MANCHESTER: Manchester City took a major step toward retaining their Premier League title with a 1-0 win over second-place Chelsea on Saturday, opening up a 13-point lead at the top of the table.
Kevin De Bruyne’s 70th-minute strike means that City have 56 points from 22 matches with Chelsea on 43 points. Third-place Liverpool, who have two games in hand, including Sunday’s match at home to Brentford, have 42 points.
It was a fine solo strike from De Bruyne that settled the outcome, the Belgian riding a challenge from N’golo Kante before beating Kepa Arrizabalaga with a curling shot into the far corner.
Chelsea’s best effort had come early in the second half when Mateo Kovacic fed Romelu Lukaku, but City keeper Ederson got out quickly to make a fine save.
Phil Foden could have added a second for City six minutes from the end, but his shot from a promising position was high and wide.
Chelsea beat City in last season’s Champions League final, but City have completed the double over the London side in the Premier League this season, having won 1-0 at Stamford Bridge in September.
The taut match was just the second ever Premier League meeting between Man City and Chelsea as the top two sides. The other came in January 2015, with second-placed City earning a 1-1 draw at leaders Chelsea.
After beating Liverpool 4-0 in July 2020, and Chelsea 1-0 earlier this season, City became just the fourth English club to win three consecutive meetings with reigning European champions in all competitions, after Notts County (1982), Tottenham Hotspur (1983-84) and Everton (1984-85).