In a pulsating clash at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea and Manchester City treated football fans to a Premier League classic, culminating in an enthralling 4-4 draw.
The headline moment came in stoppage time when Cole Palmer, who had switched from Manchester City to Chelsea in the summer, calmly converted a penalty against his former club.
This last-minute equaliser secured a valuable point for Mauricio Pochettino’s side and denied City a chance to move three points clear at the summit.
Erling Haaland set the tone early on by converting a controversially awarded penalty after a VAR check.
The contentious decision fueled Chelsea’s response, with Thiago Silva and Raheem Sterling scoring to put them ahead. However, City responded with Manuel Akanji’s header just before halftime, levelling the score.
The second half continued the rollercoaster of emotions. Haaland netted his second goal shortly after the restart, only for Chelsea’s Jackson to equalise with a well-placed shot.
The intensity reached its peak when Rodri’s deflected strike put City 4-3 up in the 86th minute, seemingly securing the win.
Nevertheless, the drama was far from over. A late penalty, awarded after Ruben Dias fouled substitute Armando Broja, saw Cole Palmer step up and level the score at 4-4.
The spectacle left fans in awe and added another chapter to the storied history of Premier League classics.
The draw has significant implications for the title race. Manchester City, previously aiming to extend their lead, now find themselves just one point ahead of Arsenal and Liverpool at the top of the table.
Chelsea, coming off another intense match against Tottenham, climbs to 10th place, hinting at a potential climb up the rankings in the future.
Player Ratings:
Chelsea: Sanchez (7), James (8), Disasi (6), Silva (7), Cucurella (6), Fernandez (7), Caicedo (7), Gallagher (8), Sterling (8), Palmer (8), Jackson (8).
Substitutions: Mudryk (6), Gusto (6), Broja (7), Ugochukwu (1).
Man City: Ederson (7), Walker (6), Akanji (7), Dias (5), Gvardiol (5), Rodri (8), Bernardo (6), Doku (7), Foden (8), Alvarez (7), Haaland (8).
Substitutions: Grealish (6), Kovacic (6).