Chelsea made a bright start to life post-Enzo Maresca as they held Man City to a 1-1 draw at the Etihad. Maresca left the club on New Year’s Day, putting the club into something of a state of chaos ahead of this match. Under-21s boss McFarlane stood in as caretaker, taking charge of his first senior match as he lined up opposite Pep Guardiola, one of the game’s greatest coaches.
Against all odds, though, Chelsea put in a valiant performance as they took the fight to their hosts. Tijjani Reijnders opened the scoring with a sweetly-hit first-half goal, which had City ahead for much of the remainder of the match. But the Blues were renewed after the break and Enzo Fernandez struck deep in injury time to level it up, rewarding the Blues’ labours.
The result leaves Chelsea with just one win in their last eight league outings, but this point is one they can be incredibly proud of, given the circumstances. Catch up with the action as it happened below with our dedicated match blog, featuring expert insight and analysis from Dom Smith at the Etihad.
Man City vs Chelsea latest news
- GOAL! Fernandez equalises in injury time
- GOAL! Reijnders with the opener
- Man City XI
- Chelsea XI
FULL TIME: Man City 1-1 Chelsea
19:30 , Arthur FerridgeCalum McFarlane’s Chelsea go home with a point!
Man City 1-1 Chelsea
19:29 , Arthur Ferridge90+6mins: Fernandez has a crack at a winner, but Donnarumma saves with ease.
Dom Smith at the Etihad
19:28 , Arthur FerridgeChelsea have hung in there, have been brave, have worked extremely hard all evening. They may not *deserve* a draw but it seems a draw they will get. The football gods perhaps looking out for them, as the ball pops back out and Enzo equalises in the 93rd minute...
GOAL! Man City 1-1 Chelsea | Fernandez 90+4'
19:26 , Arthur FerridgeCHELSEA ARE LEVEL! Fernandez bundles it over the line incredibly clumsily from close range, but it is so well deserved. McFarlane pips Pep!
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
19:25 , Arthur Ferridge90+3mins: Santos is pulled back by Silva as the Blues break. Chelsea knocking quite loudly on the door here.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
19:22 , Arthur Ferridge90mins: Six added minutes.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
19:21 , Arthur Ferridge89mins: Chelsea come forward late on and Palmer swings at Hato’s cross... but misses. Hasn’t been his day.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
19:19 , Arthur Ferridge88mins: Gusto foils Cherki’s latest foray forward, but Chelsea remain under the cosh.
Dom Smith at the Etihad
19:16 , Arthur FerridgeCity really pushing for a second goal in the closing stages here now.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
19:14 , Arthur Ferridge80mins: Ake replaces Dias, and City have a properly makeshift back-line out on the pitch now.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
19:10 , Arthur Ferridge78mins: Palmer plays Delap in behind with a slide-rule pass, but he is muscled off the ball by Khusanov. The Chelsea striker then tosses his marker into the advertising hoardings and will be booked. Totally needless and unhelpful.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
19:07 , Arthur Ferridge75mins: Doku plays a fantastic ball through for Foden, but Badiashile does well to track him and deny his ball into the box.
Dom Smith at the Etihad
19:04 , Arthur FerridgeA decent effort from Delap after good football by Chelsea. They still have a sting in their tail in attack - we just aren't getting the chance to see it in action all that often.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
19:04 , Arthur Ferridge72mins: Delap wrestles Khusanov and works a shooting chance, but Donnarumma gets in the way of his effort.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
19:01 , Arthur Ferridge70mins: Doku replaces the goalscorer Reijnders.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
19:01 , Arthur Ferridge69mins: Superb recovery tackle from Hato cuts out Cherki’s cross for Silva, who was one-on-one with Jorgensen if the ball got to him.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
18:58 , Arthur Ferridge66mins: A little lull in the game here after a frantic first 20 minutes of the half.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
18:55 , Arthur Ferridge63mins: Badiashile sweeps up the mess after a loose backpass sets Cherki free in the box.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
18:53 , Arthur Ferridge62mins: Delap and Hato replace Pedro and Acheampong.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
18:53 , Arthur Ferridge61mins: Chelsea try a cute short corner routine, and James is flagged offside in the process. Massive waste in a game where chances will be few and far between.
