Manchester City pile pressure on leaders Arsenal with emphatic win at Chelsea

[p]The visitors initially applied pressure in the early stages, but it was [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chelsea/4fGZN2oK/"]Chelsea[/a] who got on top and carried the greater threat.[/p][p]A swift Blues move culminated in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/palmer-cole/h8agbDt7/"]Cole Palmer[/a] smashing his shot into the side netting, while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/joao-pedro/CAmJERl2/"]Joao Pedro[/a] saw an attempt deflected wide by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/khusanov-abdukodir/00ElbXx5/"]Abdukodir Khusanov[/a] before finding [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cucurella-marc/QTynbZd3/"]Marc Cucurella[/a] for a goal that was ruled out for offside. [/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/neto-pedro/lxtnUkIP/"]Pedro Neto[/a] then jinked his way inside and saw off Rodri before his attempt was saved by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/donnarumma-gianluigi/WScbdXmL/"]Gianluigi Donnarumma[/a]. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sanchez-robert/Q74F6aqr/"]Robert Sanchez[/a] didn’t have to make a save until the 34th minute but did brilliantly when called upon, as he stopped [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/silva-bernardo/lUg03qcR/"]Bernardo Silva[/a]’s effort from a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/o-reilly-nico/xOrYaNWc/"]Nico O’Reilly[/a] cutback.[/p][p]O’Reilly was the creator again as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cherki-mathis/vm0eu2V3/"]Rayan Cherki[/a] received the ball in space on the edge of the box, although he fired tamely in Sanchez’s direction.[/p][image alt="xG chart" id="7363d62a-a438-4623-b675-a40153b11308" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="548a3c2c-ac03-4ce8-bc3e-9522025b50a3" original-width="1291" original-height="575" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/semenyo-antoine/r1Gz1yPk/"]Antoine Semenyo[/a] darted inside before ultimately dragging his shot narrowly wide of the post, while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/andrey-santos/vDrVnIrd/"]Andrey Santos[/a] headed off-target at the other end with the first half’s final touch.[/p][p][b]The Cityzens came out of the break on the front foot, and with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/haaland-erling/UmV9iQmE/"]Erling Haaland[/a] already having seen a shot blocked by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hato-jorrel/nFLCJBzK/"]Jorrel Hato[/a], went ahead within six minutes of the restart as O’Reilly shrugged off Santos to head home Cherki’s cross.[/b][/p][p][b]Just six minutes later, Cherki took his Premier League assist tally for the season to 10 when he danced across the edge of Chelsea’s box and found [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/guehi-marc/KEeklutO/"]Marc Guehi[/a] with a pinpoint pass that was followed by an equally precise finish from the centre-back.[/b][/p][embed guid="1c9e2757-2c0a-47de-abe4-b9b19fd2ce33" url="https://x.com/ManCity/status/2043373852122661320" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]Having started the celebrations, O’Reilly suffered a blow as he was forced off injured, but they continued four minutes after his departure. Jeremy Doku teamed up with Cherki to dispossess [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/caicedo-moises/tIqaAkDs/"]Moises Caicedo[/a] and finish, inspiring chants of “Are you watching [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/arsenal/hA1Zm19f/"]Arsenal[/a]?”[/b][/p][p]Khusanov couldn’t quite find the target with what would have been a spectacular strike, but there was no sign of a comeback from the hosts with Donnarumma stopping Cucurella’s header.[/p][p]The win saw [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-city/Wtn9Stg0/"]City[/a] break their run of back-to-back Premier League draws to fully capitalise on Arsenal’s defeat to Bournemouth, as they go six points behind the Gunners with a game in hand and a match against the leaders to come next week.[/p][p]The result also condemned Chelsea to a third consecutive league defeat for the first time since May 2023, which also leaves them four points behind fifth-placed Liverpool.[/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cherki-mathis/vm0eu2V3/"]Rayan Cherki[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-city/Wtn9Stg0/"]Manchester City[/a])[/b][/p][image alt="Player ratings" id="8b31f144-35d6-4802-9bb8-767a9474951c" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="38cdd031-610d-4554-b900-9bb73c56e749" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/chelsea-4fGZN2oK/manchester-city-Wtn9Stg0/summary/stats/?mid=bLP5yET8"]Catch up on the match stats with Flashscore[/a][/h2]