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Raheem Sterling allegedly racially abused as Manchester City suffer first defeat of the season at Chelsea

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CHELSEA 2, MANCHESTER CITY 0

Manchester City lost their 22 game unbeaten record after a 2-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge to Chelsea who had lost their last two Premier League matches.

Goals by N’Golo Kante and man of the match David Luiz sealed victory for the Londoners as Manchester City were punished for their first half profligacy.

Talk of matching Arsene Wenger’s Invincible Arsenal side can be put away for another season.

City boss Pep Guardiola praised his players in defeat, saying that they had played ‘outstanding’ in the first half, adding:

“Apart from ten minutes in the second half, we were there until the end.

“The guys today were incredible. We win together, and we lose together.”

Neither team started with a recognised striker, with Chelsea utilising Eden Hazard up front while Raheem Sterling was City’s front man as Gabriel Jesus started on the bench with Sergio Aguero not risked due to a muscular problem while Kevin De Bruyne was not ready to play after an injury layoff.

Guardiola also brought back Aymeric Laporte into the fold for Vincent Kompany as the other change from the Watford game.

A flawless defensive performance by Chelsea, led by Luiz, blocked and frustrated City who had efforts by Sterling, Leroy Sane, and David Silva blocked.

And City were punished for not taking the lead when chances presented themselves after Chelsea took the lead just before the break.

Hazard peeled off to the left after a Chelsea attack wasn’t cleared and cut the ball back to Kante who had been deployed as a more attacking player this season.

The defensive midfielder capitalised on hesitation by City’s defence – with Sane and Fabian Delph too slow to react as he arrived late – and put a rising shot into the roof of the net on their first attack of note.

City Willian had a free kick and shot saved early in the second half as City wobbled and their pressing game failed.

Jesus and Ilkay Gundogan were brought on for the misfiring Sane and David Silva but Chelsea won a disputed corner after Ross Barkley’s shot was adjudged to have brushed the studs of Riyad Mahrez.

Despite Guardiola’s protestations that it wasn’t a corner, Chelsea scored their second of the game when Luiz got in front of Gundogan to flick a corner past Ederson.

Jesus had City’s best chance of the half tipped away by Kepa Arrizabalaga and the defeat meant that City had now slipped to second after Liverpool continued their unbeaten run with victory at Bournemouth – the title race is on again.

  • Chelsea’s victory was marred by video footage of home supporters appearing to racially abuse Raheem Sterling circulating online after the game.

Man City survive late scare to beat Watford after goals by Leroy Sane and Riyad Mahrez

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WATFORD 1, MANCHESTER CITY 2

Goals either side of half time by Leroy Sane and Riyad Mahrez put Manchester City into the lead at Watford but they had to survive a late scare after Abdoulaye Doucoure scored a late goal before securing the points. 

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At 41 points for the season in just 15 games – five points ahead of Liverpool – the title race could hinge on results like this after City recorded a seventh straight Premier League win.

Pep Guardiola rotated his side for the second of 13 matches in 44 days. With Sergio Aguero not travelling following a muscular problem the Spaniard made six changes following Saturday’s 3-1 win over Bournemouth.

Aymeric Laporte had been an ever-present in the Premier League for City this season but he was rested for the first time in the league this term while Oleksandr Zinchenko joined Aguero on the sidelines following a facial injury.

Danilo, Laporte, Zinchenko, Nicolas Otamendi, Raheem Sterling, and Ilkay Gundogan stepped down as Guardiola replaced his entire back four.

Kyle Walker, John Stones, Vincent Kompany, Fabian Delph, David Silva, and Riyad Mahrez came into the team.

Somehow Watford survived an early City onslaught to find themselves in with a chance of taking the lead against a team that had only been behind for 12 minutes this season.

Watford should have taken the lead after 32 minutes when Troy Deeney found himself in space with only Ederson to beat.

Isaac Success’ cross was headed back across the area by Roberto Pereyra. The ball fell for Doucoure who chested it and hooked it towards the six yard box where Deeney anticipated the looping ball, eluded Fernandinho to create space for a shot from just outside the six yard box but his shot was saved by Ederson. 

City had already been thwarted several times by Ben Foster in the Watford goal, with Leroy Sane, Stones, Bernardo Silva, and Riyad Mahrez making Foster work.

City should have home and dry by the time they finally notched a deserved opening goal five minutes before half time.

David Silva’s attempt to bundle the ball past Foster was denied but Mahrez picked out Sane with a cross from the rebound and the German chested the ball in past Foster from 6 yards out.

Watford conceded a second goal just six minutes after the restart when Mahrez buried the ball past Foster after City pulled Watford apart and Gabriel Jesus’ cross found the Algerian in the area to record his seventh goal of the season.

