As It Happened: Chelsea 0-1 Manchester City

Good afternoon and welcome to Nigerianeye's live text coverage of the Premier League clash between Chelsea and Manchester City at Stamford Bridge.


The hosts come into this match unbeaten in their last eight outings across all competitions, including a memorable 2-1 victory away to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League in midweek.

Manchester City are also in blistering form, though, beginning the day top of the table having won their last seven games across all competitions, scoring 24 times in the last six.

Make sure you don't miss a moment of the action courtesy of our minute-by-minute updates below.

























They have come to the home of the champions - without star striker Sergio Aguero - and completely outclassed them. The final scoreline of 1-0 may make it look like a close contest, but in reality City were by far the better team today and Kevin De Bruyne's goal against his former club gave them a deserved win. Thanks for joining our live coverage of the match!


90+3 min FULL TIME: Chelsea 0-1 Manchester City

90+3 min MAN CITY SUB: De Bruyne will not be able to see this game out. He seems to have picked up an injury and is replaced by Danilo late on.

90+1 min There will be three minutes of added time at the end of this match. Can Chelsea find an equaliser?

90 min CHANCE! Christensen rises head and shoulders above the rest to meet the free kick, but he gets his header all wrong.

89 min YELLOW CARD! Otamendi flies into a challenge on Willian and, while he gets the ball, it was a stupid challenge. Chelsea weren't really going anywhere, but now they have a free kick in a dangerous crossing position...

87 min SAVE! De Bruyne swings another corner into the box which is met by Fernandinho, but it is easy for Courtois.

86 min It is Manchester City who look the most likely to add to the scoring in this match now. They have managed this game very well since taking the lead and it would be very harsh on them if they came away from this one with anything less than all three points.

84 min OFF THE LINE! Brilliant football all round - from the build-up to the shot to the defending. City carve Chelsea open on their way down the right flank and Sterling's cross picks out Jesus in space inside the area. The Brazilian watches it all the way and shows great technique with a fine volley that beats Courtois, but Rudiger is back there to clear it off the line!

84 min MAN CITY SUB: Guardiola is looking to see this game out now as he brings on Ilkay Gundogan in place of compatriot Sane.

82 min Chelsea's passing has been so poor at times today. Man City have completed almost twice as many passes as their hosts today, which is a key reason why Chelsea have not been able to get going here.

80 min TEN minutes left for Chelsea to get themselves back into this match. They are playing with more urgency now and offering more going forward, but have they left it too late to burst into life?

78 min Chelsea threaten again as a ball over to the left channel finds Azpilicueta on the byline, but Ederson reads what is coming and cuts out the cross.

77 min Much better from Chelsea, who have responded fairly well to going behind. Pedro almost has a chance but cannot squeeze a shot away, before a Fabregas pass almost releases the Spaniard again moments later. Some fight from the champions!

75 min MAN CITY SUB: It is Silva for Silva from City as Bernardo replaces David.

73 min CHELSEA SUBS: Conte now does make those changes as Pedro and Michy Batshuayi replace Hazard and Bakayoko.

71 min Before that goal Chelsea may have been able to look at a dogged and determined defensive effort, but the spotlight will now be shone on their lack of attacking threat so far today. They have played as badly as I have seen them for a long time here.

69 min That goal had been coming, and Conte knew it. He had just been readying a couple of changes before that goal, but he has now held back on them.

67 min Finally, we have the breakthrough - and it is a moment of magic which proves to be the difference in this one.

It is De Bruyne who comes back to haunt his former club with a brilliant strike, playing a slick one-two with Jesus before lashing an unstoppable effort into the corner from outside the area. Courtois had no chance, and it is a deserved lead for the visitors.

67 min GOAL! Chelsea 0-1 Manchester City (Kevin De Bruyne)

66 min CHANCE! City are really knocking on the door now! Alonso does brilliantly to deny the first chance as he throws himself in the way of Silva's shot after the City playmaker had taken his time on the edge of the box. Jesus comes close again moments later, but he can't make the breakthrough either.

