Kai Havertrz’s 42nd minute goal proved decisive as Chelsea upset Manchester City by 1-0 to win their second Champions League trophy, their first since 2012. Premier League Champions City couldn’t respond with star midfielder Kevin De Bruyne limping out of the field midway into the second half. Thomas Tuchel’s side controlled the match from start to finish rarely being threatened by Guardiola’s men.
French midfield dynamite N’Golo Kanté led the show marshaling the midfield, hardly allowing City to assert their influence on the game. Much questions will be asked about Pep’s team selection, the Spanish manager tinkered with his starting eleven opting to play without a recognized central defensive midfielder in either Rodri or Fernandinho. City opted to play a false 9 with De Bruyne the farthest man forward keeping the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero on the bench. Raheem Sterling, who has not been in form of late also started alongside Oleksandr Zinchenko on the left flank.
Chelsea meanwhile went into the all-English final with a clear game plan; organized at the back and hit on the counter with runners from the wide areas. Reece James and Ben Chilwell had excellent games keeping Sterling and Riyad Mahrez silent throughout while Antonio Rüdiger probably having the best match of his life at the heart of the defense.
The Blues from London could have easily been ahead by two goals in the first fifteen had out-of-form striker Timo Werner not spurred the golden chances. City could have had the lead themselves in the 27th minute with Phil Foden looking to grab his chance but Rudiger’s heroic last-ditch challenge thwarted the young Englishman.
Chelsea took the lead through Kai Havertz’s goal thanks to Mason Mount’s delightfully crafted pass that opened up the City’s defense. With Werner’s decoy run taking Rúben Dias out of play, Havertz rounded off the onrushing Ederson, rolling the ball into an empty net; sending the Chelsea fans to ecstasy with their team leading at the break.
Guardiola’s side responded well and looked the sharper of the two sides with De Bruyne looking to influence the game. The Belgian however had to leave the scene in tears, unable to continue following a knock from Rudiger. Chelsea however should have wrapped the game up in the 72nd minute when Havertz, who slipped a pass into the substitute Christian Pulisic just chipped wide of Ederson on the left-hand post.
Sergio Agüero arrived at the scene in his last match for Manchester City with fifteen minutes remaining, however, Guardiola’s side failed to mount up even one significant attack. It was one step too far for Guardiola’s men but they will enter next season’s Champions League once again as favorites.
In the end, Chelsea ran away deserving winners, led by their manager Thomas Tuchel who has now got the better of Guardiola thrice in a matter of six weeks. Remember the German manager was given the job of reviving the Blues in January, taking over from club legend Frank Lampard with the aim of reaching the Champions League via a top-four Premier League finish; instead, he has now won Europe’s elite club competition, something that would have been dubbed ludicrous even a couple of months back.
The Blues will be proud of the way they held themselves in the competition and will now look to add more firepower in their squad to challenge for the Premier League’s elite next season.
