Manchester City 1-2 Chelsea: result, goals, summary - 2020/21 Premier League

Peep peep peeeep! Chelsea take a big step towards securing a top-four finish, and Manchester City must wait a little longer to be crowned champions.

Marcos Alonso's late, late winner lifts Chelsea up into third, one point ahead of Leicester City - and means the Blues have laid down quite the marker ahead of their Champions League final clash with City in three weeks' time.

City could still end the weekend as Premier League winners, but they now require Manchester United to lose to Aston Villa tomorrow for that to happen.

Oh, Sergio Agüero. What a costly Panenka 'mare that turned out to be.

Thanks for reading!

Three minutes of time added on at the Etihad Stadium.

Sterling wants a penalty after tumbling under Zouma's challenge in the box, but referee Anthony Taylor says no! And it's not overturned by VAR. It looked like a spot-kick to me.

At the other end, Chelsea get Alonso into shooting space on the left-hand side of the area - and the Spaniard is inches away from beating Ederson with a gorgeously impudent chip!

That near-goal came as the Zouma tackle was being checked, so we could have had a situation where a Chelsea goal was overturned to bring the play back for a penalty at the other end.

Close from Foden! Gündogan plays the ball into the Englishman's run to the near post, but he can't quite wrap his left boot around it sufficiently to turn it into Mendy's far corner.

That's a fine tackle by Zouma! Cancelo releases Sterling in behind the Chelsea defence with an excellent angled ball from the right, but just as Sterling winds up to pull the trigger, Zouma produces a perfectly-timed sliding block, and comes away with the ball.

Again Chelsea have the ball in the net, but again it's disallowed! Hudson-Odoi bundles in Azpilicueta's low right-wing cross, but a VAR check once more deems that the Blues' finisher was offside. He was, but it was a great deal closer this time.

Manchester City bring Zinchenko on for Mendy.

Werner momentarily thinks he's given Chelsea the lead after collecting Jorginho's through ball, holding off Laporte, rounding Ederson and tapping in... but the German was a good couple of yards offside and the goal is rightly ruled out.

Jesus runs at the Chelsea defence and strikes left-footed from range, but slices his shot well wide.

James whips in another enticing ball towards Werner, but Laporte and Cancelo get it behind for a corner. It comes to nought, but Chelsea look the likelier to win this.

Chelsea make another change, Hudson-Odoi coming on for Ziyech.

James chests down a crossfield pass, sticks his head down and barrels towards the City box, before stroking a lovely low ball across goal, right down the corridor of uncertainty. A stretching Werner strains every sinew to get a boot to the ball, but can't quite a touch. If he had, it would surely have been 2-1.

Gündogan is straight into the action, firing well over from the edge of the box when Foden's corner is cleared only as far as the German.

City boss Guardiola also shuffles his pack, Agüero and Torres making way for Phil Foden and Ilkay Gündogan.

Chelsea make their second substitution of the afternoon, replacing Kanté with Jorginho.

Chelsea have their tails up now, and are in search of a quickfire second. Kanté scampers forward towards the right-hand byline, before lifting a cross into the middle. It's initially cleared, but the Blues recycle it to Gilmour, who takes a touch and shoots... but has his effort blocked.

Alonso jinks his way between three City players on the edge of the penalty area, before feeding Pulisic at the top of the box. He drops a shoulder and lets fly, but sends his strike just over Ederson's left-hand top corner.

Alonso breaks into crossing space on the left-hand touchline, but his low ball into the danger area is deflected behind by Dias.

Chelsea's corner is first worked to James to shoot, but his effort is blocked. The ball then breaks to Azpilicueta out on the right wing, but City deal with the Spaniard's ball

Agüero looks to make swift amends for his penalty 'mare, firing a bouncing ball at goal from 25 yards out. He doesn't get a good connection, though, and Mendy saves comfortably.

At the other end, Ziyech carves out a yard of shooting space just outside the City box, but fires straight at Ederson.

City earn unwanted piece of penalty history

According to Opta, that Agüero penalty miss means Manchester City have become the first team in 26 years to miss four or more spot-kicks in back-to-back Premier League seasons.

Alonso slips the ball into the box to Werner, who takes on Dias, works himself a yard of space and drags his shot into the side-netting. Replays show he was offside anyway.

Peeeep! Back underway in Manchester.

No half-time changes for either side, unless you count Chelsea's introduction of Zouma for Christensen right at the end of the first 45.

Peeep peeep peeep! That's half time. After 43 not terribly eventful minutes, it all came to life right at the end of the half - first with Sterling's goal, then with Agüero's Panenka embarrassment.

Kurt Zouma was brought on for Chistensen, by the way.