Dom Smith at the Etihad
18:53 , Arthur FerridgeHato and Delap are coming on for Chelsea shortly...
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
18:52 , Arthur Ferridge60mins: Corner for Chelsea, here, right on the hour mark.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
18:51 , Arthur Ferridge59mins: Penalty shout for City as James puts in a heavy-handed tackle to dispossess Cherki in the box. Referee deems it shoulder-to-shoulder and waves play-on.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
18:48 , Arthur Ferridge56mins: Fernandez is down clutching his knee, which is bleeding. He seems to have inadvertently caught Chalobah’s stud as he went up for that City corner.
Dom Smith at the Etihad
18:47 , Arthur FerridgeFine recovery by Acheampong there. He's played very well, I feel.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
18:47 , Arthur Ferridge55mins: Good tackle from Acheampong dispossesses Haaland. Corner to City, though.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
18:46 , Arthur Ferridge54mins: Joao Pedro gets the better of Ruben Dias, who bodyslams the Brazilian to halt his progress and is booked.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
18:45 , Arthur Ferridge53mins: Santos deals with Foden’s free-kick with a decisive header.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
18:44 , Arthur Ferridge52mins: James catches Silva near the Chelsea box and it’ll be another City free-kick. The Blues’ captain is booked as Silva is treated.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
18:43 , Arthur Ferridge51mins: Gvardiol is replaced by Khusanov,
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
18:42 , Arthur Ferridge51mins: Reece James helps the injured Gvardiol off the pitch.
Dom Smith at the Etihad
18:41 , Arthur FerridgeYou're always going to get one glorious chance, at least. Chelsea will hope that wasn't it, because Neto has leaned back on it and blazed over after Fernandez's fine lay-off. Chelsea, by the way, seem to have changed formation since the half-time sub. It could well be a 3-4-3 but not entirely clear yet.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
18:41 , Arthur Ferridge49mins: HUGE MISS! Neto clips the bar from the edge of the six-yard box. In the background, Gvardiol is down injured.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
18:39 , Arthur Ferridge47mins: With Santos replacing Estevao, Chelsea appear to have shifted into a back three of some description.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
18:39 , Arthur Ferridge46mins: First chance of the second half falls to Neto, who is played through by Pedro and looks to pull it back for Palmer. His cross is deflected into the waiting hands of Donnarumma, though.
2ND HALF: Man City 1-0 Chelsea
18:37 , Arthur FerridgeBack underway at the Etihad! Andrey Santos has replaced Estevao for Chelsea.
H/T: Man City 1-0 Chelsea
18:20 , Arthur FerridgeThere’s the break!
City with a deserved lead at half, but they will think it should have been a wider margin. Frankly, it could have been three or four.
But the fact of the matter is that it isn’t - the margin stands at one, and Chelsea can certainly claw their way back into this.
Man City 1-0 Chelsea
18:18 , Arthur Ferridge45mins: The Blues are really digging in here, you must say it hasn’t been a bad performance at all.
They have a mountain to climb now, though, as the fourth official advertises two added minutes.
Dom Smith at the Etihad
18:16 , Arthur FerridgeI said they needed half-time. It didn't quite come early enough.
GOAL! Man City 1-0 Chelsea | Reijnders 42'
18:15 , Arthur FerridgeThere’s the opener, and you can’t say it hasn’t been coming. Reijnders slams the ball home as City take a well deserved lead.
Man City 0-0 Chelsea
18:13 , Arthur Ferridge40mins: Cherki lashes one into Row Z off his weak foot.
Dom Smith at the Etihad
18:12 , Arthur FerridgeTwo huge chances for Haaland within a matter of minutes. Chelsea survive both, but are really in need of that half-time whistle now. Into the 41st minute we go...
