Welcome to 90min‘s live coverage of all the Premier League action on Saturday.
The action gets off with a real bang, with Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea travelling to the Etihad Stadium to face runaway leaders Manchester City in what is already being billed as a potential title decider.
Att1...
The 3pm (GMT)-kick-offs will see Newcastle host Watford, Norwich battle Everton and Wolves face Southampton, before the action comes to a close with Manchester United’s trip to Aston Villa at 5:30.
Follow all the key bits of action from the games below.
47 mins – CHANCE!
Lukaku! He’s alive!
The Belgian gets through on goal and tries to bend his strike around Ederson, but the City goalkeeper denies it well.
The rebound falls to Ziyech, who balloons his strike over the bar.
47 mins – PENALTY SHOUT!
Sterling tumbles down in the box under pressure from Alonso, but a quick VAR check confirms nothing doing.
Here go Chelsea down the other end…
46 mins – BACK UNDERWAY
City get the action going again. Can they find the breakthrough?
No changes from either manager.
HT – KEPA SAVE
Here’s that nice save from Kepa. The biggest moment of the first 45.
Solid. ?#MciChe pic.twitter.com/wrtCUtuC4M
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 15, 2022
0 – Chelsea failed to attempt a shot in the first half at the Etihad; the first time they’ve failed to do so in a Premier League game under Thomas Tuchel, and first time overall since May 2018 v Newcastle. Sheltered. pic.twitter.com/lBBLcUcmF0
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 15, 2022
HT – LUKAKU’S STRUGGLES
Lukaku has had just nine touches of the ball so far. That tells the story. Wouldn’t be surprised if Tuchel makes a change to his attacking line at the break. Something isn’t working.
HT – A one-sided affair so far
This has been ugly from a Chelsea perspective. The Blues are defending well but Tuchel is understandably livid at what he has seen going forwards. Lukaku has been crying out for the ball but they keep going backwards.
City have been brilliant, as per. They’re penning Chelsea in with a fierce press and probably should be ahead here, although Rudiger and Sarr have done well to keep City at bay so far.
Grealish should have scored with his chance, but apart from that, there hasn’t been too many moments of magic.
45 mins – HALF-TIME
And that’s your lot for now!
45 mins – STOPPAGE TIME
We’ve got one minute of added time here.
43 mins – CHANCE!
De Bruyne gets the ball at a tight angle but he can’t get his left-footed strike on goal, blazing it over the bar instead.
42 mins – WASTEFUL CHELSEA
Chelsea get a rare moment of possession in the City third, but there’s no creativity and they have to turn backwards, eventually giving the ball away.
Here come City…
39 mins – CHANCE!
The first big chance of the game goes to City. Grealish gets through on goal after a mistake from Kovacic, but the £100m man can’t bend the ball around Kepa, who pulls off a brilliant save to give away a corner.
The corner comes to nothing. Again.
37 mins – CLEAR!
Another City corner comes in and straight against Azpilicueta, who gives up a throw-in instead.
35 mins – CHANCE!
City’s press is relentless and they find their way through Chelsea’s backline through Foden, whose mazy run results in a gorgeous low cross… but nobody in City blue is anywhere near and Alonso eases the pressure by winning a foul against Sterling.
33 mins – CLEAR!
City’s free-kick turns into a corner, but Chelsea deal with it well again. This time, it’s Rudiger rising highest to clear.
31 mins – YELLOW CARD!
Next in the book is Kovacic, whose late challenge on the advancing Silva is rightly punished with a yellow.
29 mins – TUCHEL UNHAPPY
Tuchel is screaming at his defence to get further forwards when they clear the ball. At the minute, they’re just inviting pressure.
28 mins – WASTE!
Pulisic finds some space down the right and drives towards the byline, but he takes too many touches and allows City to retreat. He plays a one-two with Azpilicueta but is offside on the return.
25 mins – BLOCK!
Rodri’s cross isn’t dealt with by Azpilcueta and the ball ends up on the left with Cancelo, who fires a low cross into the feet of Rudiger to clear.
22 mins – CHELSEA THREAT
Now it’s Chelsea’s turn to come forwards. Ziyech gets some space down the left and fizzes in a low cross towards Lukaku, but City’s defenders deal with it well.
The opening 20 minutes of Manchester City vs Chelsea has seen just two shots.
Chelsea are pressing forward to thwart the Citizens. ? pic.twitter.com/WjmW9hgyHo
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) January 15, 2022
17 mins – CHALLENGE!
Alonso has been struggling with Sterling, but Sarr makes no mistake. He crunches the City winger in the box with a perfect challenge and gives away a corner, which City waste.
14 mins – SAVE!
City get a corner on their left and it’s Stones who rises highest to meet it, but he can only send his effort straight at Kepa, who clutches the ball gratefully.
14 mins – CLEARED!
Cancelo finds De Bruyne with an excellent pass down City’s left, but the Belgian’s cut-back only finds the retreating Alonso, who thumps the ball clear.
12 mins – CHANCE!
Chelsea get in behind City’s defend through Lukaku, but he makes one pass too many towards the offside Hakim Ziyech and stops the move dead.
9 mins – DISAPPOINTING!
De Bruyne’s free-kick comes into the box but Sarr deals with it well.
8 mins – YELLOW CARD!
Alonso gets the game’s first caution after dragging down Sterling out on the wing.
5 mins – CITY PRESSURISING!
Chelsea clear the corner with ease, but City are coming straight back at them.
4 mins – NERVY KEPA!
A nervy moment for Kepa. Laporte’s long ball over the top drops just behind Chelsea’s defence, and the onrushing Kepa pings his clearance right off Azpilicueta and behind for a corner.
1 min – UNDERWAY!
Off and running at the Etihad – victory for City will surely end Chelsea’s faint hopes of winning the title.
Recent Comments