Alonso’s last-gasp goal gives Chelsea victory at Man City
Marcos Alonso’s goal in the final seconds gave Chelsea another victory against the champions-elect.
The Blues, who recently beat Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final and will face them again in the Champions League final, came from behind to beat them in dramatic fashion after Raheem Sterling’s first-half opener.
It moved them up to third in the table and means City must wait to be confirmed as Premier League champions.
Both sides made wholesale changes at the Eithad Stadium, where Sterling scored a couple of minutes before the interval, Sergio Ageuero then missed a penalty, and Hakim Ziyech hauled Chelsea level just after the hour mark.
City took the lead when Gabriel Jesus got the better of Andreas Christensen on the right-hand side and laid the ball across to Aguero. The Argentine mis-controlled but Sterling arrived next to him to fire home.
Christensen appeared to hurt his hamstring in the challenge involving Jesus and was replaced by Kurt Zouma.
The Dane was off the pitch and Chelsea were down to 10 men when City were awarded a penalty in first-half stoppage time after Jesus went down after colliding with Billy Gilmour.
But Aguero made a total mess of the spot-kick, attempting an audacious Panenka penalty and embarrassingly chipping the ball straight to keeper Edouard Mendy.
Chelsea were better in the second half and drew level courtesy of Ziyech’s left-footed strike from the edge of the penalty area after he had been teed up by Cesar Azpilicueta’s pass.
Callum Hudson-Odoi thought he had put Chelsea ahead when he touched in Reece James’ low cross, but the Blues substitute had strayed marginally offside.
But there was no let-off for City when Timo Werner found space on the right and centred for Alonso, who scooped the ball over keeper Ederson.
Chelsea: Mendy, Azpilicueta, Christensen (Zouma 46), Rudiger, James, Gilmour, Kante (Jorginho 68), Alonso, Ziyech (Hudson-Odoi 76), Pulisic, Werner.
Subs not used: Kepa, Abraham, Giroud, Havertz, Emerson, Livramento.
