A defensively isolated Chelsea secured a last-minute point away from Manchester City on matchday 20. Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez shocked the dominant hosts with a late goal to equalize 1-1 (1-0).
After ten to one shots on goal in the first half, Chelsea simply seemed to wake up too late, but then the Argentina international came into the Blues’ ranks. On interim coach Calum McFarlane’s debut, the 24-year-old poked the ball over the line against Gianluigi Donnarumma to draw. The Skyblues were in the lead for a long time thanks to Tijjani Reijnders’ goal (42nd) and lost two important points to league leaders Arsenal with the late equalizer.
It took a while before the fans in Manchester had their first chance to applaud. Very little happened until the 19th minute, when Pedro Neto broke through on the left and found Estevao in the center, but Josko Gvardiol blocked the shot at the last moment. The offensive action apparently also fired up the Cityzens. Phil Foden artistically took a Reijnders assist out of the air and narrowly missed the goal from 16 meters.
As the first half progressed, the Skyblues became stronger and stronger and Chelsea no longer stuck to interim coach McFarlane’s defensive approach quite so meticulously. Foden took advantage of a loss of the ball in the visitors’ build-up and once again passed it on with a heel to Erling Haaland. His shot was deflected, making it the first dangerous test for goalkeeper Filip Jörgensen. A minute later the post saved the Dane in the Blues’ goal.
Reijnders punished the Blues’ mistakes coldly
Once again the Londoners misused the ball in the build-up game, Haaland actually did everything right, but only hit the post with his shot. Reijnders did better just three minutes later, a deflected ball landed at the feet of the Dutchman, who uncompromisingly chased the ball into the short corner from a tight angle – no chance for the 23-year-old goalkeeper on his starting eleven debut for Chelsea.
The second half started with the best opportunity for the guests to date. Fernandez elegantly got through Zidane’s turn in the penalty area and fed the centrally unmarked Pedro Neto, who shot over the goal from ten meters – that should have been the equalizer. Afterwards, the hosts tried to provide more offensive power again in the person of Haaland, but the CFC defense stood firm. Also with the Skyblues’ increasing counterattacks, because Chelsea had to be more offensive and that’s what they did.
Chelsea captain Fernandez crown Final offensive
Substitute Liam Delap tested the previously almost unemployed Donnarumma from a tight angle and the Englishman was involved in almost every successful offensive move by the guests. Apart from a scramble and a few yellow cards from referee Michael Oliver, the final phase was largely unspectacular. In the 90th minute, ex-City player Cole Palmer squandered perhaps the best chance when he failed to put the ball on goal in the penalty area.
When both teams seemed to have come to terms with the result, the counterattack via Malo Gusto and Fernandez turned the entire game on its head. The draw means both teams are still waiting for their first win in the Premier League in the new calendar year.
