As Mateo Kovacic celebrated by not celebrating against his former club, having scored Manchester City's second goal of the day, Todd Boehly got up from his seat and headed back inside Stamford Bridge, a living example of an "I'm out" gif. Plenty of Chelsea fans followed suit.
What had been billed as a potentially tough opening game for the reigning champions ended up feeling like the same routine 2-0 win that Arsenal and Liverpool enjoyed on Saturday against less illustrious opposition. Erling Haaland broke the deadlock in the first half, Kovacic got the second after some poor play from Chelsea keeper Robert Sanchez. There was a collective nod of "Yep, sounds about right" in the stands and from those watching around the world, and everyone, including Chelsea's co-owner and chairman, moved on with their day.
This wasn't a terrible performance from the home side, by any means. The trouble is, neither was it an especially good one from the champions, certainly when compared to the standards we all know they can hit. Chelsea had the better expected goals figure and managed only one shot fewer, while possession was pretty balanced. There were some patterns of play, some half-chances, and a disallowed Nicolas Jackson goal.
And yet, as City celebrated victory in the west London sunshine, it felt like an inevitable outcome had been reached, and questions around Chelsea remained unanswered. What is their style supposed to be? What is a realistic aim for this season? How long will Enzo Maresca be given to make it happen? What is Jackson doing there?
The London club have not enjoyed much success against City in recent meetings, although they did hold them to two draws in last season's league meetings, which included an extraordinary 4-4 game at the Bridge in November 2023. One thing about Mauricio Pochettino's team was that they carried a threat in every match they played, often at the expense of any semblance of defensive control. Today, with a midfield three of Enzo Fernandez — questionably made captain in the wake of a racism storm — Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, Maresca's Chelsea were more solid, better balanced, but horribly blunt.
City, by contrast, were simply clinical. When Bernardo Silva touched the ball cleverly to Haaland, he shrugged aside Levi Colwill and Marc Cucurella before scoring his 91st goal in his 100th appearance for Man City. When Sanchez played his own team into trouble, Kovacic waltzed through midfield and found the net via the inside of the post and the keeper's weak right hand. In between those moments, they simply kept Chelsea at relative arm's length, even without Rodri, Kyle Walker, John Stones, and Phil Foden for the first half.
This was a straightforward win for Pep Guardiola's team and you know they can and will play better than this. Time will tell if the same can be said for Chelsea. Unfortunately for Maresca, time is something that may not be on his side, if Boehly can't even stomach watching the first 90 minutes of the season.
Chelsea vs. Man City final score
| Fulltime | Goalscorers | |
| Chelsea | 0 | |
| Man City | 2 | Haaland 18', Kovacic 84' |
Confirmed lineups:
Chelsea (4-3-3, right to left): 1. Robert Sanchez (GK) — 27. Malo Gusto, 29. Wesley Fofana, 6. Levi Colwill, 3. Marc Cucurella (40. Renato Veiga) — 45. Romeo Lavia (22. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall), 25. Moises Caicedo, 8. Enzo Fernandez — 20. Cole Palmer, 15. Nicolas Jackson (38. Marc Guiu) 18. Christopher Nkunku (19. Pedro Neto)
Man City (4-1-4-1, right to left): 31. Ederson (GK) — 82. Lewis, 25. Manuel Akanji, 3. Ruben Dias, 24. Josko Gvardiol — 8. Kovacic — 26. Savinho (47. Phil Foden), 20. Bernardo Silva, 17. Kevin De Bruyne, 11. Jeremy Doku — 9. Erilng Haaland.
MORE: Latest Premier League Golden Boot standings | How long will Oscar Bobb be out?
Chelsea vs. Man City stats
| Chelsea | Stat | Man City |
| 10 | Shots | 11 |
| 3 | Shots on target | 5 |
| 1.23 | Expected goals (if applicable) | 0.82 |
| 48% | Possession | 52% |
| 479 | Passes | 527 |
| 4 | Corners | 3 |
| 12 | Fouls | 9 |
| 1 | Yellow cards | 1 |
| 2 | Offsides | 1 |
Chelsea vs. Man City live updates, highlights, and commentary
Fulltime: Chelsea 0-2 Man City
A rather tame cheer from the away end greets the final whistle. Plenty of Chelsea fans, plus owner Todd Boehly, had already left their seats. It wasn't a classic, and City were not at their best, but it was still a comfortable win. Maresca has lots to do.
90 + 5 mins: Fernandez hits a shot from a standstill, but it's a comfortable save for Ederson. That will pretty much be that.
90 + 2 mins: Palmer drags a shot that bobbles harmlessly wide. Chelsea have three more added minutes to rescue something here.
89 mins: Doku makes a great run but his cut-back is cleared away. At the other end, Foden blocks Neto's attempted shot in the City box. They've worked hard for this one today.
84 mins: GOAL! KOVACIC MAKES IT 2-0! It's an awful goal for Chelsea to concede. Sanchez plays Fofana into trouble, the clearance is straight to Kovacic, and he waltzes past Caicedo and Fernandez far too easily. He then side-foots a shot towards the left-hand corner, and Sanchez can only flap it on its way, the ball flying in off the post. He should've saved it. Someone should've tackled Kovacic. Kovacic should never have been given the ball in the first place. But it's 2-0.
