Chelsea vs Man City LIVE: Premier League result and final score as Jack Grealish sets up Riyad Mahrez winner
Chelsea 0-1 Man City: Pep Guardiola’s side reduced the gap to leaders Arsenal to just five points as the champions returned to winning ways
Manchester City cut the gap to Premier League leaders Arsenal to five points as substitutes Riyad Mahrez and Jack Grealish combined to sink Chelsea.
City were struggling to break though Chelsea in the first half at Stamford Bridge and Pep Guardiola had to make a slew of changes to add spark to his team.
That included Grealish and Mahrez, with the England international producing a perfect cross to the back post for the winner on 63 minutes.
Chelsea lost Raheem Sterling and Christian Pulisic to injury in the first half, adding to a mounting list of absentees, to leave the Blues with just four points from their last five Premier League matches under Graham Potter.
Follow all the reaction below
City on the road
Manchester City have only lost just one of their last 25 away Premier League matches with 18 wins and six draws during that run.
That defeat was a 1-0 loss at Liverpool in October.
Fortress Stamford Bridge
Chelsea have lost just one of their last 11 Premier League home games with six wins and four draws during that run. The Blues have only failed to scored once in their last 23 league fixtures at Stamford Bridge.
Pep Guardiola urges Erling Haaland to ‘play with passion’ at Chelsea despite recent flashes of temper
Pep Guardiola has told Erling Haaland to carry on playing with passion and to go to the limit after Manchester City’s top scorer showed flashes of temper in last week’s 1-1 draw with Everton.
The Norwegian was booked for a late lunge on Vitalii Mykolenko and fought a running battle with Ben Godfrey after being aggrieved when he was fouled by the Everton centre-back in the opening seconds.
But Guardiola said he would rather see Haaland animated than emotionless and predicted he will face another physical contest against Chelsea on Thursday.
Pep Guardiola urges Erling Haaland to ‘play with passion’ at Chelsea despite temper
Haaland was riled by Everton on New Year’s Eve but his manager has told the striker not to hold back against Chelsea
Chelsea vs Man City
Chelsea have failed to score in their last three encounters in all competitions against Manchester City. They’ve lost each one of those games.
The teams will also meet again in the FA Cup third round at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
Chelsea vs Man City
Manchester City are aiming to win four consecutive matches against Chelsea for the first time. They have won seven of the 10 most recent Premier League meetings, losing the other three.
Potter backs Sterling to deliver
Chelsea manager Graham Potter has backed Raheem Sterling to recover his form despite a difficult start to his time in west London following his move from Manchester City.
"It’s been a challenge for him but it’s been a challenging period for everybody," Potter said of Sterling, who has scored six goals in 21 games in all competitions.
"There’s been a lot of change and a lot has happened, so in that regard, it’s not easy to completely settle or hit the ground running.
"There is more to come from Raheem I’m sure but he gives his best every day and we need to help him get to the level we know he can reach."
Benoit Badiashile: Chelsea confirm signing of defender on seven-and-a-half-year contract
Chelsea have confirmed the signing of France international defender Benoit Badiashile from Monaco.
The 22-year-old centre-back has signed a seven-and-a-half year contract with Chelsea and arrives on a reported €38m fee.
Badiashile becomes Chelsea’s second signing of the January transfer window, joining the 20-year-old striker David Datro Fofana, and it follows a record-breaking summer of business which also saw the Blues invest heavily in defenders Wesley Fofana, Kalidou Koulibaly and Marc Cucurella.
Chelsea had been keen to sign a left-sided centre-back this window, having also been linked with RB Leipzig and Croatia defender Josko Gvardiol.
Chelsea confirm signing of Benoit Badiashile on seven-and-a-half-year contract
The 22-year-old centre-back has signed a contract through until June 2030
Chelsea vs Man City prediction
While both teams dropped points by drawing in their respective outings last weekend, Man City seem the likelier to bounce back here and capitalise on Arsenal’s stalemate with Newcastle to narrow the gap at the top.
Chelsea 0-1 Man City.
Chelsea vs Man City predicted line-ups
Chelsea XI: Kepa, Azpilicueta, Silva, Koulibaly, Cucurella, Kovacic, Zakaria, Sterling, Mount, Pulisic, Aubameyang.
Man City XI: Ederson, Walker, Stones, Akanji, Cancelo, Gundogan, Rodri, De Bruyne, Silva, Haaland, Foden.
What is the team news?
Reece James’ most recent injury sees him join long-term absentees N’Golo Kante and Armando Broja on the sidelines, but midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek is back in training for Chelsea.
However, the game may come too soon for recovering left back Ben Chilwell.
Meanwhile, Man City are set to be without centre backs Aymeric Laporte and Ruben Dias, both of whom are dealing with minor injuries.
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