City's Comeback: Haaland Shines as Chelsea Falls 3-1

Manchester City recovered from an early setback to defeat Chelsea 3-1 on Saturday, providing a welcome reprieve for debutant defender Abdukodir Khusanov, whose mistake allowed the visitors to take an early lead at the Etihad Stadium.

The victory elevates Pep Guardiola's team to fourth place in the league, now on 41 points, 12 behind leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand, and one point ahead of Chelsea, who drop to sixth.

Khusanov, a 20-year-old recently signed from Lens, had a challenging start to his City career. He let the ball bounce past him and then poorly headed it back to goalkeeper Ederson, enabling Nicolas Jackson to set up Noni Madueke for an early goal.

Just a minute later, Khusanov received a yellow card for a challenge on Cole Palmer. Struggling to adjust to English football, he was substituted early in the second half for John Stones.

In contrast, fellow new signing Omar Marmoush made a positive impact in his debut, troubling Chelsea's defense throughout the first half and helping to keep the pressure on the visitors.

The equalizer came from defender Josko Gvardiol, who capitalized on a rebound to score three minutes before halftime, shifting momentum in City's favor.

City took the lead in the 68th minute when Erling Haaland seized on a long ball, spotting Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez well out of position and deftly lifting the ball over him for a 2-1 advantage.

Haaland then turned provider, skillfully holding up play near the halfway line before releasing Phil Foden, who sprinted through the center and finished past Sanchez to secure the win.

"We had a tough start, but we played really well and kept pushing," Haaland told the BBC. "In the end, we need to solidify our defense and keep attacking."

Pep Guardiola chose not to criticize Khusanov for his difficult start, emphasizing the importance of team unity. "Any player can make a mistake. The fans always support new players. He’s young and will learn," Guardiola stated.