65 min De Bruyne tries to bend a cross into near post for Jesus, but he cannot get anything on it as it runs through to Courtois. Courtois then has no choice but to hoof it clear, though, and that only gives possession straight back to City.

63 min Less than half an hour remaining in this match, and it is still goalless in West London. The way the match has gone, Chelsea will probably be happy with a point here, but I'm sure Conte did not expect to see his side outplayed like this.

61 min SAVE! Sloppy play from City as they are caught sleeping from the corner, with Fabregas slipping a pass in to an unmarked Hazard. The Belgian fires a powerful cross/shot into the box, but Ederson palms it away.

61 min YELLOW CARD! Well, he can't say he wasn't warned. Minutes after receiving that talking-to, Fernandinho brings down Hazard in a dangerous area and goes into the book.

60 min City have seen even more of the ball in this second half. The first half ended with them having had 66% possession, and since the interval they have enjoyed 71% of it. Chelsea are simply not used to seeing so little of the ball, especially at home.

58 min Fernandinho gets a final warning after a trip on Willian, with the referee leaving him in no doubt that another foul will result in the first card of the contest.

56 min The City pressure is growing at the moment. Sterling again darts in behind the defence down the left channel, but neither he nor Silva can get a clean shot or cross away before Chelsea clear their lines. It feels like the opening goal may be coming sooner rather than later, though.

54 min CHANCE! City have threatened through set pieces today, and this time a corner goes all the way through to Sterling on the edge of the box. The winger has all the time in the world to chest it down and go for goal, but he fires his left-footed volley over the crossbar.

53 min The scoreline may still be goalless, but it is not often that Chelsea will have been dominated this much at home in terms of possession. City just need a little more end product, which sounds strange for a team in such good goalscoring form.

51 min Chelsea have found it so difficult to get out of their own half at times today. Even with the likes of Fabregas in the middle of the park they have just been put under so much pressure by Man City and have been unable to get into their rhythm as a result.

49 min Lovely football from Man City as Fernandinho picks out Silva, who in turn plays the ball through for Sterling. The winger tries to fire a low ball into the middle, but it is turned behind for a corner.

48 min City are doing a good job of pressing Chelsea high up the field today, whereas at the other end Chelsea are allowing the City defenders to have the ball inside their own half. It is Guardiola's tactics which have proved more effective so far.

46 min KICKOFF: Chelsea get us back underway for the second half!


It has been an intriguing tactical battle so far, but really clear chances have been tough to come by for both sides. Manchester City have seen by far the majority of the ball, but Chelsea have arguably had the better chances.


45+2 min HALF TIME: Chelsea 0-0 Manchester City

45+1 min There will be two minutes of added time at the end of this first half.

45 min SAVE! Brilliant stop from Courtois to keep the scores level! Fernandinho gets in front of his man from a corner and connects with a bullet header, but it is straight at Courtois. The Chelsea keeper still needs to get his hands up and parry it away, though.

44 min Sterling does well to spin away from Morata before being dragged to ground by the Spaniard, but the referee opts for leniency and no booking is forthcoming.

42 min Important interception from Delph as he stick a leg out to pick off Willian's pass out wide towards Azpilicueta. Chelsea had men over then and had Delph not read the pass then it could have spelled danger for the visitors.

41 min De Bruyne looks to unpick this Chelsea defence with a clipped ball into the box. Jesus gets his head to it, but if he had left it then it might have fallen to Sane coming in at the back post.

39 min It is dreadful from Willian as he fires it straight into the feet of the one-man wall. A waste of a very promising set piece.

38 min Chance for Chelsea to test the Man City defence here as they win a free kick in a good crossing position. Willian is standing over it...

37 min City look to be building a dangerous attack which could grow even more dangerous when Christensen goes to ground inside the box, but the referee rules that he was obstructed by Jesus and a free kick is given.