Jesus headed over and also wasted a superb Mahrez pass, sending the ball wide, as City sought to put the game to bed with a third goal.

David Silva was given a well earned rest after running the game, replaced by Gundogan, and Ederson saved comfortably from Doucoure with Watford showing signs of life despite the strangulation of possession by City.

Vincent Kompany limped off to be replaced by Nicolas Otamendi, making his 100th Premier League appearance for City, but rather than seeing the game out easily City allowed their hosts back into the game.

Watford snatched a goal with five minutes remaining to give the home side hope after Delph lost the ball.

The Hornets counter attacked and Gerard Deulofeu crossed from the left and Doucoure beat Ederson on the third attempt.

The pressure was on and Jose Holebas found Troy Deeney whose header was weak as Watford threw everything at City.

Jesus was sacrificed for Laporte who was brought on to shore up City’s wobbling defence with Watford urged on by their vociferous supporters but they could not score the equaliser.

At least City fans no longer have to worry about relegation this season.

Manchester clubs get home ties in the FA Cup

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Both Manchester clubs were handed home ties against Championship strugglers in the FA Cup after the draw was made at Stamford Bridge tonight.

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Manchester United will host Paul Clement’s Reading at Old Trafford while Manchester City will welcome Paul Warne’s Rotherham United to the Etihad Stadium.

It’s almost certain that one or both ties against will be split for a television audience for policing reasons.

The glamour ties of the round could see non-league Solihull Moors earn a home tie against Arsenal if they can get past Blackpool in a replay of their second round tie.

Southport could welcome Tottenham if they beat League Two Tranmere Rovers in their replay. 

Woking will welcome Premier League Watford while Holders Chelsea host Nottingham Forest and Liverpool will go to Wolverhampton Wanderers. 

FA Cup 2018/2019 Third Round Draw in Full

Bolton Wanderers vs Walsall or Sunderland 

Millwall vs Hull City

Gillingham vs Cardiff City

Brentford vs Oxford United

Sheffield Wednesday vs Luton Town

Manchester United vs Reading

Everton vs Lincoln City

Tranmere Rovers or Southport vs Tottenham

Preston North End vs Doncaster Rovers

Newcastle United vs Blackburn Rovers

Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest

Crystal Palace vs Grimsby Town

Derby County vs Southampton

Accrington Stanley vs Ipswich Town

Bristol City vs Huddersfield Town

Wrexham or Newport County vs Leicester City

Fulham vs Oldham Athletic

Shrewsbury Town vs Stoke City

Solihull Moors or Blackpool vs Arsenal

Manchester City vs Rotherham United

AFC Bournemouth vs Brighton and Hove Albion

West Ham United vs Birmingham City

Woking vs Watford

Burnley vs Barnsley

Queens Park Rangers vs Leeds United

Sheffield United vs Barnet

Norwich City vs Portsmouth

Guiseley or Fleetwood vs AFC Wimbledon

West Bromwich Albion vs Wigan Athletic

Middlesbrough vs Peterborough or Bradford City

Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Liverpool

Aston Villa vs Swansea City

Ties will be played during the first weekend in January (4th to 7th).

England draw Netherlands in UEFA Nations League finals

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England will play the Netherlands in the UEFA Nations League semi finals in Guimares, Portugal on June 6, 2019.

The winners the other semi final, Portugal vs Switzerland, to be played on June 5, will meet the victors in the final on June 9.

All four teams are already assured of at least a play-off place for Euro 2020 should they fail to qualify for the finals through the normal qualification process.

The final ranking table in the UEFA Nations League was used to help determine seedings for the Euro 2020 qualifying groups.

If the four finalists don’t require their UEFA Nations League playoff spot then it will be rolled down the final ranking list of Nations League teams until all four places have been allocated to teams that didn’t qualify for the Euro 2020 finals.

The overall winner of the Nations League will receive £6.7m in prize money with other nations getting less money.

England avoid Germany in Euro 2020 draw

England were drawn with Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Kosovo in Group A of the Euro 2020 qualifiers, with fixtures to run between March and November of 2019.

They avoided Germany, who were paired with the Netherlands again, along with Northern Ireland in Group C.

Republic of Ireland were placed in group D with Switzerland, Denmark, Georgia and Gibraltar.

Scotland will face Belgium, Russia, Cyprus, Kazakhstan and San Marino while Wales will meet Croatia, Slovakia, Hungary and Azerbaijan.

The winner and runner-up up in each group will qualify automatically but England and Scotland have the benefit of a guaranteed play off place if they don’t qualify because they won their respective UEFA Nations League groups.

Manchester City will host Women’s European Championship games in 2021.

Manchester City’s Football Academy Stadium will be one of the venues when England host the 2021 Women’s European Championships.