Man City 0-0 Chelsea
18:12 , Arthur Ferridge39mins: Very close again from Haaland, who beats Badiashile and hits the inside of the post with a curled effort.
Man City 0-0 Chelsea
18:11 , Arthur Ferridge38mins: Jorgensen is at full stretch to deny Haaland’s deflected shot. Superb stop.
Man City 0-0 Chelsea
18:10 , Arthur Ferridge37mins: On the Chelsea formation, it looks more like Neto has moved to striker, Joao Pedro into the No10, and Palmer to the right. All looks very fluid up top.
Man City 0-0 Chelsea
18:09 , Arthur Ferridge36mins: The Chelsea players keep slipping on the Etihad turf, which obviously is suboptimal.
Gusto does manage to keep his feet as he tracks the jinking run of Silva, but the Portuguese does get a shot away which bends narrowly wide of the far corner.
Dom Smith at the Etihad
18:07 , Arthur FerridgeCity slowly but surely exerting more and more pressure, but Chelsea are holding firm at the moment, cheered on by their loyal travelling fans away to my right, behind the goal.
Man City 0-0 Chelsea
18:06 , Arthur Ferridge34mins: Reece James is dominating the midfield here. In the last few minutes he has caught a handful of interceptions and put in some cracking tackles.
Meanwhile, Estevao and Neto have switched wings.
Man City 0-0 Chelsea
18:05 , Arthur Ferridge33mins: Still no shot on target for either side.
Man City 0-0 Chelsea
18:04 , Arthur Ferridge32mins: Foden heads wide from Silva’s cross, but the flag was up anyway.
Man City 0-0 Chelsea
18:02 , Arthur Ferridge30mins: Another foul from Reece James, here, as he catches Rodri late. Haaland asks the referee to book him, to no avail.
Man City 0-0 Chelsea
18:00 , Arthur Ferridge28mins: Reijnders’ cross finds Haaland, but Badiashile gets in the way again. Corner for City.
Man City 0-0 Chelsea
17:58 , Arthur Ferridge25mins: Silva spins Acheampong and crosses to Haaland, but Badiashile leaps like a salmon to get to it first.
City applying considerable pressure now...
Man City 0-0 Chelsea
17:57 , Arthur Ferridge24mins: Joao Pedro is wrestled to the ground by Dias as Chelsea look to launch a counter.
Man City 0-0 Chelsea
17:56 , Arthur Ferridge24mins: Badiashile is down in a heap following a tackle from Silva, who seemed to catch the Frenchman late-ish. Chelsea man made a meal of that one and got the foul he was after.
Man City 0-0 Chelsea
17:55 , Arthur Ferridge22mins: City make inroads again, but James takes his turn to clear.
Estrevao keeps finding himself defending Reijnders, which feels like something of a mismatch.
Man City 0-0 Chelsea
17:53 , Arthur Ferridge20mins: ANOTHER MASSIVE CHANCE! City counter at remarkable pace as Nunez finds Reijnders with a gorgeous long ball, and he in turn dishes a lovely cross-field pass to Foden, who works the space and shoots narrowly wide.
Man City 0-0 Chelsea
17:52 , Arthur Ferridge19mins: HUGE CHANCE! Neto gets free on the right and squares to Estevao, whose shot is blocked by Gvardiol.
Dom Smith at the Etihad
17:51 , Arthur FerridgeLots of possession for City, which will come as a surprise to no one. Chelsea have historically had to soak up plenty of pressure on their visits here in the past, and this evening is no different - but it does allow them space to break into, potentially, on the counter...
Man City 0-0 Chelsea
17:51 , Arthur Ferridge18mins: Calum McFarlane is not even 20 minutes into his managerial debut as L’Equipe report Liam Rosenior, a potential permanent replacement for Enzo Maresca, has boarded a flight from Strasbourg to London.
Man City 0-0 Chelsea
17:49 , Arthur Ferridge16mins: Gusto and Fernandez proving a productive combination down the right flank. They make inroads on the City defence and win a throw, which is recycled to the far flank, where Estevao fouls Foden to lose possession.
