Manchester City kicked off their title defence with a commanding 2-0 victory over Chelsea, extending their dominance in Premier League curtain-raisers.

The eagerly anticipated clash initially unfolded as a cautious affair, with both sides struggling to create clear-cut chances.

However, City’s relentless pressure yielded results when Erling Haaland, continuing his goal-scoring exploits from previous seasons, expertly dinked the ball over Robert Sánchez to give the champions the lead.

Chelsea fought back valiantly but needed Sánchez to produce a stunning save to deny Jérémy Doku and Nicolas Jackson was narrowly denied by an offside flag after capitalising on Ederson’s error.

Despite a halftime introduction of Phil Foden, it was Haaland who again threatened to extend City’s advantage before Rico Lewis doubled their lead. A subsequent foul by Haaland on Levi Colwill ruled out the goal, but City held on to their slender lead.

Mateo Kovačić’s powerful strike sealed the deal for City, leaving Chelsea to rue missed opportunities and contemplate their next steps ahead of their Europa Conference League qualifier.

The victory reinforces City’s status as the team to beat, while Chelsea face a challenging road ahead to regain their former glory.