Manchester City hosted Chelsea in Matchweek 20 of the Premier League, and the game ended 1–1. The hosts took the lead in the 42nd minute through a strike from Tijjani Reijnders, but Enzo Fernández equalised at the last moment in the 90+4th minute. For City, 90+4 is like a “spoiler”: three points were in their hands, then vanished in an instant.
The match also had a special backdrop for Chelsea: the club officially announced it had parted ways with Enzo Maresca, and the team was led by Callum McFarlane as interim head coach.
Abduqodir Husanov came on in the 51st minute, replacing the injured Joško Gvardiol. During the match, Rúben Dias was also substituted due to issues.
One of the most debated moments came after the middle of the second half: former City academy product Liam Delap shoved Husanov toward the advertising boards, turning it into a small “scuffle”. As a result, both Delap and Matheus Nunes received yellow cards.
Notably, Manchester City’s official match report also specifically mentioned that Delap sent Husanov into the boards and was booked for the incident.
EXPERT RATINGS (esteemedkompany.com):
Gianluigi Donnarumma — 7/10:
Pulled off one brilliant save and could do almost nothing to prevent Chelsea’s equaliser.
Matheus Nunes — 7.5/10:
Another solid performance from Nunes against Chelsea’s attacking player Pedro Neto.
Rúben Dias — 7/10:
Another steady outing from Rúben Dias. He was reliable at the back and helped keep his team’s play together.
Joško Gvardiol — 6.5/10:
Unfortunately, Gvardiol picked up an injury and was substituted in the 50th minute. Up to that point he had been playing well. Hopefully the injury isn’t too serious.
Nico O’Reilly — 6.5/10:
He defended well when needed and won his duels. Going forward he didn’t look as sharp, seemingly tired. Unfortunately, O’Reilly lost a decisive duel to Malo Gusto, which led to Chelsea’s late equaliser. A tough late lesson for O’Reilly.
Rodri — 9/10:
An outstanding game from Rodri. He operated at a very high level both on and off the ball. Rodri received the highest rating among Manchester City players.
Tijjani Reijnders — 7.5/10:
Reijnders’ goal was beautiful, and overall his performance also impressed the experts. He helped City dominate possession and looks like a player who understands what it takes to play in the Premier League.
Bernardo Silva — 7/10:
Another professional performance from Bernardo Silva. He gave everything for the team.
Rayan Cherki — 6/10:
Not Cherki’s best game. At times he held onto the ball too long, and his execution wasn’t up to standard.
Phil Foden — 6/10:
Another disappointing match for Foden. He made poor decisions and looked like a tired player.
Erling Haaland — 6.5/10:
Haaland hit the post and had his chances. Unfortunately, he couldn’t score, and that proved decisive.
Substitutes:
Abduqodir Husanov — 7/10:
According to the experts, Husanov was excellent after coming on. He dealt well with the threat posed by Liam Delap and delivered a reliable display. He was very active.
Jérémy Doku — 6/10:
There were bright moments, but he couldn’t impact the game the way he wanted to.
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