Man City 0-0 Chelsea
17:45 , Arthur Ferridge13mins: Chalobah is first to the corner and clears the danger for Chelsea.
Man City 0-0 Chelsea
17:45 , Arthur Ferridge12mins: It is Cherki who takes, and Enzo Fernandez punts his cross well clear of any danger. Corner for City now, though.
Man City 0-0 Chelsea
17:44 , Arthur Ferridge12mins: The away end sing Roman Abramovic’s name as Foden and Cherki set up their set-piece.
Man City 0-0 Chelsea
17:44 , Arthur Ferridge11mins: Reece James is blown up for catching Cherki from behind. City have a free kick in the right channel, about 20 yards back from the byline.
Man City 0-0 Chelsea
17:43 , Arthur Ferridge10mins: Foden looks to chip one over the top for Cherki, but Gusto shows it behind for a goal kick.
Man City 0-0 Chelsea
17:42 , Arthur Ferridge9mins: City growing into things here as Gvardiol plays a tidy ball over the top into the feet of Reijnders, but he is shepherded out of the Chelsea box before he can attack Jorgensen’s goal.
Dom Smith reports on the weather
17:40 , Arthur FerridgeCorrection to my previous post, which reported rain in Manchester.
Dom Smith asserts: It has begun to snow ever so slightly at the Etihad.
Even better football weather.
Man City 0-0 Chelsea
17:39 , Arthur Ferridge6mins: For those wondering precisely how miserable the Manchester weather is this evening, it is -1C and raining. Proper football weather, if you ask me.
Dom Smith at the Etihad
17:38 , Arthur FerridgePositive start from Chelsea, signified by Neto winning the ball off Nunes just then and playing in James to carry forward. They have settled well.
Man City 0-0 Chelsea
17:38 , Arthur Ferridge5mins: City are struggling to deal with the Chelsea press so far, here. McFarlane’s innovative tactics already taking hold, it seems.
Man City 0-0 Chelsea
17:36 , Arthur Ferridge4mins: Acheampong flicks the corner on, but play is stopped before anyone can get a shot off after Donnarumma hits the deck.
Man City 0-0 Chelsea
17:36 , Arthur Ferridge3mins: Fernandez wins the ball high up the pitch and drives to the byline, winning a corner from Bernardo’s tackle. A first opportunity for the Blues beckons.
Man City 0-0 Chelsea
17:34 , Arthur Ferridge2mins: Worth pointing out that it is Acheampong at right-back, and Gusto on the left. Reece James is in midfield with Enzo Fernandez.
Man City 0-0 Chelsea
17:34 , Arthur Ferridge1min: O’Reilly plays Reijnders in behind, but he is held up by Acheampong, who makes a smart tackle and gets the ball back to Jorgensen without much issue. Smart start from City.
KICK-OFF: Man City 0-0 Chelsea
17:32 , Arthur FerridgeCalum McFarlane's Blues are underway at the Etihad!
Dom Smith at the Etihad
17:32 , Arthur FerridgePedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez galvanising their teammates in a team talk before kick-off here. A real challenge for Chelsea, this.
Players take to the pitch
17:26 , Arthur FerridgeKick-off is imminent!
McFarlane speaks before kick-off
17:26 , Arthur FerridgeOn Nerves: "I'm feeling good, feeling calm. We've got some good days training in and done some good prep. The lads are in a good place and we're really looking forward to the game.
On preparing for the match: "We've just tried to get the feeling in the group right. It is always difficult when a manager goes, especially one that has been successful and had some good times. We've tried to pick them emotionally and socially, tried to get the preparation right for a really tough game. We're really pleased with how the last two games have gone.”
On picking the side: "As the 21s coach you are really close to it, watching every game, so you kind of have a feeling of how the players are performing, you have an idea of injuries and loading too. All these things come into it and ultimately try to pick the team that can do the best job on the day.
Team news reminder
17:20 , Arthur FerridgeWith 10 minutes until kick-off, a reminder of today’s XIs.
