Chelsea 4-4 Manchester City – Premier League giants share spoils in incredible eight-goal contest

Cole Palmer scored a stoppage-time equaliser against former club Manchester City as the Premier League champions drew 4-4 with Chelsea in a sensational game at Stamford Bridge.

Erling Haaland opened the scoring via a controversial penalty, before goals from Thiago Silva and then Raheem Sterling – who was outstanding against his old team – drew Chelsea back in front.

Yet it was 2-2 at the interval after Manuel Akanji, left unmarked from a corner, equalised in added time and Haaland bundled in his second right after the restart to again give City the lead.

Nicolas Jackson reacted first to a minor Ederson error to make it 3-3, then Rodri looked to have won it for the visitors with a long-range strike that deflected past Robert Sanchez.

More drama was to come. Substitute Armando Broja was felled in the Chelsea box in stoppage time and Palmer – who started the season as a City player – was nerveless in dispatching the spot kick.

The draw leaves Man City on 28 points, one clear at the Premier League summit. Chelsea jump to 10th with 16 points.

Man City’s decision to sell Palmer stuck out as an odd one at the time, and his impressive form for Chelsea has only added to the sense of confusion. It helped the club when it comes to financial fair play – selling homegrown players for pure profit is a loophole Chelsea have also sought to exploit – but moving on one of the academy’s best talents and someone Pep Guardiola had started incorporating into the side always felt risky.

Today it came back to bite City in the most direct way, with Palmer scoring the late leveller which robbed them of two points. Yet even before that he had been good, almost scoring a brilliant goal at one point only to be undone by losing his footing, and offered something perhaps not available on the visitors’ surprisingly uninspiring bench.

Palmer is still just 21 and on a long Chelsea contract. It’s likely too soon to start talking about who won the transfer. But the early returns are very encouraging for Chelsea, and perhaps show Guardiola and company should have shown more faith in the boyhood City fan.

Chelsea’s other ex-City winger was also outstanding, running with real purpose and catching City out on several occasions with smart pressing. Scored a goal and did his best to create one for Malo Gusto, but the replacement missed a massive, Sterling-made chance at 3-3.

Chelsea: Sanchez 7, James 7, Disasi 7, Silva 7, Cucurella 5, Caicedo 6, Fernandez 5, Gallagher 8, Palmer 7, Sterling 9, Jackson 7. Subs: Mudryk 7, Gusto 5, Broja 7, Ugochukwu n/a.

Man City: Ederson 5, Walker 8, Dias 6, Gvardiol 5, Ake 7, Rodri 7, Silva 7, Foden 8, Doku 6, Alvarez 7, Haaland 9. Subs: Grealish 6, Kovacic 7.

PENALTY TO MAN CITY!21′ – James and Caicedo collide in their own box – James holds his head – but play goes on, the ball’s crossed in and Haaland goes to ground amid some wrestling with Cucurella. Penalty given!

GOAL! CHELSEA 0-1 MAN CITY (HAALAND)25′ – Haaland takes the penalty and sends Sanchez the wrong way, rolling the ball into the goal.

GOAL! CHELSEA 1-1 MAN CITY (SILVA) 29′ – From a corner, Silva sneaks in at the near post and guides a header in at the far one!

GOAL! CHELSEA 2-1 MAN CITY (STERLING) 37′ – Gvardiol has a nightmare and steps on a through ball, presenting James with a golden opening. He quickly crosses for Sterling, who has a tap-in against his old side.

GOAL! CHELSEA 2-2 MAN CITY (AKANJI) 45+1′ – City take a corner short, Silva crosses from a deeper place and Akanji is unmarked right in front of goal to expertly head in an equaliser.

GOAL! CHELSEA 2-3 MAN CITY (HAALAND) 47′ – Chelesa are caught on the break, with Foden in possession and Alvarez steaming forward. Foden holds the ball up, slips in Alvarez and then he crosses for Haaland to bundle in at the back post.

GOAL! CHELSEA 3-3 MAN CITY (JACKSON) 67′ – A Mudryk run draws in defenders. He shifts the ball inside, it comes to Gallagher and he lets fly. Ederson can only parry the fierce shot back into the danger zone and Jackson scores on the rebound.

GOAL! CHELSEA 3-4 MAN CITY (RODRI) 86′ – City work a shooting chance for Kovacic, but it’s blocked. The rebound runs to Rodri, who hits it from range, and Silva dangles a lazy leg which the ball deflects off and past Sanchez, giving City the lead once more!

PENALTY TO CHELSEA! 90+2′ – Broja controls a cross and is wiped out by Dias after a dummy. Stonewall prenalty.

GOAL! CHELSEA 4-4 MAN CITY (PALMER) 90+5′ – Palmer sends the ball into the top corner! Brilliant penalty under huge pressure, against his old club.

• Silva’s goal was Chelsea’s first against Man City in more than 10 hours of football.
• Haaland is up to 13 Premier League goals this season – as many as Manchester United.
• Chelsea avoided losing five straight Premier League games against one club for the first time since 1996.