TEN memorable moments from Man City v Chelsea

Manchester City welcome Chelsea on Sunday in the latest instalment of one of the Premier League's most exciting fixtures. Here, football writer Adrian Kajumba selects some of the standout matches, goals and incidents the two clubs have produced when they have met.

Eight-goal thriller as Palmer grabs headlines - November 2023

An all-time Premier League classic was served up when Manchester City travelled to Stamford Bridge in the 2023/24 season. 

Mauricio Pochettino’s new-look Chelsea went toe-to-toe with Pep Guardiola’s treble winners and an incredible encounter unfolded in which the visitors led three times but were forced to settle for a point after a dramatic finish.

Erling Haaland gave Man City the lead, then goals from Thiago Silva and Raheem Sterling put Chelsea 2-1 up before Manuel Akanji equalised just before half-time.

Haaland struck again soon after the restart, Nicolas Jackson made it 3-3 but then Rodri appeared to have had the final say when he scored another big, late goal in the 86th minute to put Man City 4-3 up. 

Watch: All EIGHT goals from a thriller

But this breathless encounter had one final twist that was dripping with narrative. 

Chelsea won a stoppage-time penalty and, amid the tension, Cole Palmer provided one of the first, big-moment displays of his composure.

He coolly converted the high-pressure spot-kick, celebrating scoring the decisive goal in his first appearance against his old club with a nonchalant shrug of the shoulders as bedlam broke out around the Bridge.

Unsurprisingly, supporters voted this as the best match of the season.

Palmer swaps Manchester for London - Sep 2023

Palmer’s move to Chelsea from Man City, one of the most eye-catching transfers between the two clubs, was about circumstances more than any reflection of Guardiola’s belief in his ability. 

“We knew the quality he has,” Guardiola insisted in February 2024.

By Guardiola’s own admission, Man City did not give Palmer the game time he would have wanted, opening the door for Chelsea to tempt him to London by offering him a platform to play regularly.

Watch: Palmer's 2023/24 showreel

It did not take long for Palmer to make himself one of Chelsea’s most important signings for years, repeatedly performing heroics that at times left you wondering where they might be without him. 

He has set a host of records, was named the Premier League’s Young Player of the Season for 2023/24 and has become a full England international, scoring in the UEFA Euro 2024 final. 

Like Kevin De Bruyne for Chelsea, Palmer is perhaps the big one that got away from Man City.

Chelsea triumph in Champions League final - May 2021

The biggest match between the two clubs came in the 2021 UEFA Champions League final and history repeated itself for both sides.

Chelsea edged the third all-English final in the competition’s history to win European club football’s biggest prize following a mid-season managerial change once again.

Just like in 2011/12, after Roberto Di Matteo replaced Andre Villas-Boas, Thomas Tuchel succeeded Frank Lampard midway through the campaign and guided Chelsea to UEFA Champions League glory. 

Watch: Havertz's goal v Man City

The final victory was the third time Tuchel overcame Guardiola’s Man City in just over six weeks, following wins in the FA Cup semi-final and Premier League too. 

For Man City, they came up short once more in their pursuit of the Champions League crown they coveted, in painfully familiar circumstances.

They were unable to control the game and a Mason Mount ball through the heart of their defence sent Kai Havertz away to score the goal that enabled Chelsea to get their hands on the trophy again.

Chelsea finish off Man City’s title hopes - June 2020 

The destination of the title in 2019/20 had been clear for a while in the pandemic-delayed campaign, with Liverpool set to become English champions for the first time in 30 years.

The season’s three-month pause, plus Man City’s two wins against Arsenal and Burnley, kept Liverpool waiting for the first Premier League crown they had long been craving.

The inevitable was finally confirmed after Man City suffered a 2-1 defeat at Chelsea, making it impossible for them to catch the leaders.

Chelsea's victory was sealed by a late Willian penalty after Fernandinho’s handball on the goal line, which earned him a red card. 

Watch: Chelsea's win hands Liverpool the title

Aguero inspires Man City's six-star show - February 2019 

Sergio Aguero liked little more than scoring against Chelsea during his career. 

He netted 15 times against them in all competitions, the Argentinian striker only enjoying as much goalscoring success against Newcastle United. 

Two Premier League hat-tricks made up a significant chunk of his final tally against Chelsea.

The first, in a 3-0 away win in April 2016, made him just the third opposing player to score three goals in one game at Stamford Bridge.

Watch: Aguero's hat-trick at Chelsea

The second hat-trick was even more significant as Aguero stole the show to help Man City blow Chelsea away 6-0. 

His three goals included an outstanding, curling 25-yard effort to make it 2-0 as the hosts raced into a 4-0 lead inside 25 minutes. 

It was Aguero’s second successive home hat-trick, following one a week earlier against Arsenal, and it meant he had equalled Alan Shearer’s Premier League record of 11 hat-tricks.