80 mins: Cucurella has hurt himself after an awkward landing and he's taking no chances. On comes Renato Veiga, who Chelsea signed from Basel back in July. Nope, I don't remember it, either.
78 mins: Chelsea appeal for a penalty for handball against Kovacic, but that's never going to be given. It's all been a bit preseason-y today: City have been far from their best, but Chelsea are clearly still working things out under their new boss. Penalty appeals like that underline that they're hoping for a comeback, rather than expecting one.
72 mins: City are having to do a fair amount of defensive work here, but it's hardly last-ditch stuff. Chelsea have just not offered enough in terms of end product.
69 mins: Gusto wins back the ball but Palmer is easily dispossessed by Doku. The Chelsea man has had a poor game today against his old club.
65 mins: Lewis scores, but the goal won't count! Referee Anthony Taylor signals a foul by Haaland, who caught Colwill with a raised boot in the build-up. It's a booking for the striker, too. There's now another change for the hosts, with Marc Guiu and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall making their league debuts.
61 mins: Jackson should score! Fernandez's looping header is kept alive by Gusto. Silva heads clear, Lavia nods it back in, and Jackson stretches to turn the ball goalwards from point-blank range, but it's straight at Ederson. Chelsea sense something here.
58 mins: Nkunku, who has worked hard but created little threat, makes way for debutant Pedro Neto.
52 mins: Big chance for Haaland! Silva tees up the striker on his left foot, inside the penalty area, but the shot is at a comfortable height for Sanchez to save. He knows he should have done better there.
49 mins: A clever pass from Palmer causes confusion in the City six-yard box... but not for the visitors. Jackson seems to get in Fernandez's way, allowing the visitors to clear.
Kickoff: Second half
We're back at it. One change for City, with Phil Foden on for Savinho.
Halftime: Chelsea 0-1 Man City
City hold a slender but deserved lead at the break. Chelsea have actually had more of the ball, but it's not been in particularly dangerous areas. Jackson had the ball in the net but was offside when he did so. Work to do for Maresca.
45 + 4 mins: Chelsea want a penalty as Nkunku goes to ground while trying to get past Lewis, but there's nothing doing there.
44 mins: GOAL — NO! Offside denies Chelsea! It's a pretty poor passage of play from all concerned. City give up possession in their own half, Palmer's shot from the edge of the box isn't great, Ederson bungles the save, but Jackson is offside as he converts the rebound. He didn't need to be, either.
40 mins: Savinho is down here and looks to be in trouble. He's clearly in a bit of pain. That would be a real shame for City, as he's had a good game here.
37 mins: Good save, Sanchez! Malo Gusto is caught in possession by Doku, who fires in a dipping shot that the Chelsea keeper tips over the bar. De Bruyne's corner comes to nothing.
36 mins: Pep Guardiola is having a bit of a rant at the fourth official after a Chelsea attack went on for about 30 seconds after an offside infringement. We all know what the guidance is for assistants these days due to VAR, but that felt a little too long. City still lead comfortably.
32 mins: Fernandez (and the crowd) want a penalty after Savinho runs through the back of him, but the Chelsea man's control was so poor that the ball was already well beyond his reach. "Referee's call" very much the right one there.
26 mins: Nkunku does well to put Manuel Akanji under pressure, but he gets a bit too heavy-handed and concedes the free-kick. It was at least a sign of Chelsea trying to scrap their way back into this.
22 mins: DE BRUYNE! The City star tries to pick out the right-hand corner of the net from 20 yards out, but his angles are wrong. Chelsea are getting overrun at the moment, which is not a good look for a three-man central midfield.
18 mins: GOAL! HAALAND GIVES CITY THE LEAD! Doku , this time from the left, cuts infield and passes to Bernardo Silva. His touch to Haaland is perfect, and Haaland is just too strong for Colwill and Marc Cucurella, muscling them out of the way before finishing past the rather static Robert Fernandez. A VAR check for offside shows Silva was not behind the last man.
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15 mins: Chelsea have looked somewhat threatening on the break, but they haven't made the most of the forays forward they've had. Nicolas Jackson this time is guilty of losing the ball too easily to Ruben Dias. At the other end, City can't seem to get a cross anywhere near Erling Haaland, even through Kevin De Bruyne.
11 mins: Doku! That's a waste. He collects Lewis' pass and has space to shoot just inside the box, but it's badly sliced with his left foot. His end product has been poor so far.
8 mins: Savinho makes a good run infield and finds Bernardo Silva, who wins a corner off Romeo Lavia. Fernandez wins a free-kick as the delivery is taken. City's wingers — Jeremy Doku is on the other side — have started brightly here.
3 mins: Fernandez seems to be playing as a 10 from the start here. He's pushing right up towards the City centre-backs when out of possession.
Kickoff: First half
Here we go!
5 mins before kickoff: The players enter the pitch to some impressive pyrotechnics. This should be a fascinating watch.
