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Haaland Shines in 100th Game as Manchester City Defeats Chelsea 2-0

In his 100th appearance for Manchester City, Erling Haaland once again demonstrated why he is one of football’s most formidable strikers. Haaland netted his 91st goal for City, leading his team to a 2-0 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. This match marked the beginning of City’s campaign for a fifth consecutive Premier League title.

The Norwegian striker opened the scoring in the 18th minute with a magnificent solo effort. Receiving the ball on the edge of the area, Haaland deftly maneuvered between Chelsea defenders Levi Colwill and Marc Cucurella before skillfully dinking the ball past goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.

“I knew exactly what to do,” Haaland said after the match. “I think it was a really good goal.”

City manager Pep Guardiola praised Haaland’s performance, noting the striker’s sharpness early in the season. “I had a feeling that he feels better than last season at this stage,” Guardiola said. “He feels good, and the goal was magnificent.”

The match also saw Mateo Kovacic double City’s lead in the 84th minute. The former Chelsea midfielder intercepted a high ball, advanced towards the goal, and unleashed a shot from just outside the area that found the net via the post.

For Chelsea, it was a challenging start under new manager Enzo Maresca, who took charge for the first time against his former club. Despite the defeat, Maresca found positives in his team’s performance.

“The performance was there, but we didn’t take the chances,” Maresca said. “Probably the big difference was inside the box.”

Chelsea had opportunities to score, notably when striker Nicolas Jackson had a goal disallowed for offside just before halftime and later fired a close-range volley straight at City’s goalkeeper Ederson.

There were signs of encouragement for the Blues. Romeo Lavia made his first league start and impressed in midfield alongside Moises Caicedo. Winger Pedro Neto, a recent acquisition from Wolverhampton, made his debut off the bench and nearly scored, narrowly missing Enzo Fernandez’s low cross.

However, Manchester City’s clinical finishing highlighted the gap between the two sides. Haaland’s goal took his tally to five goals in three league openers since joining City in 2022, showcasing his readiness following a summer without international duty.

As City begins its quest for another Premier League title, performances like this suggest they remain the team to beat.

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