Manchester City vs. Chelsea: 5 Classic Matches | OneFootball

Manchester City and Chelsea renew their rivalry on Jan. 25 as the blue sides of Manchester and London do battle in the Premier League.

Both sides have had their fair share of success in recent history lifting Premier League and Champions League trophies. The two sides have battled each other not just in England, but also on the grandest stage in Europe in the 2021 Champions League final. This year, there's an added dimension to the fixture. Not only has Cole Palmer, a former Manchester City talent, become the man at Chelsea, but Enzo Maresca is making a name for himself in his first season with the Blues.

Maresca previously spent time with Manchester City as an assistant manager, similar to that of Mikel Arteta. Another Pep Guardiola disciple looks to topple his former boss and carve his own path as a manager.

Let's look back at five classic matches between the two sides over the years ahead of Manchester City vs. Chelsea.

2021 Champions League Final - May 29, 2021

The 2021 Champions League final was an all-blue affair with the trophy guaranteed to come back to England. A Chelsea side that was in transition under Thomas Tuchel after spending big on transfers for the likes of Kai Havertz and Timo Werner was the underdog in the eyes of many against Guardiola's juggernaut. It felt like Manchester City was finally going to achieve what they've chased for so long despite their domestic success.

Havertz immortalized himself in Chelsea history when he scored the opener and only goal of the tie to lift the trophy in Portugal. Even though his time with the club came to an end moving to rival Arsenal, fans will always remember the goal that, at the time, denied Manchester City European glory.

2019 Carabao Cup Final - Feb. 24, 2019

Manchester City's reign of dominance, and overall trophy lifting mentality, started with utter dominance of the Carabao Cup. Four straight League Cups from 2017 to 2021 played a big part in building Guardiola's legacy at the club, but the 2019 final went down in infamy. Maurizio Sarri's version of Chelsea met Man City in the final to determine who would lift the first trophy of the season.

Neither side could find a goal in regulation leading to extra time. As the extra 30 minutes were concluding, Sarri wanted to substitute Kepa Arrizabalaga for Willy Caballero for the impending penalty shootout. Yet, the Spanish keeper refused to come off the pitch creating one of the most dramatic moments in the competition's history.

Kepa ended up saving Leroy Sane's attempt, but City emerged victorious 4-3 after Raheem Sterling scored the final attempt.

A Premier League Classic - Nov. 12, 2023

Fans don't have to look back further than last season when Cole Palmer officially announced himself not only as a Chelsea player, but a superstar in the making.

Mauricio Pochettino's Chelsea hosted Man City at Stamford Bridge in a game that resulted in a draw, but also eight goals in total being scored. The two sides battled back and forth all game trading blows. Erling Haaland scored the opener, but Thiago Silva answered back. Sterling, now a Chelsea player, put the Blues in front before Manuel Akanji equalized heading into halftime.

Right back out of the tunnel, the Norwegian machine that is Haaland scored again securing a brace and the lead back for the reigning champions. Nicolas Jackson equalized again for the home side bringing the score to 3-3. Rodri, less than a year away from winning his Ballon d'Or and the Euros with Spain, thought he scored the winner in the 86th minute. Yet, a penalty from Cole Palmer deep into stoppage time rescued a point for Chelsea firmly cementing himself as one to build around.

Manchester City Seal Premier League Title - May. 21, 2023

Just a couple months prior to the 4-4 classic, Frank Lampard was seeing out the end of a disappointing season for Chelsea amid managerial uncertainty following the firings of Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter.

After a grueling season battling the first iteration of Arsenal's title challenging side under Mikel Arteta, Julian Alvarez got the party started before the final whistle scoring the only goal of the game. Of course, this was the Premier League trophy that was part of Man City's historic treble winning the FA Cup and Champions League later that season.

Premier League - Feb. 10, 2019

Manchester City lifted the Premier League trophy in 2019 battling a relentless Liverpool side. Just one point separated the two in the table on 98 and 97 points respectively, but one of Man City's biggest victories that year came against Chelsea. A 6-0 demolition including a hat trick from Sergio Aguero showcased just how dominant Guardiola's team could be on their day. Not to mention, this was a Chelsea side that went on to win the Europa League later that season.