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Manchester City 1-2 Chelsea: Aguero misses penalty as Chelsea make City wait for Premier League title

By Chris BevanBBC Sport at Etihad Stadium

Last updated on .From the section Premier Leaguecomments1753

Sergio Aguero's penalty is saved by Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy
Aguero's penalty was the fourth time that City have failed to score from the spot in the Premier League this season - more than any other top-flight side

Sergio Aguero made a mess of a Panenka penalty as Chelsea ensured Manchester City must wait a little longer to wrap up the Premier League title by fighting back to earn a dramatic win at Etihad Stadium.

City, needing three points to become champions of England for the seventh time, took the lead just before half-time through Raheem Sterling's close-range strike.

Aguero had a glorious chance to make it 2-0 from the spot moments later when Billy Gilmour fouled Gabriel Jesus, but the Argentina striker opted for a dinked effort that was easily saved by Edouard Mendy.

It proved a costly miss, as Chelsea improved after the break and equalised when Cesar Azpilicueta set up Hakim Ziyech to fire home from the edge of the area.

The visitors had two more efforts ruled out for offside before Marcus Alonso won it for them in injury time, meeting Timo Werner's pull-back and sending the ball looping over Ederson.

This was Chelsea's second win over City in the space of three weeks, following their victory in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley in April.

The two sides will meet again in the Champions League final in Istanbul at the end of this month.

This result can only give Chelsea extra confidence for that game, as well as providing a big boost to their hopes of a top-four finish, but in truth this encounter offered few clues to how their next meeting will be decided.

Both managers made numerous changes to the sides they put out for their respective Champions League semi-final second-leg matches in midweek - City boss Pep Guardiola made nine to the side that beat Paris St-Germain here on Tuesday, while his Chelsea counterpart Thomas Tuchel made five to the team that defeated Real Madrid on Wednesday - and the result was a disjointed performance from both sides.

No celebrations for City this time

Manchester City 1-2 Chelsea: 'It was a penalty' - Guardiola frustrated with title delay

Hundreds of City fans had gathered before kick-off to greet their players with fireworks and flares when they arrived at the stadium but their plans to celebrate a third title in four seasons in the same way are on hold after this result.

They could still be crowned champions before they play their next game, at Newcastle on Friday, if Manchester United drop three points over their next three matches in the next five days - but three United wins would reduce City's lead at the top to four points.

Even with the title so close, Guardiola was expected to make changes to his line-up after the PSG game, but he also tinkered with his team's formation and playing style.

Instead of their usual 4-3-3, and trademark patient passing and possession-based game, City lined up in a strange 5-1-3-1 formation and tried to get the ball forward as quickly as possible.

They failed to spark until a breathless spell just before the break, when Sterling put them ahead and Aguero should have doubled their lead from the penalty spot.

Gabriel Jesus was involved in both incidents, first brushing Andreas Christensen off the ball and sending over a low cross that Aguero mis-controlled into the path of Sterling, who passed the ball into the net.

Soon after, with Christensen off the field receiving treatment, Gimour held back the Brazilian forward in the box to concede a penalty, and Aguero - City's record goalscorer, who is leaving the club at the end of the season after an illustrious decade in Manchester - stepped up, only to fluff his lines horribly.

Guardiola's frustration at that miss turned to fury in the second half, firstly when Chelsea equalised and then when his side were denied a second penalty with the score at 1-1 late on.

Sterling went down in the box after a clumsy challenge from Chelsea substitute Kurt Zouma, but referee Anthony Taylor waved play on.

Tuchel's Chelsea impress again

Man City 1-2 Chelsea: Players never stopped believing - Thomas Tuchel

While City and their fans were left to wonder what might have been, Chelsea offered more evidence of the improvements they have made since Thomas Tuchel took charge at the start of the year.

The visitors visibly lacked imagination for the first hour or so, and seemed to be badly missing the creative nous of the absent Mason Mount in midfield, but they were well-organised, apart from that madcap spell before the break, and always in the game at 1-0 down.

They came to life in the second half, again demonstrating their threat to City on the break and could easily have had more than just two goals.

Timo Werner and Callum Hudson-Odoi both found the net at 1-1, only to be denied by the linesman's flag, in decisions that were a good deal tighter than when Werner's effort was ruled out for a clear offside early on.

