Rodri saved the day for Manchester City by scoring a late goal, which helped them tie the game against Chelsea. This kept Manchester City’s long streak of not losing at home intact.

City lost ground in the title race as Liverpool and Arsenal both won big earlier on Saturday. However, despite almost losing, getting a draw must feel like a win for City.

Raheem Sterling, playing against his former team, scored for Chelsea just before halftime after a fantastic counter-attack. He received a pass from Nicolas Jackson, dribbled past Kyle Walker, and scored with a curling shot.

Throughout the game, Chelsea looked dangerous on the counter-attack. Jackson missed a great chance earlier when Ederson saved his shot, and Ederson denied Sterling another goal from close range.

City had plenty of chances too but couldn’t convert any of them, or really test Chelsea’s goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic, despite dominating the second half.

Erling Haaland missed some key opportunities, including a header from a Kevin de Bruyne cross.

City were on the verge of their first home league defeat since November 2022 until Rodri scored with seven minutes left. He fired a powerful shot from outside the box that was deflected by Chelsea’s Trevoh Chalobah into the net.

With this draw, City now sit in third place, four points behind Liverpool but with a game in hand. They can narrow the gap and overtake Arsenal if they beat Brentford on Tuesday.

Chelsea, despite being close to a third consecutive away win, remain in 10th place. However, they head to Wembley for the Carabao Cup final on the back of one of their best performances in a turbulent season.

Chelsea’s strong resistance wasn’t sufficient for them to win.

This match didn’t have the same number of goals or chaos as the 4-4 draw they had in November, but Chelsea’s strong defense and dangerous counterattacks made it another captivating game.

Similar to the game at Stamford Bridge, the weather was terrible, with rain pouring down, yet Mauricio Pochettino’s team still managed to earn a valuable point.

City controlled possession for most of the game, but Chelsea’s strategy of quickly attacking after regaining possession worked well, even before they scored.

Raheem Sterling, who won four Premier League titles during his time at the Etihad, was often criticized for his finishing, but he showed great composure to score against his former team. He beat Walker and scored past Ederson confidently.

Sterling was unlucky not to double Chelsea’s lead in the second half when he met Gusto’s cross, but Ederson made a brilliant save to keep the ball out.

As the game neared its end, Chelsea became less threatening, relying more on their defensive organization and determination to hold on for the win. However, City’s persistence and urgency eventually paid off.

City find it hard to score even when they get good opportunities.

Pep Guardiola’s team struggled defensively in the first half, often getting caught off guard. However, in the second half, they took more control of the game and pushed forward aggressively in search of an equalizer.

City made 31 attempts at scoring, but until Rodri’s late goal, it seemed like they would be unable to find the back of the net, even once.

Erling Haaland, especially, will be disappointed with his performance. Three out of his nine attempts were clear chances to score, but he missed an early header from Julian Alvarez’s cross, mishandled a setup from Phil Foden, and failed to hit the target from a precise delivery by De Bruyne.

Some key decisions didn’t go City’s way either. Kyle Walker believed he should have been awarded a penalty after a clash with Sterling in the box, and a handball by Levi Colwill in stoppage time went unnoticed by the referee.

The video assistant referee sided with Chelsea in both instances, much to Guardiola’s evident frustration. Nevertheless, it must be some relief to Guardiola that his team still managed to secure a point.