Chelsea 4, Manchester City 4
Cole Palmer, a former Manchester City academy graduate, scored an injury time penalty that earned a point for Chelsea at home to City.
Embed from Getty ImagesIt was a hugely entertaining game with saves from both keepers that saw City pegged back three times by their hosts with Palmer keeping his cool to score a 95th minute spot kick to deny Pep Guardiola another win.
City made five changes from their last game with Manuel Akanji, Rodri, Julian Alvarez, Bernardo Silva, and Jeremy Doku returning to the starting lineup to replace John Stones, Rico Lewis, Matheus Nunes, Mateo Kovacic, Jack Grealish.
And it all looked to be going well for City as Erling Haaland put City into the lead from the penalty spot in the 25th minute after a soft looking foul after Marc Cucurella brought down the Norwegian – confirmed without much fuss by VAR.
Buoyed by a similarly chaotic win over Spurs on Monday Thiago Silva levelled matters in the 29th minute from a well worked corner and ex-City winger Raheem Sterling put the hosts into the lead after 37 minutes after a cross into the box from Reece James after an error by Josko Gvardiol.
Akanji levelled matters after he rose unmarked at the near post to head City back on terms in first half injury time – meeting Bernardo Silva’s cross.
And Haaland scored his second of the game just after half time – his 17th goal in 18 games for the Blues – after finishing Julian Alvarez’ cross.
Nicolas Jackson – Chelsea’s hat trick hero on Monday – put the Blues level again after 67 minutes after Ederson parried Conor Gallagher’s shot into his path.
But there were still twists in this absorbing game – Haaland turned accidental provider to feed Rodri after Kovacic’ shot rebounded off the big Norwegian who, with an 86th minute long range deflected goal of Thiago Silva, looked to have earned the points in an entertaining encounter.
But that was before Palmer – another ex-City player – kept his nerve to win his new club Chelsea a share of the spoils in the 5th minute of added time after Dias tripped substitute Armando Broja.
Chelsea may have been plumbing the depths of the Premier League mid table wilderness for months now but there are signs of green shoots of recovery in the teeming Stamford Bridge rain under their new boss Mauricio Pochettino.