Up steps Agüero... and it's saved! Oh, Sergio. The striker tries to go for the cheeky-chappy dink down the middle, and Mendy just stays where he is and says thank you very much!

Guardiola looks none too impressed over on the touchline.

Penalty to City! Gilmour is adjudged to have brought down Jesus in the box, and having had the ball taken off his toe a few moments earlier, Agüero will now get a second bite at the cherry.

Ziyech strikes from just outside of the box, but Ederson parries! Gilmour slips the Moroccan into space with a neat little ball inside from the right-hand channel, but his shot isn't far enough into the corner.

Chelsea then work the ball back to Rüdiger, who blazes well over from 35 yards.

Sterling releases Mendy into space on the left wing with a neat backheel, but Mendy utterly shanks his cross.

Sterling barrels in from the left wing, getting the luck of the bounce when he comes together with Kanté before connecting with a volley 20 yards out from Mendy's goal. He doesn't really get hold of it, though, and the shot trundles past the post.

Gilmour plays a through ball into Werner, who has bent his run and - I think - just stays onside. However, he then sends his attempted curler into Ederson's far corner is a good couple of yards wide.

Standing on the penalty spot, Werner redirects James' shot past Ederson and into the net, but the German is absolutely miles offside. No need for the video ref to draw any of those pedantically precise lines on that one.

Alonso touches it first-time inside from the left to Werner, who gets his head down and scampers towards the City box. He then feeds Gilmour, who looks to play in Alonso, who has continued his run forward. Alonso lets the ball run through his legs towards Werner, who has peeled off over the Spaniard's shoulder, but the forward is just beaten to the ball. Nice build-up play, though.

Ake wins the ball back and feeds Sterling, who advances into the Chelsea box. He tries to play in Agüero to shoot, but his ball is wayward and succeeds only in finding a royal blue shirt.

Ziyech's through ball releases Werner in behind the City defence, albeit fairly wide on the left, and the German's first touch is very heavy, taking him even further wide. All the momentum is taken out of the attack.

Moments later, Chelsea win a free-kick on the right, which Ziyech will deliver. His ball into the box is firmly struck, but Ake heads away.

Mendy cuts the ball back to Rodri to strike from range, but it's deflected wide for a corner, which Ake - a former Chelsea player - heads off target.

At the other end, Werner lays it off to Gilmour to shoot, but Dias blocks. The loose ball skims off the turf to Ziyech, who angles a volley well over the bar.

We're seeing a lot more from Chelsea in attack now. Ziyech plays the ball out wide to James, who crosses low towards Werner at the back post, but it's too close to Ederson and the Manchester City goalkeeper grabs hold.

Sterling goes flying in on Timo Werner and not only earns himself a yellow card, but also gives Chelsea a free-kick in a very dangerous position on the right-hand corner of the box.

Reece James and Marcos Alonso stand over it and, after Alonso initially makes to take it, James it is who finally delivers - but it's straight into the wall.

Precious little from Chelsea in attack thus far. In what is the visitors' first forward incursion of any real note, N'Golo Kanté drives forward before feeding Hakim Ziyech, who has peeled away from the edge of the box to receive the ball. However, his first touch isn't great, to say the least, and City clear.

Raheem Sterling looks to wriggle into shooting space inside the Chelsea box, but is muscled off the ball. However, it falls straight to Benjamin Mendy, who is arriving on the left like the proverbial express train. The Frenchman hits it first-time from the edge of the area, but slightly scuffs his effort and it bounces across the face of goal and wide.

Ferran Torres shoots over! Andreas Christensen misjudges a Manchester City ball forward and suddenly Torres is haring into the Chelsea box, but Antonio Rüdiger does just enough put the Spaniard off and he sends his strike a good couple of yards over Édouard Mendy's goal.

Agüero out to add to record Chelsea haul

As football stats specialists Opta point out, Sergio Agüero plays his final Premier League game against Chelsea, a side he has scored more top-flight goals against than any other footballer.

Peeep! We're underway at the Etihad Stadium.

Premier League table: how it stands at the top

Here is a shufties at the top of the Premier League table, where Manchester City can take an unassailable lead over city rivals Manchester United if they beat Chelsea today.

Meanwhile, Tottenham’s defeat to Leeds earlier this afternoon leaves West Ham as Chelsea's chief challengers for a Champions League place.

As I mentioned earlier, David Moyes’ side will go level on points with the Blues if City win today and the Hammers defeat Everton tomorrow, although the West Londoners would stay fourth on goal difference.

Premier League

Manchester City vs Chelsea: how and where to watch - times, TV, online

If you're wondering how you can tune into today's clash in Manchester, let me point you in the direction of our guide on how and where to watch.