Man City’s joy contrasted with Chelsea’s misery as they suffered their worst defeat in any competition since a 7-0 top-flight loss to Nottingham Forest in 1991. 

De Bruyne makes Chelsea pay - Sep 2017

De Bruyne became a big "one that got away" for Chelsea following his development into one of the world’s best midfielders after leaving Stamford Bridge in 2014. 

And he came back to haunt his former club when he returned to Stamford Bridge in 2017.  

Chelsea were defending champions and Man City were in their second season under Pep Guardiola after finishing third in their first, 15 points off the pace. 

Their early-season trip to London was, therefore, a key match in their bid to dethrone Chelsea. 

Watch: De Bruyne's goal v Chelsea

They dominated proceedings but it was not until De Bruyne burst from midfield and fired a thumping drive past Thibaut Courtois midway through the second half that they successfully pierced Chelsea’s disciplined defence.

That sent Man City back to the top of the table, where they remained for the rest of the season, winning the Premier League with a record 100 points. 

And De Bruyne’s first Premier League goal of 2017/18 was also his first of five against Chelsea. Only against Arsenal has he scored more, with eight. 

Lampard haunts Chelsea - September 2014 

After signing what turned out to be his final Chelsea contract in May 2013, Lampard said he had “a couple of opportunities” to remain in England but could not imagine playing for another Premier League club.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for a lot of other Premier League clubs, particularly the top ones, but I'm not sure I could have done that,” he explained to talkSPORT.

A year later, circumstances changed. In the summer of 2014 he did leave Chelsea after 13 trophy-laden years, seemingly to join New York City FC, but he ended up spending 2014/15 with their parent club Man City instead.

That set up the scenario Lampard hoped to avoid - having to face his beloved Chelsea.

However when that day came, Lampard stepped off the bench to net an equaliser in a 1-1 draw with the sort of goal he scored from midfield so often on his way to becoming Chelsea’s all-time top scorer. 

Watch: Lampard's goal v Chelsea

He followed it with one of the least surprising muted celebrations in Premier League history. He openly admitted the emotional occasion left him torn. 

“I’m a bit lost for words. I didn’t expect to come on and score like that,” Lampard said after the match. “I’m really stuck in the middle here.”

But there was no room for sentiment from Jose Mourinho. 

“When he [Lampard] decided to go to Man City, a direct competitor of Chelsea, love stories are over,” he said. 

City give Chelsea the blues - February 2010

After a slow start, this match ended up being one of the most dramatic of the 2009/10 season.

Lampard fired Chelsea ahead before City responded with four answered goals via doubles from Carlos Tevez and Craig Bellamy.

The Blues pulled one back through Lampard's late penalty, but it was not enough as Man City triumphed 4-2.

A disastrous day for Chelsea was capped off with two second-half red cards for Juliano Belletti and Michael Ballack. 

Watch: Tevez and Bellamy at the double

The result secured Man City a first win at Stamford Bridge for 17 years and their first league double over Chelsea since 1957, while they also condemned Carlo Ancelotti’s side to a first home defeat of the season.

Irresistible Blues hit six - Oct 2007 

Mourinho left Chelsea for the first time in September 2007 and when Man City visited almost six weeks later, the hosts appeared to have put his departure behind them.

Chelsea were part-way through a 16-match unbeaten run in all competitions under Avram Grant which peaked with their biggest ever win against City, a 6-0 thrashing at Stamford Bridge.

Didier Drogba scored twice, while Michael Essien, Joe Cole, Salomon Kalou and Andriy Shevchenko were also on target.

Watch: Chelsea hit Man City for six

Another of the match's highlights was an outrageous outside-of-the-boot pass from Lampard to set up Drogba’s first goal. 

Man City had made their best start to a season since 1914 after winning seven, drawing one and losing only two of their opening 10 Premier League fixtures, but they came crashing back down to earth at Chelsea.

“We forgot how to defend,” said Sven-Goran Eriksson, Man City's manager then.

Man City stopped Chelsea being 'Invincibles' - October 2004

Given the iconic Premier League figure Mourinho became - and what Chelsea achieved in 2004/05 - this Man City win turned out to be even more significant than it may have seemed at the time.

This proved to be the eventual champions' only Premier League defeat of the season, as they came as close as anyone to matching Arsenal’s achievement of going unbeaten for an entire campaign, in 2003/04.

Man City inflicted the loss that denied Chelsea the same "Invincibles" status, as they also earned the honour of becoming the first team to beat Mourinho in English football.

Watch: Man City v Chelsea highlights

Chelsea had conceded just one Premier League goal in their first eight unbeaten matches, and had not been breached at all on the road.

But that all changed when Nicolas Anelka won and converted an 11th-minute penalty to clinch a 1-0 victory for Man City.