What. A. Game.
Chelsea and Manchester City played out an all time Premier League classic with a pulsating 4-4 draw at Stamford Bridge. And it was former Man City players Raheem Sterling and Cole Palmer who played crucial roles in breaking City hearts.
Chelsea started the game well but it was City who struck the first blow. Referee Anthony Taylor continued his one man quest to become the least popular person in Fulham when he awarded a controversial 25th minute penalty. Marc Cucurella was adjudged to have held back City striker Erling Haaland, who duly dispatched his spot kick.
It took Chelsea just three minutes to respond. Thiago Silva glanced in Conor Gallagher's corner at the near post to bring the Blues level.
The 37th minute and Chelsea completed the turn around. Reece James squared the ball across the box from the right for Raheem Sterling to tap in at the back post.
The euphoria of leading the European Champions couldn't last though. Manuel Akanji found himself unmarked in the penalty area to head in City's equaliser from a corner.
The second half started at the same breakneck speed and it took City just two minutes to get themselves ahead. A goal similar to Chelsea's second, this time it was Haaland rolling the ball in at the back post.
Chelsea weren't done though and got their second equaliser on 67 minutes. City keeper Ederson could only palm Gallagher's effort into the path of Nicolas Jackson who scored from the rebound, his fourth goal in a week.
In the final few minutes, the game seemed to be just petering out for the first time until Rodri's effort from outside the box took a massive deflection off Thiago Silva to put the Manchester club 4-3 ahead.
A loss would have been harsh on Chelsea, who had put so much into the game and were determined not to let it happen. So in injury time, substitute Armando Broja collected the ball in the box but was brought down with a reckless challenge by Ruben Diaz to give Chelsea a penalty of their own.
So it was that Cole Palmer (a City player just a few short months ago and could have already scored in the game but for a great save from Ederson), stepped up to score his fourth penalty for Chelsea and rescue the point. How Pep Guardiola must regret letting him go now.
It was a game neither side deserved to lose so a draw was probably a fair result. Chelsea hadn't scored against City since Kai Havertz goal in the 2021 Champions League final so four in one game was quite unexpected.
With eight goals in their last two games, is it too early to hope Chelsea's goal scoring troubles are over? Chelsea seem to prefer playing the big teams, its the smaller sides who sit deep that seem to be Chelsea's real problem to break down.
But that's a problem for another day, for now we can enjoy having been treated to an absolute classic.
Line-up: Sanchez, James (Gusto 64'), Disasi, Silva, Cucurella, Caicedo (Broja 90'), Fernandez (Mudryk 64'), Palmer, Gallagher, Sterling, Jackson (Ugochukwu 96')
Unused Subs: Badiashile, Madueke, Petrovic, Maatsen, Matos
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