35 min CHELSEA SUB: Sure enough, there is the chance as Morata is replaced by Willian. Michy Batshuayi overlooked by Conte.

35 min This could be a big blow for Chelsea as Morata pulls up with no players around him. He limps off and it does not look like he will be able to continue.

33 min Neither side have been at their free-flowing best so far today. Manchester City have kept the ball much better than Chelsea, but they are struggling to break down the hosts as they have done many of their opponents of late.

31 min CHANCE! Half a chance for City as Otamendi loses his marker from a corner and attacks the ball really well. He cannot steer his header on target, though, and in the end Courtois has nothing to worry about.

29 min SAVE! The game is played at walking pace for a moment or two, but City lull Chelsea in before bursting into life. Silva collects the ball in the box and unleashes a powerful drive towards the near post, but Courtois is equal to it.

27 min CHANCE! This has to go down as a chance in the context of this game. Man City break quickly from the resulting corner and are up at the other end in a flash. Sterling tears down the right channel and has Jesus and Silva to aim for in the middle, but the cross is too far in front of them when a better delivery would have left them with a tap-in.

26 min SAVE! Much better from Chelsea. Otamendi is needed to produce a good clearance at his first post to deal with the initial cross, but the ball falls back at the feet of Azpilicueta, who draws a low stop from Ederson at his near post.

24 min The match has entered a bit of a lull at the moment. Manchester City continue to dominate the possession, but clear-cut chances have been few and far between. Chelsea, for their part, have not been able to get going at all yet.

22 min Stones will be able to continue here - he gets his wrist bandaged up and is back on for the visitors now.

21 min Concern over John Stones as he stays down following an aerial tussle with Rudiger. The England international got up well to beat the Chelsea man in the air, but he looks to have landed heavily on his wrist.

19 min Two important contributions in a row from Rudiger there as first he clears Sterling's cross before immediately racing out and throwing himself in the way of Delph's follow-up shot.

18 min City win another free kick in a dangerous area inside the Chelsea half, but this time De Bruyne overhits it, sending his delivery straight out for a goal kick.

16 min We've already had 15 minutes in this heavyweight contest, and it has absolutely flown by. It has been a good, open game so far which Man City have enjoyed the better of.

14 min This is a bit more like it from Chelsea, who have only seen 30% of the ball so far. Hazard drives forward and picks out Kante in a bit of space inside the box, but Man City's defence scrambles and prevent him from getting a shot away.

12 min CLOSE! All this quality on the field, and the opening goal almost comes from a calamitous error. Courtois plays a goal kick short before getting the ball back, but he then takes an age on it and Jesus charges him down. The Man City striker blocks the clearance inside the six-yard box, and Chelsea are very lucky that it flies off target as that could have gone anywhere.

12 min SHOT! Walker bursts forward through the middle and makes it all the way to the edge of the box before giving it to Silva, who drags his subsequent effort wide.

10 min Fernandinho tries his luck from range after seeing no other options in front of him, but his low drive from all of 30 yards is blocked before it can test Courtois. Man City are just about on top at the moment.

8 min This match has begun at a really good tempo. Both sides have looking to get on the front foot whenever possible and it already looks like shaping up into an entertaining contest.

6 min Sterling again goes down under the challenge of Bakayoko, but this time Martin Atkinson does not award the free kick in a more dangerous position. Sterling can feel a little hard done by there.

4 min SAVE! City immediately respond with their first effort as De Bruyne goes for goal with a long-range free kick, but Courtois is never going to be beaten from there. Comfortable stop.

3 min CHANCE! It's been a quick start from the hosts here. Morata had one sniff of the ball in the box in the opening minute and he has another here as he is left unmarked by the City defence. Kante picks the Spaniard out with his cross, but Morata flicks his header over the crossbar.

1 min KICKOFF: Here we go then! Manchester City get us underway at Stamford Bridge!

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