Chelsea 4-4 Man City: 3 Blues talking points

Chelsea ‘Box Office’ Football Club

Is Chelsea now consistently delivering chaos? Just a week after their remarkable 4-1 Premier League win against Tottenham, Mauricio Pochettino’s team engaged in another thrilling encounter, a captivating 4-4 draw against treble-winning Manchester City. Not only we were treating to eight goals, but it of course comes with controversy just like against Spurs.

VAR controversy marred yet another Premier League weekend, this time surrounding Manchester City’s disputed penalty that stirred outrage. Anthony Taylor pointed to the spot, alleging Marc Cucurella pulled Erling Haaland down, but replays revealed Haaland had also grabbed Cucurella before the fall. Despite this, VAR Jarred Gillett upheld Taylor’s decision, sparking frustration from Chelsea, evident in Pochettino’s disapproving finger-wagging. This choice will intensify the scrutiny on the PGMOL. It doesn’t end there with Taylor as the referee blows for full time despite CFC going on the attack. ‘Poch’ made his feeling heard upon hearing the final whistle.

Former City boys comes back to haunt their former club

Raheem Sterling’s departure from Manchester City in the summer of 2022 initially seemed justified, but Pep Guardiola may now regret it after Sterling’s pivotal role in scoring Chelsea’s second goal in a stellar performance on Sunday. Sterling capitalized on Reece James’ cross at the back post, serving as a reminder to England’s manager, Gareth Southgate, of his capabilities. Speaking of Southgate, I hope he witnessed that Reece James masterclass.

A report surfaced just a few days before this game, suggesting that James’ spot for the Euros is in contention due to his desire to stay at the club and recover. RJ came off after the hour mark as he’s still working on improving his fitness and might not be fully fit. After missing out on the World Cup, it only makes sense for him to be in top form in advance, and I hope Southgate can understand.