It was an impressive all-round performance, that bodes well for Chelsea's attempts to win the FA Cup next weekend and secure a top-four finish before they can turn their focus to the Champions League final.

What next? City head to Newcastle

Chelsea host Arsenal on Wednesday (20:15 BST) while City will have another chance to wrap up the title when they travel to Newcastle on Friday (20:00 BST).

City's home woes continue - the stats

  • Manchester City have dropped eight points from winning positions in home Premier League games this season, last dropping more at home in the competition in 2008-09 (12).
  • Chelsea's Thomas Tuchel is the fifth manager to avoid defeat in each of their first eight away games in the Premier League after Kenny Dalglish, John Gregory, Felipe Scolari and Chris Wilder.
  • After losing his first three managerial meetings with Pep Guardiola in all competitions, Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel is unbeaten in his last four encounters with the Spaniard (W2 D2).
  • Pep Guardiola has lost four home league games this season, twice as many as he'd lost in any other campaign in his managerial career.
  • Manchester City have lost consecutive Premier League home games thanks to a goal scored in the 90th minute - as many as they had in their previous 235 Premier League games at the Etihad Stadium.
  • At 91 minutes and 54 seconds, Marcos Alonso's winner was the latest winning goal scored in an away Premier League game against Manchester City since Paul Scholes for Man Utd in April 2010 (92:41).
  • Manchester City have conceded at least twice in four consecutive top-flight home games for the first time since December 1978.

Line-ups

Man City

Formation 3-1-4-2

  • 31Ederson
  • 3Rúben Dias
  • 14Laporte
  • 6Aké
  • 16Rodri
  • 27Cancelo
  • 21TorresSubstituted forGündoganat 71'minutes
  • 7SterlingBooked at 12mins
  • 22MendySubstituted forZinchenkoat 80'minutes
  • 9Gabriel JesusBooked at 90mins
  • 10AgüeroSubstituted forFodenat 70'minutes

Substitutes

  • 2Walker
  • 8Gündogan
  • 11Zinchenko
  • 13Steffen
  • 20Bernardo Silva
  • 25Fernandinho
  • 26Mahrez
  • 47Foden
  • 50García

Chelsea

Formation 3-4-2-1

  • 16Mendy
  • 28Azpilicueta
  • 4ChristensenSubstituted forZoumaat 45+3'minutes
  • 2Rüdiger
  • 24James
  • 23Gilmour
  • 7KantéSubstituted forJorginhoat 68'minutes
  • 3Alonso
  • 10Pulisic
  • 22ZiyechSubstituted forHudson-Odoiat 76'minutes
  • 11Werner

Substitutes

  • 1Arrizabalaga
  • 5Jorginho
  • 9Abraham
  • 15Zouma
  • 18Giroud
  • 20Hudson-Odoi
  • 29Havertz
  • 33Emerson
  • 57Livramento
Referee:
Anthony Taylor

Match Stats

Home TeamMan CityAway TeamChelsea
Possession
Home48%
Away52%
Shots
Home16
Away12
Shots on Target
Home4
Away5
Corners
Home6
Away2
Fouls
Home12
Away10

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Manchester City 1, Chelsea 2.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Manchester City 1, Chelsea 2.

  3. Goal!

    Goal! Manchester City 1, Chelsea 2. Marcos Alonso (Chelsea) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Timo Werner.

  4. Booking

    Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  5. Post update

    Foul by Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City).

  6. Post update

    Christian Pulisic (Chelsea) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  7. Post update

    Corner, Chelsea. Conceded by Ederson.

  8. Post update

    Attempt saved. Marcos Alonso (Chelsea) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the top left corner.

  9. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Ilkay Gündogan (Manchester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Gabriel Jesus with a headed pass.

  10. Post update

    Attempt missed. Phil Foden (Manchester City) left footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Ilkay Gündogan with a cross.

  11. Post update

    Attempt missed. João Cancelo (Manchester City) left footed shot from the right side of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Rodrigo.

  12. Post update

    Foul by Callum Hudson-Odoi (Chelsea).

  13. Post update

    Rúben Dias (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  14. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by João Cancelo.

  15. Post update

    VAR Decision: No Goal Manchester City 1-1 Chelsea.

