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Manchester City midfielder Rodri was left impressed by the Chelsea players after their entertaining 4-4 draw at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. During the post-match interview, the Spaniard was of the opinion that the Blues have improved greatly this season.
Chelsea had it all going against them heading into the clash against champions Manchester City, despite their win over Tottenham Hotspur last Monday. They had lost all six of their meetings with the Cityzens since the 2021 UEFA Champions League final, failing to score in each of them.
Manchester City went ahead three times in the clash at 1-0, 3-2 and 4-3, but each time, their opponents found a way back into the game. This provided a stark contrast to the Chelsea side that were sitting ducks for most of last season, and Rodri pointed this out.
"We feel a bit exhausted to be honest, with that game, with that rhythm. We know how tough it is to come here with the team they built. They signed massive players, five, six seven and the level of the team has risen."
Mauricio Pochettino's side went toe-to-toe with the champions, retaining belief even after Rodri scored what looked like a winner in the 86th minute. Ruben Dias brought down Armando Broja in the box and former Cityzen Cole Palmer coolly slotted home the equaliser in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
Palmer was named Man of the Match after another goalscoring performance for his new side, having scored from the spot previously against Burnley, Tottenham and Arsenal.
Having spent nearly £900 million under new owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital in three transfer windows, their aggressive recruitment strategy has been criticised as a waste of money. However, after a below-par start to the season with five points from their first six games, the Blues have looked like a much better side in recent weeks.
Chelsea have now faced four of their fellow 'Big Six' sides this season and are yet to lose a game. They sit in tenth place with 16 points from 12 games. Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola's City are top of the log with 28 points heading into the final international break of the year.
Chelsea, Manchester City deliver Premier League classic
It was the first time in 180 games that Manchester City conceded four goals in a single match. The last time this happened was in September 2020 when Leicester City defeated Manchester City 5-2(stat courtesy Joe Bray).
Cityzens goal machine Erling Haaland took his tally to 13 in 12 league matches with a brace. Chelsea sailed to a 2-1 lead with Thiago Silva and Raheem Sterling striking in the 29th and 37th minute respectively.
Manuel Akanji headed a Bernardo Silva cross into the net to give City the equaliser in first half stoppage time. Haaland scored in the 25th and 47th minutes. Nicolas Jackson cancelled out Haaland's second strike 20 minutes later with his fourth goal in two games.