14 mins before kickoff: With some of City's key players absent or still short of fitness, there will be plenty of pressure on Erling Haaland to perform today. He's making his 100th appearance for the club at the Bridge. He's averaged close to a goal a game in that run, which is frankly madness.
30 mins before kickoff: Another facet of the Chelsea team that has caused confusion is Maresca's decision to make Fernandez captain today, in the absence of club skipper Reece James. Fernandez was at the heart of a racism storm as Argentina celebrated winning the Copa America, and it upset some of his Chelsea teammates. You can read about that here.
With that in mind, plenty of fans have been asking how Fernandez could then be given the armband.
50 mins before kickoff: There's an interesting development around the Chelsea team news: Raheem Sterling, who is not in today's squad, is reportedly demanding answers from Maresca over his role for the coming season.
According to the Daily Mail, Sterling's camp had expected the winger to start today. He conducted an interview with Chelsea's in-house media this week ahead of the game with his former club, and he played in all six of their preseason games.
His representatives said in a statement to the Mail that they "look forward to gaining clarity on the situation" but that the player "is committed, as ever, to delivering at the highest level for Chelsea FC and the fans, who he holds in high regard". Maresca said it was "a technical decision".
Team news
Maresca's first Chelsea lineup in the Premier League sees Levi Colwill partner Wesley Fofana at the centre of the defence. Romeo Lavia joins Moises Caicedo and captain Enzo Fernandez in midfield, with Cole Palmer and Christopher Nkunku alongside Cole Palmer in attack. New signings Pedro Neto and Marc Guiu are on the bench.
With Rodri still missing, Mateo Kovacic anchors the Man City midfield. There's a Premier League debut for Brazilian winger Savinho, with Pep Guardiola also handing Rico Lewis a starting spot at right-back.
1 hour 20 mins before kickoff: Enzo Maresca today takes charge of his first Premier League game as Chelsea boss. It just so happens to be against the team where he spent a year as Pep Guardiola's assistant in the treble-winning season of 2022/23.
1 hour 40 mins before kickoff: The meeting at Stamford Bridge last season ended in a remarkable 4-4 draw. However, despite taking a point off City twice last term, Chelsea's recent record against the champions hasn't been great.
2 hours before kickoff: The champions are back. What do Chelsea have to stop them this time?
Chelsea vs. Man City kick off time
The Chelsea vs. Man City match kicks off in at 4:30 p.m. local time at Stamford Bridge in London, England.
Here's how that time translates across some of the major territories:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| USA | Sun, Aug. 18 | 11:30 a.m. ET |
| Canada | Sun, Aug. 18 | 11:30 a.m. ET |
| UK | Sun, Aug. 18 | 4:30 p.m. BST |
| Australia | Mon, Aug. 19 | 1:30 a.m. AEDT |
| India | Sun, Aug. 18 | 9:00 p.m. IST |
Chelsea vs. Man City lineups, team news
Levi Colwill partners Wesley Fofana at the centre of defence for Maresca's first league game in charge, while a combative midfield sees Romeo Lavia join Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez.
Pedro Neto, who joined from Wolves for £54 million, will have to make his debut from the bench. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, a former standout under Maresca at Leicester, is also among the substitutes.
Reece James is sidelined with a four-match suspension carried over from last season and a hamstring injury that could keep him out until September. Conor Gallagher, who captained in James' absence last year, is training with the Under-21s amid a potential move to Atletico Madrid.
Chelsea confirmed XI (4-3-3, right to left): Sanchez (GK) — Gusto, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella — Lavia, Caicedo, Fernandez — Palmer, Jackson, Nkunku.
Chelsea subs: Jorgensen, Badiashile, Tosin, Veiga, Dewsbury-Hall, Madueke, Mudryk, Neto, Guiu
Phil Foden, John Stones, Kyle Walker, and Rodri missed last weekend's Community Shield victory due to an extended break following their participation in the Euro 2024 final. All except Rodri hae returned to the matchday squad, but only on the bench. That means Mateo Kovacic starts in midfield, and Rico Lewis remains at right-back.
City will be without Oscar Bobb, who fractured his fibula in training and is expected to be sidelined for up to four months. Bernardo Silva, who scored in the Community Shield, starts alongside Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland. Savinho replaces Bobb on the right wing for his Premier League debut.
Man City confirmed XI (4-1-4-1, right to left): Ederson (GK) — Lewis, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol — Kovacic — Savinho, Bernardo, De Bruyne, Doku — Haaland.
Man City subs: Ortega, Walker, Stones, Ake, Grealish, Nunes, Foden, O'Reilly, McAtee
Chelsea vs. Man City live stream, TV channel
Here's how to watch this Premier League match across selected areas of the world's major regions:
| Region | TV | Streaming |
| USA | NBC | Fubo, Universo NOW, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC app/site, Peacock |
| Canada | — | Fubo |
| UK | Sky Sports | Sky Go |
| Australia | — | Optus Sport |
| India | Star Sports Select 1 | JioTV, Hotstar VIP |