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Manchester City secured a well-deserved 2-0 win against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Sunday, August 18.
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Having won a record four Premier League titles on the bounce, Pep Guardiola and his men were eager to get their quest for number five off to a good start. To this tune, Manchester City looked to assert themselves early in the game and achieved that inside 20 minutes. Bernardo Silva's assist to Erling Haaland capped off a brilliant team move from the visitors as they led 1-0 after 18 minutes.
However, Chelsea played a surprisingly high line in the remainder of the first period and even kept more of the ball. However, none of their four first-half attempts troubled Ederson in City's goal as they kept knocking on the door. Manchester City led 1-0 at the break.
Guardiola was forced into making an early alteration as newcomer Savinho was replaced by Phil Foden due to an injury to the former. This seemed to have helped their cause immensely as they looked more composed and dominant in the second period. Chelsea, on the other hand, had several shot attempts once again but none of them were threatening.
Manchester City were made to toil hard for their insurance goal which came in the 84th minute, courtesy of a shot from Mateo Kovacic. Robert Sanchez got his fingertips to the ball but could not stop it from crossing the line. The visitors held on and secured a crucial winning start to the new campaign. On that note, let's take a look at Manchester City's player ratings.
Note: Stats are acquired from Sofascore and added as per the values at the time of publishing.
Manchester City Player Ratings
Ederson - 7/10
Ederson had a fairly quiet game between the sticks for Manchester City but was called upon for three straightforward saves.
Manuel Akanji - 7/10
Akanji was composed at the back as he won two duels, making three clearances and two blocks. He also played a crucial role in helping his team retain possession with 95% pass accuracy.
Ruben Dias - 7.5/10
Dias was solid in defense as he won all three of his duels, making two clearances, two interceptions and one tackle. He passed the ball with 97% accuracy.
Josko Gvardiol - 7.5/10
Rounding off the back three was the young Croatian, who had a good game. He won both his duels, making four clearances, four interceptions and two tackles.
Rico Lewis - 6.5/10
Lewis looked a bit off-colour as he misplaced one too many passes for his quality and also lost out on multiple duels.
Mateo Kovacic - 8/10
Kovacic scored a late goal to seal the game but performed well apart from that as well. He won seven duels, making six tackles and two clearances. He also passed the ball with 97% accuracy.
Jeremy Doku - 7.5/10
Doku was electric with the ball and played like it were glued to his feet. He completed five dribbles past opponents and won 10 duels. Doku also attempted two shots but just one was on target.
Bernardo Silva - 7.5/10
Silva provided the assist for Manchester City's opening goal of the contest in the first half. He passed the ball with 96% accuracy, including three key passes. Silva also attempted two shots but just one was on target.
Kevin De Bruyne - 7.5/10
De Bruyne had a good game in midfield as he made a well-rounded contribution. He passed the ball with 84% accuracy, including one key pass. He also won six duels.
Savinho - 7.5/10
Savinho passed the ball with 87% accuracy including three key passes. He also won five duels, including two tackles. However, his participation was cut short as he was subbed off at half time.
Erling Haaland - 7/10
Haaland scored Manchester City's first goal of the new season with a close-range effort. He attempted one other shot on target but did not trouble Sanchez. He also won four duels and was booked for a foul in the second half.
Substitutes
Phil Foden - 6.5/10
Foden replaced Savinho at half-time and failed to make a meaningful contribution with the ball. However, he was decent without it and won both his duels.
