the target, while Manchester City had 15 shots with 10 on target. This marked the fifth instance in Premier League history where one team scored, only for the other to equalize. For Pep Guardiola, with an illustrious coaching career spanning 882 matches, this was the first time one of his teams scored four goals and conceded four in a single game.
Despite the controversy surrounding Erling Haaland’s penalty, Mauricio Pochettino’s squad quickly equalized 1-1 with a headed goal from Thiago Silva just four minutes later. In the 37th minute, Chelsea even took the lead as Raheem Sterling, a former Man City player, slotted the ball home after a cross from Reece James.
However, Manchester City’s evolving gameplay prevented Chelsea from maintaining the advantage until halftime. A well-placed cross from Bernardo Silva allowed Manuel Akanji to head the ball, beating goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.
The score continued to fluctuate in the second half. Haaland scored his second goal with a well-timed finish from Julian Alvarez’s cross. Chelsea’s youthful lineup, however, did not give up. Conor Gallagher’s long-range shot resulted in a rebound that Nicolas Jackson capitalized on.
Following this goal, Chelsea had a golden opportunity to retake the lead, but substitute Malo Gusto’s shot went over the bar. Missing this chance, the home team was punished by Rodri with only four minutes left in the second half. The Spanish midfielder demonstrated his prowess in significant matches with a left-footed shot from outside the penalty area that deflected off Thiago Silva before finding the net.
It seemed like Chelsea would face defeat, but their efforts paid off in injury time. Ruben Dias fouled substitute striker Armando Broja in the penalty area. From the penalty spot, 21-year-old Cole Palmer successfully shot into the top left corner, defeating goalkeeper Ederson despite diving in the right direction. This goal held special significance for Palmer, scoring against his former team, which he left in the summer for more playing opportunities.
Despite salvaging a point in the dying moments, Pochettino expressed dissatisfaction with the match officials. After the final whistle, Chelsea’s manager stormed onto the field, questioning referee Taylor and receiving a yellow card. Perhaps he was frustrated with the referee’s decision not to allow Chelsea to execute the final play, potentially giving Sterling a goal-scoring opportunity.
With the additional point, Chelsea climbed to 10th place with 16 points, level with Brentford but with a better goal difference. Meanwhile, Manchester City missed the chance to widen the gap with the teams behind them, holding 28 points, just one ahead of Liverpool and Arsenal.
Looking ahead, Manchester City faces a crucial showdown with Liverpool at home in the next round on November 25, while Chelsea faces a challenging away match against Newcastle after the national team break.
