Rodri’s late strike rescues Manchester City in 1-1 draw against Chelsea

Manchester City secures their undefeated record in the English Premier League with a late goal against Chelsea, drawing the match.

With a late goal to tie 1-1 against Chelsea in Saturday’s English Premier League match, Manchester City preserved their undefeated record, reaching 15 games in a row in all competitions, in a thrilling match at Etihad Stadium. The 83rd minute of the very tense and crucial match saw City’s Rodri emerge as the savior, saving the team from suffering its first loss of 2024. His goal, a deflected shot that went past Chelsea goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic, was evidence of City’s tenacity and will to contend for the championship.

Pep Guardiola’s team suffered a setback as a consequence, currently behind both second-place Arsenal and league leader Liverpool despite the comeback. The opponents’ previous triumphs widened the gap and increased pressure on City to keep up their title hopes.

After the game, Guardiola said, “We played incredible in the second half,” acknowledging the team’s uneven performances as competing at the highest level requires a complete ninety minutes of work. “The first half was not our levels,” the coach added.

Under Mauricio Pochettino’s direction, Chelsea almost dealt a serious damage to City’s championship chances. Raheem Sterling, a former City striker who is now playing for Chelsea, opened the score in the 42nd minute with an incredible curling shot. For most of the match, especially in the first half, Chelsea was in a strong position thanks to his performance and many key stops from City’s Ederson, including an incredible double save from Sterling and Ben Chilwell.

Numerous opportunities for City’s offense, spearheaded by Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne, could not be seized properly. Haaland, in particular, showed his worst performance while wearing a City jersey, failing to convert any of his nine attempts on goal. 

Source: AP