A hat-trick from Erling Haaland propelled Manchester City to a 4-2 triumph over a mistake-ridden Chelsea in their pre-season clash in Columbus. The 24-year-old striker found the net twice within the opening five minutes, capitalizing on critical errors by Chelsea to give the Premier League champions an early advantage.
Early Dominance by Haaland
The first goal materialized from a wayward pass by Tosin Adarabioyo, leading to Levi Colwill fouling Haaland in the penalty area. The Norwegian forward converted the spot-kick on a retake in the fourth minute. Haaland quickly doubled City’s lead, intercepting a misjudged pass from Moises Caicedo and calmly slotting the ball home. These early setbacks put Chelsea on the back foot, struggling to regain their composure.
City’s Commanding Second Half
Manchester City extended their lead with two quick goals in the second half. Substitute Raheem Sterling’s mistake allowed Oscar Bobb to score with a near-post shot in the 55th minute. Just a minute later, Haaland completed his hat-trick following another error, this time from Malo Gusto. City’s relentless pressure and exploitation of Chelsea’s defensive lapses underscored their dominance throughout the match.
Chelsea managed to pull two goals back, with Sterling volleying in a cross at the 59-minute mark and Noni Madueke scoring on a counter-attack in the 88th minute. Despite these efforts, the match, watched by 68,000 supporters at Ohio Stadium, highlighted Chelsea’s defensive vulnerabilities and the areas needing improvement ahead of the new season.
Managerial Reflections and Upcoming Fixtures
Enzo Maresca, Chelsea’s manager, described the match as “strange” and defended his team’s overall performance despite the errors. Both Maresca and Pep Guardiola attributed some of the mistakes to the “dry” pitch conditions, which affected ball control and passing accuracy. Guardiola praised his team’s ability to capitalize on the opposition’s mistakes and maintain their attacking momentum.
Following this victory, Manchester City will return to the UK to face Manchester United in the Community Shield next Saturday. This match will serve as a crucial test before the start of the Premier League season. Meanwhile, Chelsea will stay in the United States for a high-profile match against Real Madrid on Tuesday night, before taking on Inter Milan at Stamford Bridge next Sunday. These fixtures will be vital for Chelsea to fine-tune their strategies and rectify the errors observed in their match against City.