Man City XI: Donnarumma, Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O'Reilly, Rodri, Bernardo, Reijnders, Foden, Cherki, Haaland
Chelsea XI: Jorgensen; Acheampong, Chalobah, Badiashile, Gusto; James, Enzo; Estevao, Palmer, Neto; Joao Pedro
Dom Smith at the Etihad
17:20 , Arthur FerridgeChelsea head into the game sixth in the Premier League table, after Manchester United crept above them by a point after the draw they earnt at Leeds earlier today. They can regain fifth place, on goal difference, if they nick a draw here. Even that seems a huge ask, though. Let's see...
Guardiola gushes over Rodri
17:16 , Arthur FerridgePep Guardiola is plainly chuffed to have Rodri back in the fold.
Asked how his return will improve City, he said: “Everybody knows it. He’s an exceptional player and makes us a better team.”
Chelsea absentees in attendance
17:13 , Arthur FerridgeMoises Caicedo (suspended), Marc Cucurella, and Robert Sanchez (both injured) are in attendance at the Etihad today to offer their support to their team-mates.
Dom Smith at the Etihad
17:12 , Arthur FerridgeIt is good to see Moises Caicedo, Marc Cucurella and Levi Colwill all here at the Etihad supporting the Chelsea players who can play through this game. With such an inexperienced caretaker coaching staff, their nous could be very valuable to McFarlane and the other coaches - as well as to the players involved in the match.
McFarlane issues injury update
17:10 , Arthur FerridgeChelsea interim boss Calum McFarlane has issued the following update on Sanchez and Fofana’s fitness - or lack thereof.
"Rob [Sanchez] felt his injury in the warm up against Bournemouth, he played through it and trained on Friday, and then yesterday felt like he wasn't right. Wes [Fofana] trained well yesterday but woke up today with a really high temperature so he's ill and can't play."
Reece James: 'Super enjoyable' to play for Maresca
17:05 , Arthur FerridgeChelsea captain Reece James has called for Chelsea to lean on their experience as they face Man City with a caretaker manager in the dugout.
On preparing to face City after Enzo Maresca’s departure, he tells Sky Sports: “It is always a difficult moment. It's a tough experience, parting ways with a manager, but a lot of us have experienced something like this before, so we must use our experience to prepare right for the game, which we have done.”
On his time playing for Maresca, he added: “As you said, I played a lot of football under him, probably my most in years. We won two European trophies together. It was super enjoyable to play under him.”
READ: More detail on Sanchez and Fofana injuries
17:00 , Arthur FerridgeManagerless Chelsea have been hit by a fitness crisis for their match against Manchester City, with Robert Sanchez, Wesley Fofana and Marc Cucurella all sidelined.
McFarlane taking charge of his very first senior match already made the game appear something of a mismatch ahead of kick-off, and to make matters worse, Chelsea now have absentees they had not initially bargained for.
Click here for more detail on Chelsea’s latest injury crisis!
Jorgensen in for Chelsea
16:53 , Arthur FerridgeFilip Jorgensen is into the starting XI for Chelsea for the first time since the Carabao Cup defeat of Cardiff City in mid-December.
He has not been at his best this season, and faces a colossal test today.
This will be just his sixth appearance of the season.
Cast your mind back to September, and you may remember him concussing Wesley Fofana after bungling a high claim away to Lincoln City.
His understudy will be Gabriel Slonina, the 21-year-old from Illinois who spent last season on loan at Barnsley, making 11 appearances.
Dom Smith at the Etihad Stadium
16:45 , Arthur FerridgeStandard Sport’s very own Dom Smith has boots on the ground at a frosty Etihad Stadium this evening. Allow him to tell you all you need to know about this fascinating fixture...
🗣️ "As we all know, there is never a quiet day at Chelsea."
— Standard Sport (@standardsport) January 4, 2026
Couldn't be truer from @MrDomSmith, who previews a fascinating Premier League tie from the Etihad Stadium press box.
