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Guardiola Reijnders Rodri Man City GFXGetty/GOAL
Richard Martin

Man City player ratings vs Chelsea: Another title race twist! Red-hot Tijjani Reijnders on target again while Rodri looks revived - but late Enzo Fernandez equaliser hands huge advantage to Arsenal

Player ratings
Manchester City
T. Reijnders
Premier League
Manchester City vs Chelsea
Originals

Manchester City produced an exceptional performance against Chelsea put paid a heavy price for not putting the game out of sight as they had to make do with a 1-1 draw which sees Arsenal move further into the distance in the Premier League title race.

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With Rodri looking back to his absolute best in his first start since October, City utterly dominated the first half against manager-less Chelsea, whose Under-21 coach Calum McFarlane took charge of the game while Liam Rosenior waits in the wings to succeed Enzo Maresca. Erling Haaland had a deflected shot saved and rattled the post while Phil Foden missed the target before Tijjani Reijnders gave City a thoroughly deserved lead with a dazzling piece of skill and finish.

City could have been several goals up, but they failed to heed the warning of Chelsea's occasional counter-attacks and did not add to their lead. Chaos subsequently reigned in the final minutes and City's defence, depleted by the losses of Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias to injury, capitulated in the box to allow Enzo Fernandez to pounce and level in the 94th minute.

It leaves Arsenal six points clear at the top, with City now also sweating on the fitness of their two main centre-backs.

GOAL rates City's players from the Etihad Stadium...

  • Manchester City v Chelsea - Premier LeagueGetty Images Sport

    Goalkeeper & Defence

    Gianluigi Donnarumma (6/10):

    Had a quiet first half, although rode his luck when he played a short pass within inches of Estevao. Had to be more alert in the second 45, keeping out an attempt from Delap and then thwarting Fernandez not once but not twice.

    Matheus Nunes (7/10):

    Worked in tandem with Cherki to create a formidable threat down the right wing and showed he has worked on his passing with an impressive diagonal ball straight to Reijnders' feet which led to a Foden chance.

    Ruben Dias (7/10):

    Led a high-pushing defence which underlined City's ambition to dominate the game and cut out the danger on the rare occasion it presented itself. Had to be taken off with a late injury, and it's tempting to wonder if the chaos in the box would have happened had he remained on the pitch.

    Josko Gvardiol (7/10):

    Had an eventful first half but had to come off early in the second with a concerning-looking injury, needing support from two medical staff as he hobbled off the pitch. Before then he made a series of lofted passes into attack and made a vital intervention to block Estevao's point-blank-range shot. 

    Nico O'Reilly (6/10):

    A solid display for most of the game, keeping on top of Palmer and Fernandez. Unfortunately, his performance will be judged on him failing to stop Gusto getting down his flank to spark the equaliser.

  • Manchester City v Chelsea - Premier LeagueGetty Images Sport

    Midfield

    Bernardo Silva (7/10):

    Really benefitted from Rodri's return as it gave him a licence to get forward and make things happen. Lacked a bit of finesse in the final third, though came close to scoring with a fine curling effort.

    Rodri (9/10):

    A truly stunning display in his first start for three months as he ran the show. Every pass he made led to positive play while he also snuffed out danger in an instant. Set up Haaland's strike off the post and even his headers were perfectly crafted. 

    Tijjani Reijnders (8/10):

    He is known for popping up in the right place at the right time, but to score he showed dazzling movement, spinning away from three defenders to crash his shot into the roof of the net. Beyond the goal, he linked up well with Rodri and was a useful foil for Haaland.

  • FBL-ENG-PR-MAN CITY-CHELSEAAFP

    Attack

    Rayan Cherki (7/10):

    Began and accelerated the move leading to Reijnders' goal. Dovetailed well with Rodri as well as Nunes and looked frustrated when Bernardo couldn't convert his low cross.

    Erling Haaland (5/10):

    Had a mostly quiet game save for two big moments in the first half when his deflected shot was saved by Jorgensen and he then hammered the post. 

    Phil Foden (6/10):

    Involved in many of City's best moves as they dominated the first half and much of the second, but should have done better with his two attempts, neither of which hit the target.

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  • FBL-ENG-PR-MAN CITY-CHELSEAAFP

    Subs & Manager

    Abdukodir Khusanov (6/10):

    Won the hearts and minds of fans with his lung-busting run to thwart Delap. They will therefore forgive him for not being able to clear the danger at the crucial moment.

    Jeremy Doku (6/10):

    His pace and trickery kept Chelsea on edge, although his best move was a defence-splitting ball to Foden.

    Nathan Ake (N/A):

    Replaced Dias in the 81st minute.

    Pep Guardiola (7/10):

    Oversaw an outstanding display against a top opponent, even given Chelsea's institutional problems. This felt like a 1-0 thrashing until Fernandez provided the sting in the tail which changes everything in the title race. But no blame can be placed at the coach's door for the mishap.

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