Perhaps what was most striking in Chelsea's 4-4 draw with Manchester City on Sunday was how one team played entirely to type, and one team didn't. That's a situation that should give hope not only to Chelsea but to the rest of the league: perhaps this iteration of City is not quite so remorseless as had been thought. They go into the international break a point clear of Arsenal and Liverpool, whom they face in the first game back.
Chelsea are unpredictable, occasionally brilliant, skittish and chaotic, and have in Cole Palmer a player who seems as yet not to have been ground down by the game, who regards structures and expectations and pressure with an anarchic insolence. A vital injury-time penalty against the club he left in August for a player who says he doesn't really practise penalties? No problem, the ball dispatched into the top corner.
His behaviour when City were then given a dangerous free-kick - awarded for a crude lunge by Raheem Sterling, a player who did not deal with a game against his former club with quite such sangfroid - also seemed telling.
As City players clustered over the ball discussing plans, Palmer stuck his head into the huddle, presumably hoping they would forget he was no longer one of them. And it might have worked, had Erling Haaland not been late to the gathering and noticed the darker blue of his shirt. The
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der November 14, 2023-Ausgabe von The Guardian.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der November 14, 2023-Ausgabe von The Guardian.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
'Cold and direct' Fayed's security chief accused of facilitating abuse
It was May 1991 and Mohamed AI Fayed was in a foul mood. \"I told you, no sex with anybody else, no relationship with anybody else,\" he ranted.
Allegations made over tycoon's years at Fulham FC
Sexual assault allegations have been made relating to Mohamed AI Fayed's 16 years of ownership of Fulham Football Club, lawyers representing his accusers have said.
'No sane people are going' Leadership race casts pall over Tory conference
On Tuesday, four candidates will make their pitches to lead the Conservative party from a conference stage in Birmingham. Their immediate challenge after the Tory rout this summer will be to reinvigorate demoralised MPs and members.
Pandemic as deadly as Covid-19 'a certainty', says Whitty
Another pandemic as big as the Covid crisis that killed 7 million people worldwide was \"a certainty\", Prof Sir Chris Whitty warned yesterday, as he said the UK's lack of intensive care capacity for the sickest patients was a \"political choice\".
Naomi Campbell banned as charity trustee for five years
Naomi Campbell has been banned from being a charity trustee after a watchdog investigation uncovered widespread evidence of financial misconduct at the poverty relief charity she founded.
Family haunted by last moments of teenager killed by 12-year-olds
The family of a man killed by the UK's youngest knife murderers have said they are haunted by thoughts of his last moments and \"how scared he must have been\".
London rail stations to be shut for up to eight days over festive period
Some of London's main railway stations will be closed and train services diverted at Christmas time, Network Rail has said.
'Weekend warrior' workouts may provide same health boost as more regular exercise
If exercise takes a back seat in the working week, take heart. Cramming the recommended amount of weekly activity into weekends has significant health benefits, research suggests.
'Was there an attack?' Tel Avivians unfazed but hope fades for hostages
Air raid sirens blared in Tel Aviv on Wednesday morning as, for the first time, Hezbollah fired a surface-to-surface missile at the coastal city. A few minutes later, beachgoers flooded the bustling promenade, playing volleyball, cycling and kite surfing.
Dotting the Es: abbey corrects spelling of Brontë in Poets' Corner after 85 years
An 85-year injustice has been rectified at Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey with a correction to the spelling of one of the greatest of all literary names. Reader, it is finally Brontë, not Bronte.