Hello and welcome to The Athletic's live blog for the match between Chelsea vs Manchester City in the Premier League. The two teams go into the game knowing ...
Chelsea attempt to pin City's defenders deep, but the visitors regain possession and look to counter through Grealish. Chukwuemeka leads a strong Chelsea counter-attack, before playing the ball out wide to Hall. "I think we rushed a lot of our play in the first half, tried to play too many passes that got cut out. “It’s so much different to what I was used to at Aston Villa. "When I crossed it I was thinking Erling (Haaland) has got to be somewhere, I’m just hitting the space. But we decided to go with a line-up where our players could adapt on the pitch if they decided to go five at the back. In the second half it was much, much better from minute one. It was nice to have that personality from the bench. “It’s tough at the moment I must admit and I feel for the boys. In any goal you feel you can do a little bit better but you have to credit Manchester City. It was a spirited performance against a top team, so apart from the result I’m proud of the players. Carney Chukwuemeka spoke to Sky Sports about his first-half chance that hit the post: “My heart skipped as I took the shot.
Chelsea have signed centre-back Benoit Badiashile from Monaco on a seven-and-a-half year deal, the Premier League club announced on Thursday.
[France](/soccer/team?id=478), having risen through the national team's youth ranks. "I can't wait to see the fans and start playing in the best league in the world." We are sure he will form an important part of our team in the years ahead." [Antonio Rudiger](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/169438/Antonio-Rüdiger) and [Andreas Christensen](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/186430/Andreas-Christensen) on free transfers in the summer. [Wesley Fofana](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/270190/Wesley-Fofana) and [Kalidou Koulibaly](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/150312/Kalidou-Koulibaly) from [Leicester City](/soccer/team?id=375) and [Napoli](/soccer/team?id=114) respectively to cover for those exits, while full-back [Marc Cucurella](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/259910/Marc-Cucurella), signed from [Brighton](/football/team/_/id/331/brighton-hove-albion), can also play in that position. [Chelsea](/soccer/team?id=363) have signed centre-back [Benoit Badiashile](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/282585/Benoit-Badiashile) from [Monaco](/soccer/team/_/id/174/as-monaco) on a seven-and-a-half year deal, the Premier League club [announced on Thursday](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/chelsea-sign-badiashile).
Pep Guardiola has made four changes to his starting line-up for tonight's Barclays Premier League clash at Chelsea.
Only two players have scored more than one goal in their first two away Premier League appearances in London – Mark Robins in 1992 (for Norwich vs Arsenal and Chelsea) and Michu in 2012 (for Swansea vs QPR and Arsenal). [Kyle Walker](https://www.mancity.com/players/kyle-walker), Joao Cancelo and Phil [Foden](https://www.mancity.com/players/phil-foden) all come in for their first starts since the World Cup while Ilkay [Gundogan](https://www.mancity.com/players/ilkay-gundogan) is recalled and captains the side. City have only lost one of their last 25 away Premier League matches (W18 D6), losing 1-0 to Liverpool in October. City have won their first Premier League game in each of the last 10 calendar years, since a 1-0 loss at Sunderland in 2012. [Erling Haaland](https://www.mancity.com/players/erling-haaland) has seven goals in his six away Premier League appearances for City, netting twice in London in August against West Ham. Raheem Sterling scored 91 goals in 225 Premier League appearances for City between 2015 and 2022. [Pep Guardiola](https://www.mancity.com/players/pep-guardiola) has suffered eight defeats against Chelsea as a manager in all competitions, his joint-most against an opponent (also eight vs Liverpool). [Stones](https://www.mancity.com/players/john-stones) and Nathan [Ake](https://www.mancity.com/players/nathan-ake). [Mahrez](https://www.mancity.com/players/riyad-mahrez), [Palmer](https://www.mancity.com/players/cole-palmer), Lewis [Ederson](https://www.mancity.com/players/ederson), Walker, [Stones](https://www.mancity.com/players/john-stones), [Ake](https://www.mancity.com/players/nathan-ake), Cancelo, [Rodrigo](https://www.mancity.com/players/rodrigo), [Gundogan](https://www.mancity.com/players/ilkay-gundogan) (c), [De Bruyne](https://www.mancity.com/players/kevin-de-bruyne), [Bernardo](https://www.mancity.com/players/bernardo-silva), [Foden](https://www.mancity.com/players/phil-foden), Haaland [Kyle Walker](https://www.mancity.com/players/kyle-walker) returns for his first Premier League since the Manchester Derby on October 2 and [Guardiola](https://www.mancity.com/players/pep-guardiola) is delighted to have him back. [Foden](https://www.mancity.com/players/phil-foden) on the left and [Erling Haaland](https://www.mancity.com/players/erling-haaland) at centre-forward trying to add to his incredible start.
