New Delhi: Manchester City brushed aside all concerns as the experienced Mateo Kovacic stepped up in the absence of Rodri to help his side beat Chelsea 2-0 in their Premier League 2024-25 season opener at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. The Croatian was a towering presence in City’s midfield, providing solid defensive cover to the back four while also contributing heavily going forward.
Kovacic also registered himself on the scoring sheet with a brilliant strike in the dying minutes of the match to seal a comfortable 2-0 win for the defending champions. While Rodri missed out due to an injury, City boss Pep Guardiola decided to not start the likes of John Stones, Kyle Walker and Phil Foden in the season opener.
There were serious concerns about City’s midfield which appeared thin on paper in the absence of their lynchpin Rodri. The concerns were genuine as City didn’t win 3 out of the 4 Premier League games which Rodri missed last season. However, Kovacic ensured the Spaniard was not missed with a commanding display in the midfield.
Erlin Haaland scored in Man City’s opening game of the Premier League season for the third time in a row as he put the defending champions 1-0 up in the 18th minute. Chelsea were in the game until Kovacic put it to bed with his sublime strike in the 84th minute to help his team secure a 2-0 win and bag crucial three points.
Watch Mateo Kovacic refuses to celebrate against Chelsea
Kovacic’s no-celebration gesture against Chelsea went viral after he scored for Manchester City in the game. The Croatian midfielder refused to celebrate against his former club out of respect. Kovacic had joined City from Chelsea in June last year. His gesture against his former club was lauded by many fans of the Blues.
Mateo Kovacic vs Chelsea (A)
Progression
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— D4 (@D4KAComps) August 18, 2024
It was not the ideal start to the campaign for Chelsea’s new manager Enzo Maresca, who could do little in the game to stop Manchester City from cruising to what looked like a regulation win in the end. Chelsea have been the top spender in the transfer market for the last two years now but the club still seems to have failed to formulate a formidable team capable of challenging the Premier League elites.
Manchester City midfielder Mateo Kovacic refused to celebrate after scoring against his former club Chelsea in his side’s 2-0 win in their Premier League opener on Saturday. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
