Manchester City ultimately prevailed relatively comfortably over Chelsea in the third round of the Carabao Cup on Thursday night, with Riyad Mahrez and Julian Alvarez both scoring at the Etihad Stadium and goalkeeper Stefan Ortega performing heroics at the other end.
City started the brighter of the two sides, although it was Chelsea who had the clearest sight of goal in the opening stages. Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Hakim Ziyech attacked down the right, with the ball into the box coming last off City teenager Rico Lewis and needing Ortega to turn it away.
Ilkay Gundogan soon brushed the top of the net with a chipped free-kick after Jack Grealish had been scythed down by Kalidou Koulibaly on the edge of the box.
City created another chance when Lewis broke forward down the right and drove a dangerous ball across the face of the goal. It was just missing an Erling Haaland on the end of it, with the Norwegian sat on the bench and not needed on the night.
But even with City more dominant overall, Chelsea should have taken the lead just before half-time. Blues teenager Lewis Hall was fed by Christian Pulisic and did everything right to cut inside Lewis, but couldn’t beat Ortega from close range as the City goalkeeper threw out a leg to block the finish.
Early in the second half, Marc Cucurella had to get a tackle on the advancing Mahrez spot on to avoid giving away a penalty – and he did, denying an almost certain goal. Edouard Mendy also twice saved from the impressive Jack Grealish, but the Chelsea resistance couldn’t hold out.
Fewer than 10 minutes into the second half, Mahrez smashed a free-kick into the back of the net. There was no time for Mendy to even move but questions will be asked of Koulibaly, who didn’t jump in the wall and saw the ball flash within reach of his head.
Mahrez was also involved when Alvarez made it two not long after. It was actually Alvarez who played the ball out wide to the Algerian, whose shot upon cutting inside from the right was saved by Mendy, only for Alvarez to be following it in on the rebound.
It was a strong Mendy hand denying Cole Palmer that stopped it immediately being 3-0.
Ortega, already with two crucial saves under his belt, then made another great stop. Again, it was Hall who had the chance for Chelsea, unable to beat the inspired City goalkeeper after being found in the middle of the box by Hakim Ziyech.
Chelsea tried to make it a nervous finish for City and almost did when the ball cannoned into the net off…
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