MANCHESTER, Feb 18: Manchester City barely avoided a first defeat of 2024 after Rodri’s deflected effort salvaged a 1-1 draw against Chelsea in the English Premier League on Saturday.
The midfielder’s 83rd-minute goal extended the defending champions’ unbeaten run in all competitions to 15 games. But the draw at Etihad Stadium saw City lose ground on league leader Liverpool and second-placed Arsenal, both winners earlier.
City dropped to third on the table, four points behind Liverpool and two off Arsenal, with a game in hand on both of its title rivals.
Former City forward Raheem Sterling gave Chelsea the lead when curling home in the 42nd.
He had the chance to extend the visitors’ advantage after the break, but was denied by City goalkeeper Ederson from point-blank range.
Ederson then recovered to get to his feet and save from Ben Chilwell on the rebound.
City saw a host of chances go by as it went in search of an equalizer, with Erling Haaland missing twice from close range and Kevin De Bruyne curling a free kick just over the bar.
The defending champions eventually found the breakthrough when Rodri blasted goalwards from inside the box and his effort deflected off Trevoh Chalobah past Chelsea keeper Djordje Petrovic.
Haaland cut a frustrated figure after nine attempts on goal saw him fail to find the back of the net. It was his most shots without success in a match for City.
By contrast, Sterling came back to haunt Pep Guardiola after leaving City for Chelsea in 2022, following seven trophy-filled years in Manchester.
His curled finished looked for a long time like being enough to secure all three points for Mauricio Pochettino’s team. Even though City rallied to draw, Sterling still delivered a blow to his former club’s hopes of winning the title.
Arsenal rout Burnley 5-0
Bukayo Saka scored twice as Arsenal kept the pressure on English Premier League leader Liverpool by routing Burnley 5-0 on Saturday.
Last week, Arsenal blew away West Ham 6-0. The Gunners have won their last six games in the league and scored five or more goals in three of them.
Saka scored on either side of halftime and Arsenal remained within two points of Liverpool.
Martin Odegaard put Arsenal ahead in the fourth minute and Saka doubled their lead from the penalty spot in the 41st.
Saka scored again two minutes after halftime and goals from Leandro Trossard in the 66th and Kai Havertz in the 78th completed the rout.
Brighton demolish
Sheffield United
Brighton took full advantage of Mason Holgate’s early sending off by cruising to a 5-0 win over last-place Sheffield United on Sunday.
Sheffield was coming off just its third league win of the season against Luton last weekend but any hopes of getting consecutive victories ended with Holgate’s reckless studs-up tackle on Kaoru Mitoma, which was upgraded to a straight red card after a VAR check in the 13th minute.
Facundo Buonanotte and Danny Welbeck then scored inside a four-minute span to put the visitors 2-0 up by the 24th, before three late goals in the second half — including two by recent Africa Cup of Nations winner Simon Adingra — padded the scoreline.
Mitoma was involved in Brighton’s third as well after his cross from the left was poked into his own net by Sheffield defender Jack Robinson in the 75th. And just three minutes later, Adingra netted the fourth by turning home another cross from the right with a well-struck volley.
Adingra netted his second in the 85th when his shot from a tight angle took a deflection. (AP)
