Haaland Shines As Manchester City Defeats Chelsea 2-0

Brentford's Christian Norgaard, left, and Crystal Palace's Odsonne Edouard battle for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Brentford at the Gtech Communit

Manchester City kicked off their quest for a fifth consecutive Premier League title with a convincing 2-0 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. The match saw Erling Haaland shine on his 100th appearance for City, scoring his 91st goal for the club.

Haaland opened the scoring in the 18th minute with a clinical finish after a skillful run past Chelsea defenders Levi Colwill and Marc Cucurella. Mateo Kovacic sealed the win for City with a strike from outside the box in the 84th minute, adding to Chelsea's woes in their first game under new coach Enzo Maresca.

Erling Haaland scores his 91st goal for City on his 100th appearance.

Manchester City wins 2-0 against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Haaland's goal in the 18th minute sets the tone for City's victory.

Kovacic seals the win with a goal from outside the box in the 84th minute.

Chelsea struggles to break down City's defense despite promising moments.

New Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca faces defeat in his first game in charge.

Brentford beats Crystal Palace 2-1 in an exciting early game.

Romeo Lavia impresses on his league debut for Chelsea.

Pedro Neto shows promise for Chelsea off the bench.

City's solid defense and clinical display bode well for their title defense.

Despite a promising start for Chelsea, they struggled to break down City's defense. Chelsea's Nicolas Jackson had a goal disallowed for offside just before halftime and missed a golden opportunity in the second half, firing a close-range volley straight at City goalkeeper Ederson.

Maresca, the former Man City assistant, saw some positive signs from his team, with midfielder Romeo Lavia impressing on his league debut and new signing Pedro Neto showing promise off the bench. However, it was Kovacic who had the final say, scoring against his former club to secure the win for City.

In the early game, Brentford secured a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace in an exciting start to the Premier League season.

Overall, Manchester City's clinical display and solid defensive performance set the tone for their title defense, while Chelsea will look to regroup and bounce back from this defeat as they navigate a challenging season ahead.

For more soccer news and updates, visit AP soccer.