  16. Post update

    Offside, Chelsea. Reece James tries a through ball, but Callum Hudson-Odoi is caught offside.

  17. Post update

    Foul by Raheem Sterling (Manchester City).

  18. Post update

    César Azpilicueta (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  19. Substitution

    Substitution, Manchester City. Oleksandr Zinchenko replaces Benjamin Mendy.

  20. Post update

    Offside, Chelsea. Jorginho tries a through ball, but Timo Werner is caught offside.

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Player of the match

KantéN'Golo Kanté

with an average of 7.93

Manchester City

  1. Squad number3Player nameRúben Dias
    Average rating

    5.02

  2. Squad number47Player nameFoden
    Average rating

    4.91

  3. Squad number31Player nameEderson
    Average rating

    4.82

  4. Squad number14Player nameLaporte
    Average rating

    4.61

  5. Squad number6Player nameAké
    Average rating

    4.46

  6. Squad number8Player nameGündogan
    Average rating

    4.40

  7. Squad number27Player nameJoão Cancelo
    Average rating

    4.31

  8. Squad number11Player nameZinchenko
    Average rating

    4.31

  9. Squad number9Player nameGabriel Jesus
    Average rating

    4.31

  10. Squad number16Player nameRodri
    Average rating

    4.30

  11. Squad number7Player nameSterling
    Average rating

    4.26

  12. Squad number21Player nameTorres
    Average rating

    4.13

  13. Squad number22Player nameMendy
    Average rating

    3.94

  14. Squad number10Player nameAgüero
    Average rating

    3.71

Chelsea

  1. Squad number7Player nameKanté
    Average rating

    7.93

  2. Squad number24Player nameJames
    Average rating

    7.88

  3. Squad number22Player nameZiyech
    Average rating

    7.81

  4. Squad number23Player nameGilmour
    Average rating

    7.76

  5. Squad number16Player nameMendy
    Average rating

    7.73

  6. Squad number3Player nameAlonso
    Average rating

    7.73

  7. Squad number28Player nameAzpilicueta
    Average rating

    7.67

  8. Squad number11Player nameWerner
    Average rating

    7.52

  9. Squad number10Player namePulisic
    Average rating

    7.48

  10. Squad number2Player nameRüdiger
    Average rating

    7.44

  11. Squad number20Player nameHudson-Odoi
    Average rating

    7.34

  12. Squad number15Player nameZouma
    Average rating

    7.20

  13. Squad number5Player nameJorginho
    Average rating

    7.15

  14. Squad number4Player nameChristensen
    Average rating

    6.74

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Comments

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1753 comments

  • Comment posted by ViceCompany, at 19:36 8 May 2021

    Sterling is such a diver.

    • Reply posted by Arch Stanton, at 19:42 8 May 2021

      Arch Stanton replied:
      You can bet your house on him to go down, fouled or not. It's his default position, appealing to the Ref.

      The best players try to get the shot off. Sterling will go to ground.

  • Comment posted by Arch Stanton, at 19:37 8 May 2021

    interested to know the consensus, was Sterling fouled?
    Up for correct decision, No penalty.
    Down for wrong decision, Penalty.

    • Reply posted by Christopher L, at 19:42 8 May 2021

      Christopher L replied:
      Sterling shouldn’t have been on the pitch straight red first half so not really relevant.

  • Comment posted by David McManus, at 19:37 8 May 2021

    Terribly arrogant from Aguero, it cost his team today

    • Reply posted by liverpool supporter right here, at 19:53 8 May 2021

      liverpool supporter right here replied:
      Yeah. But they will still win the title. And Aguero will go down as a City legend

  • Comment posted by jigsaw, at 19:35 8 May 2021

    Tuchel has transformed chelsea into a Beast , well done to him. He deserves big credit.
    Good game from both side.

    • Reply posted by Mate, at 19:37 8 May 2021

      Mate replied:
      Until it falls apart next season, then it will be next....

  • Comment posted by richard48, at 19:40 8 May 2021

    Thank goodness referees are waking up to the cheating, diving Sterling! He is an embarrassment to English football!

