Manchester Metropolis acquired their Premier League title defence off to a successful begin as objectives from Erling Haaland and Mateo Kovacic inflicted a 2-0 defeat on Enzo Maresca in his first match accountable for Chelsea. Haaland marked his one centesimal look for the membership along with his 91st aim earlier than Kovacic struck on his return to Stamford Bridge to provide Pep Guardiola’s males the proper begin to their try to win a file fifth consecutive English top-flight title. Metropolis had been shorn of all 4 of their Euro 2024 finalists — Rodri, Kyle Waker, John Stones and Phil Foden — from the beginning as Guardiola opted to provide them further break day to get well from their summer time exertions.
But, the champions had been nonetheless in a position to lay down a marker towards one of many few sides they didn’t beat within the league final season.
Maresca has the powerful activity of moulding a functioning crew unit from a bloated Chelsea squad that has 43 gamers and over 50 on the books together with these on mortgage.
The results of these tough selections performed out even earlier than kick-off as Raheem Sterling’s camp launched an announcement expressing his dismay at being not noted of the matchday squad.
Ben Chilwell was one other to face the cull, whereas Conor Gallagher and Romelu Lukaku are amongst these to not have been handed squad numbers.
None of Chelsea’s 9 summer time signings so far had been included in Maresca’s beginning line-up.
Much more surprisingly, Enzo Fernandez was named captain regardless of being embroiled in a race row for a publish on social media after Argentina’s Copa America victory final month.
Metropolis, in contrast, are a mannequin of continuity and constant excellence.
Haaland was considered one of Metropolis’s few stars to have had a summer time off from worldwide tournaments and took simply 18 minutes to make his mark.
Jeremy Doku’s low cross was deflected by Bernardo Silva into the Norwegian’s path and he coolly dinked over Robert Sanchez.
Kevin De Bruyne curled inches broad and Sanchez leapt excessive to show over Doku’s deflected shot.
However Chelsea ended the primary half within the ascendency and will have been stage earlier than the break.
Ederson spilled Cole Palmer’s tame shot however was bailed out by Nicolas Jackson’s straying needlessly offside earlier than he turned within the rebound.
Foden was pressured into motion sooner than Guardiola would have hoped at half-time because the energetic Savinho was pressured off injured on his Premier League debut.
The dearth of pre-season minutes for a lot of on present was obvious within the extra pedestrian tempo than regular for a significant Premier League conflict.
Chelsea did many of the urgent for an equaliser however provided Metropolis probabilities to increase their lead in doing so.
Sanchez made a fantastic save to disclaim Haaland a second earlier than De Bruyne once more fired inches astray when unmarked on the fringe of the world.
Nonetheless, the Chelsea goalkeeper was at fault for the aim that sealed their destiny.
Kovacic was allowed to burst via the midfield unchallenged and took intention for the highest nook, which he discovered because of a weak hand from Sanchez.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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