Haaland leads Man City turnaround after new boy Khusanov gaffe
Manchester City's Erling Haaland (right) scores their side's second goal of the game during the Premier League match at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester. Picture: Martin Rickett/PA Wire.
PEP Guardiola’s gamble of handing a debut to Abdukodir Khusanov backfired spectacularly although Erling Haaland played a key part in a comeback that spared the blushes of the Manchester City manager and his centre-half.
Khusanov, one of three new signings made by Guardiola this week, was surprisingly handed a first start for his new club, along with forward Omar Marmoush.
The newcomers had only had one training session with their new team mates, on the day before the game, and it looked that way as the Premier League’s first player from Uzbekistan endured a nightmare start.
In the third minute, he jumped with Nicolas Jackson to challenge for a routine through ball, which was missed by both combatants.
But Khusanov then attempted to head the ball back to Ederson, failing to make decent contact and succeeding only in playing in Jackson who squared for Noni Madueke to score into an open goal.
Tellingly, the only one of his new team mates who spoke with him in the aftermath was his Brazilian keeper, who was clearly explaining to Khusanov, who speaks no English, where Row Z is located.
To make matters worse, just two minutes later, Cole Palmer was in the process of skipping away from the 20-year-old centre-half who did the logical thing in hacking down the Chelsea man - and earning a yellow card in the process.
It was a catastrophic start for City, who should have been two goals down on nine minutes when their former forward Palmer broke clear on goal but, instead of shooting, squared for Jackson. The delay allowed City to recover and Ederson to save the shot that eventually came from Jadon Sancho.
It was the worst possible opening for a City team trying to bounce back from their stunning capitulation, and 4-2 defeat, at PSG in midweek.
But, compared with recent weeks, the response was good and, within a minute, Phil Foden had thundered a shot against the post that could have drawn City level.
It was the start of an intriguing game, with Marmoush as good as his fellow debutant Khusanov had been bad. Very much a tale of two debuts, the Egyptian international almost slid in to equalise from Josko Gvardiol’s cross.
Marmoush did have the ball in the goal on 34 minutes, tapping in after a Gvardiol shot had been saved, only for it to be ruled out for an obvious offside.
And Gvardiol, City’s best attacking option from left-back, almost scored a brilliant goal six minutes later, controlling Mateo Kovacic’s through ball on his chest and poking it just wide.
Pressure was building and it was very much with the run of play that they levelled three minutes before the break Ilkay Gundogan’s pass forward was well taken by Matheus Nunes, who advanced before being blocked by keeper Robert Sanchez, only for Gvardiol to arrive and convert the rebound.
It was a game-changing goal and, by the time Khusanov was relieved of his duties and replaced by John Stones early in the second half, City looked well in control.
An early Haaland shot was well saved by Sanchez before the City striker set up Marmoush whose powerful drive angled just wide of the goal.
On 67 minutes, however, Sanchez made a dreadful error, on a par with Khusanov’s, as he wandered to the edge of his area, as Haaland beat Trevor Chalobah to a long pass from Ederson.
With the Chelsea keeper hopelessly out of position, Haaland had the composure to easily chip the ball beyond Sanchez and into the Chelsea goal - his 18th of the Premier League season.
The outcome looked well decided by the time Foden completed the scoring, three minutes from time, as Kevin De Bruyne flicked on Ederson’s pass and Haaland payed in Foden who finished comfortably past Sanchez.
Ederson 6; Nunes 5, Akanji 6, Khusanov 4 (Stones 53, 6), Gvardiol 8; Kovacic 7; Foden 6, Gundogan 6, Silva 7, Marmoush 7 (De Bruyne 74, 6); Haaland 7.
Grealish, Lewis, McAtee, Savinho, O’Reilly, Ortega, Reis.
Sanchez 4; James 6 (Gusto 73, 5). Chalobah 5, Colwill 6, Cucurella 5; Caicedo 7, Fernandez 6; Madueke 6, Palmer 5, Sancho 5 (Neto 73, 5); Jackson 6 (Nkunku 61, 5).
Acheampong, Dewsbury-Hall, Disasi, Guiu, Jorgensen, Adarabioyo.
J Brooks 7
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