The Norwegian was a constant handful for the Blues defense all evening but the champions were a shambles at the back…
Erling Haaland helped Manchester City move one point clear at the top of the Premier League but Pep Guardiola was left with plenty to ponder after his defense went missing in a crazy 4-4 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday evening.
The Norwegian put the visitors ahead from the penalty spot after winning a highly contentious spot-kick but the Blues came storming back, equalizing through Thiago Silva, who was left criminally unmarked at a corner, before Raheem Sterling put the finishing touches on a brilliant breakaway .
Manuel Akanji headed City level before Haaland struck again, with the Norwegian bundling a Julian Alvarez cutback over the line shortly after the restart. Ederson gifted Chelsea a leveler when he spilled a Conor Gallagher shot at the feet of Nicolas Jackson but City looked to have the game when Rodri’s speculative effort from outside the area found the back of the net courtesty of a deflection off Thiago Silva.
However, Guardiola’s defense let him down again in injury time, with the usually flawless Dias putting the seal on a shocking display by giving away a penalty that City academy graduate Cole Palmer stuck away to earn the hosts a deserved draw.
Below, GOAL rates all of the City players on show during a wild evening in west London…
Goalkeeper & Defense
Ederson (4/10):
Nothing he could have done about the first two goals but he was to blame for the third, for parrying the ball back into a central area.
Kyle Walker (5/10):
Not one of his better games from a defensive perspective and was also poor in possession.
Ruben Dias (3/10):
Saw plenty of the ball but the Portuguese wasn’t his usual impeccable self. On the contrary, he was a liability for once and it was no surprise to see him give away at penalty in injury time.
Manuel Akanji (6/10):
Probably City’s best player at the back (although that’s not saying much), with the Swiss capping a solid showing with a well-taken headed goal.
Josko Gvardiol (4/10):
The Croat never looked comfortable. Really doesn’t look anything like one of the most expensive defenders in the world.