Chelsea were handed a painful reminder that they are in big trouble in the Premier League this season as Manchester City took them apart at Stamford Bridge.
Liam Rosenior’s side competed for the first 45 minutes, but were blown away after the break by goals from Nico O’Reilly, Marc Guehi and Jeremy Doku.
It can be wondered how different the game would have panned out if Marc Cucurella had stayed onside when it looked as if he had given Chelsea the lead, but even in the first half City’s quality showed.
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Man City break Premier League passing record at Stamford Bridge
They dominated possession, and according to Squawka broke a Premier League record at Stamford Bridge.
Pep Guardiola’s side completed 345 passes against the Blues in the first half, compared to Chelsea’s 154.
Chelsea v Manchester City - Premier League
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This is the highest amount a Premier League side has completed against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge since records began more than 20 years ago.
For context, Chelsea didn’t even reach this number by the end of the game. They finished on 321, while City nearly doubled that with 617 by the full-time whistle.
The Blues were no doubt missing the presence of Enzo Fernandez both in and out of possession. He was watching helpless from the dugout as he sat through the second of his two-game internal suspension.
Despite reports that some players had asked Rosenior to end his ban early for this game, the boss stuck to his guns in an attempt to send a message to his first team squad.
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Chelsea FC v Paris Saint-Germain FC - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 Second Leg
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However, predictably, this decision did not pay off as Chelsea handed control of the game to City from the off, and were not helped by the midfield performance of those who did start.
Moises Caicedo endured a very rough afternoon, handing the ball to Doku for City’s third, and Andrey Santos was outmuscled for the opening goal.
Fernandez will be back next week against Manchester United, although it remains to be seen how much backing the boss has from those in attendance going into that crucial game.
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