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Not back, but much better...
I could feel a sense of energy from the off. It's amazing what new faces & a sense of competition can bring. I seriously felt for Khusanov. He gave away a goal after three minutes & was booked a minute later for a rash challenge. For the goal, perhaps Akanji could've taken charge & hoofed the ball clear, but it is what it is.
Chelsea targeted our right, as they sensed Nunes was vulnerable & Khusanov was rattled. It's a strength of Khusonav's character that he managed to steady himself & recover to keep things simple & ticking over nicely.
Marmoush is a Superstar in the making! He was causing Chelsea all manner of problems, & was unlucky to have his goal chalked off for offside. We continued to grow into the match, when my joint MoTM rattled in the equaliser. 1-1.
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We came out for the second half building on our growing dominance. By now Chelsea were chasing us all over the park & Captain Bernardo led by example. He was fuckin immense.
We kept the pressure up showing great energy & fight when midway through the second half Chelsea buckled. Ederson clipped the ball to the Striking Viking, who shrugged off Chalobah's challenge & steamed toward goal. Sanchez came off his line to help Chalobah, but it gave Haaland the opportunity for a beauty of a chip for City to take a deserved lead.
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However, we've been here before mamy times this season, so there was always a danger of a collapse. Chelsea stepped up the pressure, but we solidified central midfield & held firm.
The game became a ding dong battle, with Chelsea pouring forward with nothing to lose, but in doing so Ederson started playing long balls to Haaland. Erling controlled one such pass & cleverly turned the ball around the corner for the on-rushing Foden who bored down on goal, & finished calmly to seal a crucial 3-1 win!
It was good to see Stones back. He replaced Khusanov & brought an air of quality & calm to our defence. As for Khusanov, he'll be fine. He's young & had a baptism of fire & will learn a huge amount from today's experience.
Marmoush was brilliant on his debut & I'm honestly gutted he didn't get the goal he deserved.
My MoTM was Bernardo. Today he was back to near his best, & his energy was unbelievable & infectious. A crucial win in a pivotal week. Roll on Brugge who shouldn't be underestimated, & Arsenal away next weekend.