Chelsea Snatch 1-1 Draw At Manchester City As Fernandez Scores In Stoppage Time

Managerless Chelsea stole a dramatic point at Manchester City as Enzo Fernandez struck in stoppage time at the Etihad Stadium.

Fernandez emerged as the hero for a Chelsea side still reeling from Enzo Maresca’s shock departure, securing a 1-1 draw just three days after the managerial change.

With Liam Rosenior reportedly in pole position to take over, Calum McFarlane stepped in to guide the team for the trip to City, who were looking to cut the gap on Premier League leaders Arsenal. Instead, Pep Guardiola’s side remain six points behind the Gunners after Fernandez bundled in the equaliser in the 94th minute.

City had taken the lead in the 42nd minute when Tijjani Reijnders unleashed a thunderous left-footed strike, punishing Chelsea’s defence. Erling Haaland had earlier struck the post, and although City created several promising chances after halftime, they were unable to turn their dominance into a winning goal.

Chelsea capitalised on a weakened City backline, disrupted by Josko Gvardiol’s injury. Malo Gusto’s cross caused confusion in the home defence, and Fernandez was perfectly positioned to finish on his second attempt, sending the away supporters into celebration.

Fernandez’s performance underlined his growing importance. The Argentine has now scored six league goals this season, matching his tally from last term. While Cole Palmer struggled against his former club—registering just one shot and failing to create a chance—Fernandez excelled, taking three shots (trailing only Haaland’s five) and leading Chelsea in touches in the opposition box (four) and chances created (two).

Statistically, Chelsea edged City in quality of chances. The visitors generated 1.73 expected goals from eight attempts, compared to City’s 0.99 xG from 14 shots, reflecting the higher danger level of Chelsea’s opportunities despite being under pressure for long periods.