According to manager Pep Guardiola, Manchester City struggled to contain former players like Cole Palmer and Raheem Sterling in the 4-4 draw against Chelsea in the 12th round of the Premier League.
“We faced many difficulties in the first half, made some adjustments in the second half, and controlled Chelsea’s style of play better,” Guardiola added. “We could control more, but I don’t remember Manchester City creating as many chances on this pitch. We tried and created many opportunities, but Chelsea did the same. The talents they have are sometimes uncontrollable.”
According to the Manchester City manager, Chelsea’s counterattacks were dangerous with Cole Palmer, Raheem Sterling – the former duo, and Mykhailo Mudryk, a substitute with dribbling and a 40-meter run capability, while Moises Caicedo excelled in breaking the lines. “With players like that and excellent transitional abilities, they always pose more threats by pushing us into situations of 3v4 or 4v5,” Guardiola added.
Yesterday’s highlight match of the 12th round of the Premier League at Stamford Bridge was thrilling, with eight goals evenly split between the two teams, sharing the spoils in both halves. In the game, Manchester City took the lead three times but was always pegged back by the opponents.
Chelsea led only once, in the 37th minute, when Reece James crossed for Sterling to tap into an empty net, making it 2-1. The climax was pushed up in the fifth minute of injury time in the second half when Ruben Dias fouled Armando Broja inside the penalty area. Palmer shot into the top left corner from the penalty spot, making it 4-4.
Both Sterling and Palmer had previously played under Guardiola at the Etihad. Sterling spent seven years with Manchester City, winning ten trophies, while Palmer developed through Manchester City’s youth system and joined Chelsea this summer for more playing time.
Guardiola regretted that Manchester City had many moments to seal the victory but considered the draw a fair result, good for the league’s quality, as both teams played for the goal of winning. “If you thought Manchester City would win 7-0 at Chelsea’s ground, you were mistaken,” the 52-year-old manager expressed. “I couldn’t expect a different match. We came very close to winning, and we may not have perfect control at some moments, but that’s football, and today’s opponents also played very well. Even when I was at Barca or Bayern, playing away at Stamford Bridge was always difficult.”
Guardiola is satisfied with the draw against Chelsea, which is enough for Manchester City to retain the top spot in the Premier League, one point ahead of Liverpool and Arsenal, as they enter the international break. Earlier, Manchester City had also secured a place in the Champions League knockout stages after just two group stage rounds. The Spanish manager is proud and sees it as evidence that the team maintains ambition and quality after a historic treble-winning season.
Right after the match at Stamford Bridge, Mauricio Pochettino rushed onto the field to protest referee Anthony Taylor’s decisions and skipped the customary handshake with Guardiola. However, Manchester City’s head coach understands his colleague’s reaction. “No problem. I don’t want to say anything. Emotions sometimes happen to me, too,” he expressed.
