Chelsea’s unbeaten start to the Premier League season was brought to an end as Manchester City moved level on points with the Blues thanks to a 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge.
Gabriel Jesus’ second-half strike gave Pepe Guardiola’s men a deserved victory as they gained small revenge for last season’s Champions League final defeat to Thomas Tuchel’s men by the same scoreline.
City offered far the greater enterprise, with Jesus’ winner helping Pep Guardiola avoid an unwanted first of losing to the same rival manager four matches in succession.
Tuchel and Chelsea had sunk City three times last term, culminating in that 1-0 Champions League final triumph in Porto.
But in a new campaign that promises a mouthwatering title tussle between holders City, Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool, Guardiola’s men have delivered the first real statement victory.
City’s ferocious press stifled Chelsea throughout, and the visitors to west London coped easily with the hosts’ formation tweak.
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Tuchel packed the midfield with all three of N’Golo Kante, Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic, but that 3-5-2 left Timo Werner and Romelu Lukaku too often too isolated up front.
Mason Mount’s injury absence robbed the Blues of a major pressing threat at the top of their tree however, handing the visitors time to build from the back.
Chelsea could do little more than contain the visitors in a first half where the home men found possession greatly limited.
The Blues certainly sacrificed a creative edge for that central stability, with Werner and Lukaku often isolated up front. Werner did beat the City line once, but could not pick out Lukaku in the middle.
Kevin De Bruyne’s cutback found no one in the area for City, leaving Chelsea to breathe a sigh of relief and later Jorginho produced an important clearance after a Phil Foden corner. Then, at the end of the half, Jesus hooked well wide from the best chance to that point.