Chelsea have been accused by Benfica's manager, Roger Schmidt, of 'disrespectful' behaviour in their pursuit of Enzo Fernández.
Benfica would like to keep the 21-year-old until the summer and Chelsea maintain they do not want to overpay and will walk away if a deal cannot be agreed. They try to get the player on their side and they know that they only can get this player when they pay the clause. What the club is doing who want to buy Enzo is disrespectful against all of us – against Benfica – and I cannot accept what they are doing. He is the third centre-half bought since the end of last season, after Kalidou Koulibaly and the injured Wesley Fofana. The reality for Chelsea is that the player would select Arsenal if presented with a choice between the London rivals. The club’s owners, Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, are keen to improve Graham Potter’s squad after a disappointing run of form.
Man City · 31. de Moraes Ederson · 2. Kyle Walker · 5. John Stones · 6. Nathan Ake · 7. Cavaco Joao Cancelo · 17. Kevin De Bruyne · 16. Rodrigo Hernandez Rodri · 8.
He takes a touch and smashes a shot wide of the near post. Bernardo Silva beats Cucurella thrillingly on the right, not once but twice before pushing the ball back to De Bruyne on the edge of the area. Ederson comes miles out of his goal, doesn’t get the ball and is very relieved to see Akanji get to it before Havertz. [Chelsea](https://www.theguardian.com/football/chelsea) – and Arsenal. He might have pushed the ball out to an onrushing forward, Beast maybe, but that’s better than letting it roll behind you when somebody has an open goal. They’ve been fantastic in the second half. Kyle Walker got one point tonight, and I had Mitoma on the bench an’ all. “Meanwhile Cancelo, Walker and Foden all fighting over the magic sponge to valet his motor.” 85 min Chelsea have been much better in the last 20 minutes. The impressive Chukwuemeka ran half the length of the field before easing the ball outside to Hall on the left side of the area. City move to within five points of Arsenal after a hard-fought victory at Stamford Bridge. In previous years we’ve gone on big winning runs and we’ve got to keep the momentum going.
Chelsea will face Manchester City at Stamford Bridge in a crucial Premier League match on Thursday night. Chelsea have been struggling of late, losing three ...
City cannot allow any slip-ups, as they did against Everton when the Toffees scored their equalizer through a counter-attack. Kai Havertz is not particularly fast with the ball on his feet, but he will make City defenders job tougher by frequently moving to the flanks. Chelsea can also summon the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Hakim Ziyech from the bench. With players like Ilkay Gundogan, Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez at his disposal, he can make any side pay through changes made in the second half. Rico Lewis started as the right-back, but effectively shifted inside to play as a holding midfielder. Chelsea will face Manchester City at Stamford Bridge in a crucial Premier League match on Thursday night.
Chelsea signed France international defender Benoit Badiashile from Ligue 1 side Monaco on Thursday for a fee believed to be just under 40 million euros ...
Badiashile said he could not wait to "start playing in the best league in the world." "His blistering speed is a key attribute and he has experience in both a back four and back three at club level." "At 6ft 4in, Badiashile is a dominant defender in the air but equally comfortable with the ball at his feet, capable of playing short passes out from the back or switching the play with longer diagonals," read the Chelsea statement.
The France international arrives from Monaco on a seven-and-a-half-year deal.
“It’s part of my job to focus on the job in hand, day to day, game to game. I’m a big man working for a great club and I’ll keep doing it.” I want to be a success at this club. “We’re delighted to welcome Benoit to Chelsea,” chairman Todd Boehly and co-owner Behdad Eghbali told the club’s website. “I’m very happy to be here at Chelsea,” Badiashile told the club’s website. I’m very aware of what I came in to do in this job.
Follow all the action from Stamford Bridge as Manchester City look to close the gap on Arsenal and Chelsea seek to stay in touch with the top four.
89 mins Zakaria keeps possession well, not for the first time, and feeds it forward, where Hall eventually puts in a dangerous cross that is hacked clear. 86 mins Final switch for City sees Kavin Philipps replace Rodri. "We don't focus on the table so early. Credit to Chelsea, they played compact and we could not get many through the lines, so we had to go wider, but it all came together in the second half." Jack Grealish added: "It was a tough game, Chelsea played brilliant, especially in the first half. To come away with three points is just what we needed.
Chelsea have been accused by Benfica's manager, Roger Schmidt, of “disrespectful” behaviour in their pursuit of Enzo Fernández. Schmidt said the Premier ...
What the club is doing who want to buy Enzo is disrespectful against all of us – against Benfica – and I cannot accept what they are doing. They try to get the player on their side and they know that they only can get this player when they pay the clause. There have been days of talks and Fernández has told Benfica he does not want to play for them again but Schmidt insisted a deal was possible only if Chelsea paid the World Cup winner’s release clause, understood to be €120m.