What the coaches said: Thomas Tuchel, Chelsea

Expects Manchester City to have fresher legs:

"They have one more day to recover, they don't have to travel. That gives them a bit the upper hand, because we saw how crucial that can be these days when they arrived in Wembley in the [FA Cup] semi-final and we had one more day, we had two home games, at least two games in London, and they had to travel from Dortmund I think and then again to London for this game, [and they] also had one day less [rest] than us."

City setting the standard in the Premier League:

"They are the benchmark in the league, obviously, it's a big gap. But like we did in the [FA Cup] semi-final, it's on us to close the gap for 90 minutes and then we will do the same thing in the [Champions League] final, and we will arrive especially in the final full of confidence."

(REUTERS/Sergio Perez/File Photo)

What the coaches said: Pep Guardiola, Manchester City

Today’s game has no bearing on Champions League final:

“If we played the final in one week, six days, maybe it could [be significant], but after tomorrow there are 21 or 22 days. Many things can happen. We just have to focus. It is so important to think of the Premier League.

Not thinking about the Champions League final:

“Right now, believe me when I say, there is not one thought about the final of the Champions League because we do not have the Premier League in our hands. When we have the Premier League, after the focus will be the final of the Champions League and everything will be related to the final.”

(Photo by Reuters/Phil Noble)

Guardiola rings the changes, opts for three at the back

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola makes no fewer than nine changes to the side that started the win over Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday, as Joao Cancelo, Aymeric Laporte, Nathan Ake, Benjamin Mendy, Rodri, Ferran Torres, Raheem Sterling, Sergio Agüero and Gabriel Jesus all come into the team.

Guardiola has opted to mirror Chelsea’s three-man central defence, it would appear, with Ruben Dias, Laporte and Ake making up that trio of centre-backs.

Five changes for visitors Chelsea

Meanwhile, there are five changes to the Chelsea side that saw off Real Madrid on Wednesday, as Reece James, Marcos Alonso, Billy Gilmour, Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech are brought into Thomas Tuchel's team.

(Photo by Catherine Ivill / POOL / AFP)

Guardiola rings the changes, opts for three at the back

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola makes no fewer than nine changes to the side that started the win over Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday, as Joao Cancelo, Aymeric Laporte, Nathan Ake, Benjamin Mendy, Rodri, Ferran Torres, Raheem Sterling, Sergio Agüero and Gabriel Jesus all come into the team.

Guardiola has opted to mirror Chelsea’s three-man central defence, it would appear, with Ruben Dias, Laporte and Ake making up that trio of centre-backs.

Five changes for visitors Chelsea

Meanwhile, there are five changes to the Chelsea side that saw off Real Madrid on Wednesday, as Reece James, Marcos Alonso, Billy Gilmour, Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech are brought into Thomas Tuchel's team.

(Photo: Reuters/Phil Noble)

Chelsea team news

Starting line-up: Mendy, Azpilicueta, Christensen, Rüdiger, James, Kanté, Gilmour, Alonso, Pulisic, Ziyech, Werner

Substitutes: Kepa, Emerson, Livramento, Zouma, Jorginho, Havertz, Hudson-Odoi, Abraham, Giroud

Manchester City team news

Starting line-up: Ederson, Cancelo, Dias, Laporte, Ake, Mendy, Rodri, Torres, Sterling, Agüero, Jesus

Substitutes: Steffen, Walker, Gündogan, Zinchenko, Bernardo, Fernandinho, Mahrez, Foden, García

Manchester City vs Chelsea: Premier League preamble

Greetings! Welcome to our live Premier League coverage of Manchester City vs Chelsea, in what is *checks little black book of football clichés* a dress rehearsal for this month’s Champions League final in Istanbul/somewhere in the UK/somewhere on England’s green travel list.

Of course, the truth is this City-Chelsea clash is plenty more than that. For the hosts, today’s game is the first in which they can seal a third league title in four years: a win over the Blues will leave them 16 points clear of second-placed Manchester United, with only 15 points now available to the Red Devils.

City would have been crowned champions had United lost to Liverpool last weekend, but since that match didn’t go ahead in the wake of fan protests against the Glazers' ownership at Old Trafford, Pep Guardiola’s men can now complete the job without the need for results elsewhere to go their way.

As for Chelsea, they sit fourth and, given their form under Thomas Tuchel - one league defeat in 15 since the German took over - the expectation is they’ll go on and finish in the Champions League places.

However, they do have West Ham breathing heavily down their necks just three points behind them, and defeat at the Etihad would give the Hammers, who host Everton tomorrow, the opportunity to turn that three-point gap into a zero-point gap.

Anyway, the team news is in, so let's have a look at today's line-ups.