    • Reply posted by LondonsFinestClub, at 20:00 8 May 2021

      LondonsFinestClub replied:
      50:50 game, Chelsea just starting to click click click. Sterling is soft and it’s a pity! Werner works the backyard of every team, makes many mistakes but how many assists now? Serous speed and vision.

  • Comment posted by Laffmetitsoff, at 19:36 8 May 2021

    Ha Ha that was funny.!!
    Well done Chelsea, fully deserved after going a goal down.
    #Lets all laugh at Aguero.

    • Reply posted by U18617267, at 19:41 8 May 2021

      U18617267 replied:
      Great result as it means Liverpool will not even get top 4. Hahahhahj

  • Comment posted by James, at 19:36 8 May 2021

    Aguero tried a panenka when City were 1-0 up. Misses. City go on to lose the game 2-1.

    “You’ll never see anything like this again”

    • Reply posted by zuf, at 19:43 8 May 2021

      zuf replied:
      So watch it. Drink it in.

  • Comment posted by u664541, at 19:38 8 May 2021

    ALONSOOOOOOOOOOOOO

    • Reply posted by livingmercerway, at 19:51 8 May 2021

      livingmercerway replied:
      Hardly - it means nothing.

  • Comment posted by U16650765, at 19:37 8 May 2021

    I dedicate the winning goal to Sterling.

    Why he wasn’t booked for simulation escapes me ?

    • Reply posted by Christopher L, at 19:41 8 May 2021

      Christopher L replied:
      Sterling should have been given straight red in first half disgustingly high tackle. City second best in every department

  • Comment posted by Hindsight if only, at 19:39 8 May 2021

    Sterling has to be the biggest cheat in the premier league after that showing.

    • Reply posted by Bojos Hapless Clown Circus, at 19:50 8 May 2021

      Bojos Hapless Clown Circus replied:
      It's a toss up between him and Penandes

  • Comment posted by Specialist_in_tailoring, at 19:39 8 May 2021

    ANOTHER MOTM PERFORMANCE FROM THE 5 FOOT 6 GIANT KANTE!
    HOW MANY CITEH PLAYERS DID HE HAVE IN HIS POCKET?
    2, 3 or 4?

    • Reply posted by Stamford Bridgeing the gap, at 19:56 8 May 2021

      Stamford Bridgeing the gap replied:
      Yes he was immense and so was Billy Gilmour, only issue for me is Werner’s lazy and stupid efforts to either stay onside or fall back to get onside. He wastes so many opportunities.

  • Comment posted by KR, at 19:37 8 May 2021

    Sterling needs to work on his diving as he doesn't look convincing enough to buy fouls and penalties from referees.

    • Reply posted by Irons45, at 19:41 8 May 2021

      Irons45 replied:
      That was a clear pen

  • Comment posted by lawman, at 19:35 8 May 2021

    You can keep that champagne in the fridge Pep!!
    Cheers 🥂

    Chelsea were good today. Especially in the last 15 minutes.
    Very rare a team has more possession than a
    Pep Guardiola team...
    Well played Chelsea.

    • Reply posted by Rubbertires, at 20:00 8 May 2021

      Rubbertires replied:
      They have cava in Spain Don't they?

  • Comment posted by Harry, at 19:42 8 May 2021

    Aguero has been one of the best strikers in Premier league history. But I don't care how good you are, you should never try and be clever with a penalty. I just cannot understand why players do this.

    • Reply posted by Arch Stanton, at 19:59 8 May 2021

      Arch Stanton replied:
      Well Zidane did one in a World Cup Final, then again he was a different class, and never missed a penalty for France.

  • Comment posted by Logictistics, at 19:39 8 May 2021

    Mark Lawrenson will be out of job soon

    • Reply posted by bardez , at 20:10 8 May 2021

      bardez replied:
      Each prediction is like a golden egg to me. I've put a 10-pound bet on the opposite of four of his predictions this month. I have just hit triple digits. .

  • Comment posted by Jaimo, at 19:55 8 May 2021

    I’ve seen Diana Ross take a better penalty than Aguero’s.

    • Reply posted by kennycanuck, at 19:58 8 May 2021

      kennycanuck replied:
      That's a new and weird comparison.

  • Comment posted by bobby smith, at 19:38 8 May 2021

    Well done tuchel deserves credit for how he has turned the team around