England had previously staged the tournament in 2005 

The Football Association was reportedly the only bidder but met strict guidelines before UEFA awarded the tournament to them.

Raheem Sterling creates Premier League goalscoring record as Manchester City beat AFC Bournemouth

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MAN CITY 3, AFC BOURNEMOUTH 1

Raheem Sterling created a piece of Premier League goalscoring history in Manchester City’s home victory against AFC Bournemouth.

Sterling became the first player to score in each of his first six games against the same opponents.

Indeed, Sterling’s record against the Cherries is now eight goals and two assists from those six appearances.

City were far from their best, but still had too much for Bournemouth as they extended their record to 20 Premier League games without defeat – 17 wins and three draws.

Goals from Bernardo Silva, Sterling and Ilkay Gundogan earned the point in what was far from a routine victory.

When Callum Wilson scored a deserved equaliser on the stroke of half time to make it 1-1 at the break, the game appeared finely balanced.

City, who have won all seven Premier League games against Bournemouth, scoring 24 goals and conceding three, needed to bring on David Silva for the last 20 minutes to help secure maximum points.

And City, despite enjoying 73-per-cent possession, lacked their usual cohesion without the likes of David Silva and the injured pair of Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero in their starting line-up.

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City manager Pep Guardiola was delighted with the victory given it was not their best performance.

Guardiola was asked if he had a worry after their “flat” end to the second half.

He said: “Not worry, worries. In the last 20 minutes we were flat and didn’t have rhythm and play as normal.

“We have played a lot of games and that is why I am delighted to win that game and everything was so tough.

“My half-time talk was ridiculous and the first five to 10 minutes of the second half were similar so it didn’t work.

“But I was delighted to win and the way we played in the second half was incredible.”

Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe was frustrated to leave empty handed.

He said: “We believed before the game and just before half time when we scored and our plan was going our way.

“There were a couple of moments that went against us, but that was the closest we have come to our best result here.

“The goals were scrappy from our perspective and avoidable while our last pass was rushed and could have improved.”

City made five changes from the side that started their Champions League game at Olympique Lyonnais.

Sitting out this one were Kyle Walker, John Stones, David Silva, Riyad Mahrez and Sergio Aguero who Guardiola revealed wasn’t fully fit so wasn’t risked.

Into the team came Danilo, Nicolas Otamendi, Bernardo Silva, Ilkay Gundogan and Gabriel Jesus.

Bournemouth had Dan Gosling, Lys Mousset and David Brooks among their substitutes so had plenty of options to change things.

City found the going tough early on against a well-drilled Cherries’ defence.

Leroy Sane made a couple of dangerous runs, that came to nothing before Jesus, sliding in, just failed to convert a cross from Oleksandr Zinchenko.

The breakthrough came in the 16th minute from Bernardo Silva with Zinchenko the provider.

The Ukrainian’s through ball released Sane whose shot was well blocked by keeper Asmir Begovic, but the rebound fell to Silva who shot into an empty net from 12 yards.

Apart from the goal, the Cherries were rarely troubled as their five-man defensive system was successful in keeping City at bay.

Bournemouth had a half chance when Josh King’s cross, that turned into a shot, just eluded Callum Wilson enabling Ederson to make a diving save.

They finished the half strongly and it was no surprise when Wilson equalised in the 44th minute looping in a header from 10 yards following a Simon Francis cross.

And the Cherries came close to taking the lead immediately from the restart when King’s looping cross fell just short of Charlie Daniels at the far post.

City came close to regaining the lead in the 54th minute when Raheem Sterling cut in from the right following a weaving run past five players only to see his shot deflect off Andrew Surman on to the post.

Guardiola’s first change was enforced through injury and Zinchenko was forced off after busting his nose after being caught by the elbow of team-mate Fernandinho. He was replaced by Fabian Delph.

City regained the lead in the 57th minute through Sterling who also played a part in the build-up.

Sterling supplied a pass to Danilo whose fierce drive was parried by Begovic and rebounded to Sterling who shot into the roof of the net.

City had two great chances in quick succession to add a third goal.

Begovic saved well from Jesus’ glanced header from Gundogan’s free kick and then Jesus set up Fernandinho who shot narrowly wide.

Bournemouth had shouts for a penalty rejected after Fernandinho appeared to push Tyrone Mings in the back.

City, who had lost their grip in midfield, were forced to bring on David Silva for Jesus to try and regain control.

David Silva made an immediate impact helping set up City’s third and match-clinching goal in the 79th minute.

Sane and Silva worked a well-rehearsed routine from a short corner with Sane cutting the ball back for Gundogan to convert from six yards.

City made their third and final change with three minutes left when Bernardo Silva made way for Mahrez.