Pep: 'One game down ... another 70 to play'

PEP Guardiola said it is a ‘privilege’ to manage City after Erling Haaland scored his 91st goal for the Premier League champions to kick off their pursuit of a fifth consecutive title with a 2-0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

- ROBERT O’CONNOR

The visitors dispatched their hosts with relative comfort as new Blues head coach Enzo Maresca saw his team struggle to create chances in his first match in charge, with Mateo Kovacic sealing his side’s victory late on with a goal on his return to west London.

There was controversy before kick-off when representatives of former Blues star Raheem Sterling, left out of the matchday squad, issued a statement calling for ‘clarity’ on the 31-year-old’s future at the club, with Maresca later seeming to confirm there is a chance the player could leave.

But the story at full-time was about City and the ideal start in their bid to add to the record fourth straight league crowns won under Guardiola.