Manchester City Begins Premier League Campaign with Dominant Win Over Chelsea

(Delhi)Manchester City kicked off their Premier League 2024-25 season with a commanding 2-0 victory against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, underscoring their status as defending champions. The match saw Erling Haaland, City's prolific striker, open the scoring with a goal in the 18th minute, setting the tone for the encounter. Despite Chelsea's efforts to mount a comeback in the second half, City sealed the win with a decisive goal from Mateo Kovacic in the 84th minute.

The victory was particularly notable for Haaland, who reached a milestone of 91 goals in all competitions for Manchester City. His performance drew high praise from City manager Pep Guardiola, who compared Haaland's goal-scoring prowess to that of football legends Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. "He has the numbers for Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who controlled the last decade, 15 years, absolutely everything," Guardiola remarked. "In terms of numbers, it is that level. So, I don't know how he does it, but in 100 games scoring 91 goals is something in the Premier League, in this country, is unbelievable."

Guardiola also noted that Haaland appears to be in better form this season compared to the last. The manager attributed this improvement to additional rest during the offseason, as Norway did not qualify for the Euros, allowing Haaland to recuperate fully. Despite his impressive performance, Guardiola believes there is still room for Haaland to enhance his game, stating, "The goal was magnificent. His contribution is in many things. He had two or three chances and always I had the feeling there is a gap to improve as a football player."

Manchester City's win against Chelsea marks their successful start to the Premier League season, with the club having won their opening match in 13 of the last 14 seasons. The only exception during this period was a 1-0 defeat to Tottenham in the 2021-22 season. On the other hand, Chelsea's loss in their opening fixture continues a troubling trend, as this marks the third time in the last eight seasons they have lost their Premier League opener. This is as many defeats as they recorded in their previous 25 seasons combined, where they had won 16, drawn six, and lost three of their opening games.

As the season progresses, Manchester City will look to build on their strong start, while Chelsea will need to address their early-season inconsistencies to compete effectively in the league.