Enzo Fernandez dealt an enormous blow to Manchester Metropolis’s Premier League title hopes with a 94th-minute equaliser to grab a 1-1 draw for managerless Chelsea on the Etihad.
Tijjani Reijnders had blasted Metropolis right into a deserved half-time lead, however they misplaced central defenders Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias to harm within the second half after which blew two factors within the dying seconds when Fernandez prodded in on the again publish.
A degree is simply adequate to edge Metropolis again above Aston Villa in second on objective distinction and leaves them six factors adrift of leaders Arsenal.
The Blues have received simply as soon as of their final eight league video games to slide to fifth within the desk, however received their reward for a spirited second-half show to shut inside three factors of the highest 4.
Metropolis had been in a position to welcome Rodri again for his first begin since early October and the Spaniard shortly confirmed why he was topped the world’s finest participant earlier than struggling a cruciate knee ligament harm in September 2024.
Solely wasteful ending in a 0-0 draw at Sunderland on Thursday price Pep Guardiola’s males a ninth consecutive win they usually had been once more responsible of letting their opposition off the hook earlier than the break.
After a sluggish opening 20 minutes, the possibilities started to circulate for the house facet as Phil Foden fired simply broad earlier than Bernardo Silva curled simply over the bar.
Filip Jorgensen made his first Premier League begin of the season within the Chelsea objective resulting from an harm to Robert Sanchez and produced an excellent save to tip Erling Haaland’s deflected effort behind.
Haaland was virtually wheeling away in celebration moments later when his curling shot crashed off the within of the publish.
Metropolis’s strain lastly instructed three minutes earlier than the break when Reijnders wriggled clear contained in the field earlier than blasting a strong shot previous Jorgensen at his close to publish.
Inside seconds of the restart, Metropolis almost threw all their good first-half work away.
An ankle harm to Gvardiol left Metropolis undermanned on the again as Chelsea broke ahead and Pedro Neto spooned over the bar from point-blank vary.
Chelsea focused Gvardiol’s substitute, Abdukodir Khusanov of their seek for an equaliser and Metropolis wanted Gianluigi Donnarumma to maintain Liam Delap out from a slender angle.
Donnarumma almost saved his facet once more on the demise with a exceptional cease from Fernandez, however the Argentine received to the rebound first to faucet in.
Quite a few Metropolis gamers fell to their knees in disappointment as Arsenal closed in on their first league title for 22 years.
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