January 04, (THEWILL) — Chelsea salvaged a 1-1 draw at Manchester City on Sunday despite the upheaval of Enzo Maresca’s sudden departure three days earlier.
Calum McFarlane oversaw the visitors in an interim capacity, with Liam Rosenior reportedly among the frontrunners to take permanent charge at Stamford Bridge.
Pep Guardiola’s side now sit six points behind English Premier League leaders Arsenal after failing to capitalise on their dominance.
Tijjani Reijnders had given City the lead three minutes before the interval with a fierce left-footed strike, whilst Erling Haaland struck the woodwork earlier in the contest.
The hosts created numerous promising opportunities after the break but could not convert their chances into a decisive second goal.
Their failure to add to the scoreline proved costly in the closing stages.
Chelsea struck in the 94th minute when Malo Gusto delivered a cross that City’s second-string defence, already disrupted by an injury to Josko Gvardiol, could not clear.
Enzo Fernandez was on hand to finish at the second attempt and snatch a point for the visitors.
The result leaves City facing an uphill battle in the title race whilst Chelsea continues their search for stability following Maresca’s exit.
McFarlane’s brief tenure began with a hard-fought point at one of English football’s most difficult venues.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
