Chelsea 0-3 Man City | HIGHLIGHTS - Extended | Premier League 2025/26

Chelsea welcome Manchester City to Stamford Bridge with both sides desperate for three points in order to keep their ambitions for the rest of the season on track. We now know fifth place will be good enough for Champions League qualification. A win for the Blues today will put them within a point of current occupants Liverpool after their victory yesterday. City could be forgiven for feeling like they've already won this weekend with Arsenal's defeat on Saturday leaving the door ajar for today's visitors. A win for Pep Guardiola's side here would mean there'd be six points behind the tabletop in Gunners with a game in hand and Arsenal visiting the Etihad this time next week. They showed two changes from the crashing of Port Vale last weekend. Moises Caicedo returns in place of Romeo Lavia, Koukourea Ptosin the other alteration. Estebau retains his place in the XI, his first league start since Leeds. Cole Palmer faces his old club. City make just one change from the 4-0 win over Liverpool in the FA Cup they bring back Gianluigi Donnarumma for James Trafford in goal. Otherwise it's the same 10 outfielders who started that match in which Erling Haaland scored his 12th hat-trick for the club. Bernardo Silva today makes his 297th Premier League appearance, the most of any Portuguese player. Yeah, loose touch in the midfield and Palmer's onto it. I suppose he was lacking in support somewhat so smashing it towards the near post may be his best option. Nicely reversed too, Pedro Neto. It's too tight, maybe too many Manchester City players in the vicinity here to make something on goal. Good scampering from Neto to get on the end of Koukourea's pass. He thinks it was close. Yeah, it did look close, brilliant play and it shouldn't be offside because it opens up wonderfully for him and that is so tight, I can't call it. No goal, wow. Neto started the game brightly, nice approach play from Estebau as well, good spot, stinging effort, didn't quite get it towards the corner. Caicedo, good ball, here's Palmer, through his spelt, he's given away by Rodri though to Gustave. Put in loads of pace, he's just stretching actually, just the left leg goes out and can't quite tow it towards the target. Koukou, all clever ball, good run Nico O'Reilly, decent cutback, Silva, Haaland's in there too, somehow they don't score. Really well worked down, Chelsea's right hand side. Yeah, their best moves are coming down that side but they've dealt with it well, Chelsea. O'Reilly gets in for maybe the first time, brilliant save. Back to the edge of the box for Chirkio and it bounced up Sanchez and he got lucky as did Chelsea. Semenyo looking for room for a shot here, Antoine Semenyo took a touch on his way behind for a corner. He didn't quite catch it, obviously shaped to shoot on a couple of occasions, bringing it infield, that last one sets up the shooting opportunity and again Santos doing very sterling defensive work. What a time this would be to score, good ball in from Neto as well, there's a chance for Santos, the last touch of the first half came off his head and his reaction tells you he knows that this was a good opportunity to test on a rumour. He's found Haaland as well, danger here, brilliant set, wasn't composed Haaland, brilliant ball from Doku but I think the attempt was actually going to screw wide at the far post. Floated it in, three-headed for Neto. Yeah well I said Chirkio was getting more joy at the start of this half and he's the supplier. Kuzinov looking for Semenyo, lovely touch. First pass and the touch is terrific but Kuperea found wanted maybe for the first time, couldn't make his challenge initially and then comes a brilliant challenge. For his reaction, goalkeeper's reaction, Ferns in the Matthew Harden stand, this was close I think, doesn't catch it flush. Semenyo, conviction, that'll be a good run from Kuperea, saved by Donald Emmett, could have squared it for Neto maybe. Ah the pass from Lavia, that was a feel of beauty, begging to be put into the net. He's still got to fashion quite a lot of purchase on the header as it drops out of the sky and after a positive first half it turns into a pretty chastening defeat for Chelsea here. City doing all their damage after the restart, Nico O'Reilly, Mark Gahey in quick-fire fashion and then Doku adding a third to further enhance City's title credentials. Final score at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea nil, Manchester City three.