FOLLOW LIVE: https://t.co/nzMRBB3QiK#MCICHE | #CFC pic.twitter.com/DHupNzdT3N
The man of the hour arrives
16:38 , Arthur FerridgeChelsea’s caretaker manager Calum McFarlane takes in the sights and sounds of the Etihad.
Man City vs Chelsea head to head
16:34 , Arthur FerridgeChelsea have not beaten Man City in any competition since the 2021 Champions League final, losing both Premier League meetings last season by an aggregate score of 5-1.
Man City wins: 68
Chelsea wins: 71
Draws: 41
Man City XI
16:26 , Arthur FerridgeRodri is in from the off for City, making his first start since October 5.
The match comes too soon for Jeremy Doku, though, who is named to the bench.
Chelsea absentees
16:19 , Arthur FerridgeRobert Sanchez misses out for Chelsea with a minor muscle injury, and he is expected to return for next week’s trip to face Fulham. Filip Jorgensen starts in his stead.
Elsewhere, Wesley Fofana is absent with a fever.
Moises Caicedo is suspended.
MAN CITY CONFIRMED TEAM NEWS
16:17 , Arthur FerridgeAnd the hosts...
Man City XI: Donnarumma, Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O'Reilly, Rodri, Bernardo, Reijnders, Foden, Cherki, Haaland
Subs: Trafford, Ake, Doku, Khusanov, McAidoo, Mukasa, Lewis, Mfuni, R. Heskey
CHELSEA CONFIRMED TEAM NEWS
16:15 , Arthur FerridgeCalum McFarlane names his first Chelsea squad.
Chelsea XI: Jorgensen; Acheampong, Chalobah, Badiashile, Gusto; James, Enzo; Estevao, Palmer, Neto; Joao Pedro
Subs: Slonina, Merrick, Tosin, Hato, Santos, Garnacho, Gittens, Delap, Guiu
Interestingly, Levi Colwill and Moises Caicedo are both present at the Etihad today, despite the former being out with an ACL injury and the latter being suspended.
They will likely be serving a moral support role as McFarlane navigates his first match in charge of Chelsea.
Predicted lineups
16:10 , Arthur FerridgeSquads will be released shortly, but how could Chelsea and Man City shape up today?
Standard Sport has had a crack at predicting the squads...
Predicted Man City XI (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Ake, Gvardiol; Silva, Rodri, Reijnders; Cherki, Haaland, Doku
Chelsea predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella; Fernandez, James; Neto, Palmer, Garnacho; Joao Pedro
McFarlane backroom staff in full
16:04 , Arthur FerridgeOnly one member of Enzo Maresca’s backroom staff has stuck around at Chelsea following the Italian’s departure.
That man is Bernardo Cueva, the set-piece coach poached from Brentford for the low low price of £1m in 2024.
Elsewhere, he has called up the remainder of his U21 support staff.
McFarlane confirmed: “We have myself, Andy Ross and James Simmonds, who are my assistants from the under-21s. And Adam Keep, my analyst. Bernardo [Cueva] is still here, the set-piece coach.”
Ross serves as MacFarlane’s assistant with the U21s, a role he took on in July. The same is true of Simmonds, who has been with the club since 2010. Keep is the U21 side’s chief analyst.
Who is Calum McFarlane?
15:56 , Arthur FerridgeCalum McFarlane is head coach of Chelsea’s Under-21 side, and is standing in as caretaker manager at the Etihad today.
He joined the club from Southampton this summer, and has previously spent time working at Man City.
Other coaching stints have seen him spend time with Tromso, Fulham, and Crystal Palace, as well as with a couple of non-league outfits: Croydon and Whyteleafe.
Today’s match will be his first as a senior manager.
No Caicedo for Chelsea
15:49 , Arthur FerridgeCaicedo’s suspension is terrible news for Chelsea and McFarlane, who have looked totally at sea when without their star midfielder this season.
The Ecuadorian has accumulated too many yellow cards in recent weeks, and is sidelined for one match as a result.
It remains to be seen who will fill his place this afternoon, but Reece James seems a likely option. Andrey Santos could also stand in.
Click here to read the full blog on The The Standard's website
