Liverpool crowned champions as Chelsea beat City
Premier League
Chelsea 2-1 Manchester City
Christian Pulisic scored for Chelsea in a 2-1 win over Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on Thursday in the Premier League with the visitors finishing with 10 men.
The result means that Liverpool have clinched a first-ever Premier League title and a first in England’s top flight in 30 years as Man City can no longer mathematically catch the leaders, whom they trail by 23 points.
Manchester City dominated possession in the opening half-hour, but couldn’t find a goal as the hosts continued to grow into the match.
A mixup at midfield by the City defence allowed Pulisic to rush on to a loose ball, with the U.S. international charging in on goal and calmly slotting past Ederson to put Chelsea ahead in the 36th minute.
The goal was Pulisic’s second in as many games and seventh in the Premier League this season as Chelsea took a 1-0 lead into half-time.
Man City drew level early in the second half on the back of a phenomenal free kick from Kevin De Bruyne after N’Golo Kante had fouled Riyad Mahrez just outside the penalty area.
Minutes later, City nearly took the lead from a counter-attack, but Raheem Sterling’s shot with only Kepa Arrizabalaga to beat came back off the post and the score remained level.
Pulisic looked to have had his second on the night to restore Chelsea’s lead, but an incredible defensive effort from a sliding Kyle Walker kept the ball from crossing the goalline.
More goalline heroics from Ederson and the City defence looked to have kept Chelsea from taking the lead, but VAR intervened to award a penalty to Chelsea for handball on Fernandinho, with Willian stepping up to dispatch the spot kick for 2-1.
Fernandinho was shown a straight red for having swatted Tammy Abraham’s goal-bound shot away on the goalline and Man City could not find a way back into the match as they finished down a man.
Title-implications aside, the win was also a massive boost to Chelsea’s quest to finish in the Champions League places, solidifying the team’s hold on fourth place in the table with 54 points.
