England were chastened as never before in the Bazball era following another blockbuster double century from Yashasvi Jaiswal as they were set a world record 557 to win the third Test.

Jaiswal, who made 209 in Visakhapatnam last time out, equalled the record for the most sixes in an innings with a dozen in his unbeaten 214 to underpin India’s 430 for four declared in Rajkot.

England then lost both openers on the stroke of tea, ending a grim session on 18 for two in sapping conditions, as India took a giant stride towards moving 2-1 up in the five-match series.

Ben Stokes and England’s bowlers were powerless to stop Jaiswal, who crashed James Anderson for three successive sixes at one stage and shared an unbroken 172 in 158 balls alongside Sarfaraz Khan (68no).

Anderson leaked 78 from 13 wicketless overs, the first time he has gone at or more than a run-a-ball in several years, while Joe Root and Rehan Ahmed conceded over 100 runs with economy rates exceeding four.

This marked the first time under Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum’s stewardship that an opposing team had declared against England.

Ben Duckett said the previous evening India “can have as many as they want and we’ll go and get them” but India are set to be boosted by the reintroduction of Ravichandran Ashwin on the penultimate day.

Ashwin, India’s premier spinner, pulled out of the Test on Friday night to tend to a family medical emergency but it was announced he will return on Sunday afternoon and be available immediately.

Even before he had taken the field, Duckett ran himself out before Zak Crawley was given lbw off Jasprit Bumrah, the decision staying with the on-field umpire as the ball would have flicked leg stump.

Jaiswal made 104 before retiring hurt on the third evening although he was back in situ after England made their only breakthrough of the first hour when Shubman Gill was run out for 91.

Nightwatcher Kuldeep Yadav added 27 before edging Rehan Ahmed to Joe Root. There was no celebration and the umpires had to send the decision upstairs to confirm the dismissal.

That merely brought together Mumbai mates Jaiswal and Sarfaraz, two of India’s big-hitters with a licence to throw caution to the wind and the pair accelerated sharply either side of lunch.

It was especially brutal in the first hour of the afternoon as 98 runs were added. Anderson attempted to frustrate Jaiswal by initially bowling wider but after going straighter the 41-year-old was flicked over long leg, carved over deep extra cover then driven back over his head for three sixes in a row.

Anderson, who has only gone at six an over on only a handful of occasions and not since December 2006 when he has sent down more than 10 deliveries in an innings, was hooked for Root soon after.

Root put down a difficult return catch when Sarfaraz was on 37 – the Yorkshireman’s second drop of the Test, although this was not as important as his first-day spill of Rohit, which cost 104 runs.

Sarfaraz went on to record an almost understated 50, the debutant’s second of the Test, with the crowd’s energy firmly fixed on Jaiswal.

He pushed Root into the off-side for a single, spreading his arms aloft before taking off his helmet and leaping and punching the air before soaking up the acclaim and sharing a handshake with Stokes.

Jaiswal was denied the chance to set the record for the most sixes in an innings, he is joint with Pakistan great Wasim Akram on 12, as Rohit called in his batters.

Bukayo Saka is targeting his first Arsenal hat-trick after the in-form winger scored braces in back-to-back emphatic away wins for Mikel Arteta’s title challengers.

The 22-year-old and his team-mates are in electric form and followed up last weekend’s 6-0 win at West Ham by battering Burnley 5-0 on Saturday.

Saka scored a spot-kick and a goal from an open play in each of those emphatic triumphs but the academy graduate’s wait for a first Arsenal hat-trick goes on.

“I’m really pleased,” Saka said after the Gunners’ Turf Moor triumph. “I’m enjoying my football, but obviously I need to keep focused.

“But yeah, of course I’m happy to score two, two weeks in a row and hopefully the third one will come soon.

“It’s coming. It’s coming, but I need to be patient!”

Saka’s only senior hat-trick to date came at Old Trafford last June in England’s 7-0 victory against North Macedonia in a Euro 2024 qualifier.

The winger is likely to have a starring role for his country in Germany at the end of a season that all connected to the north London club hope ends in memorable fashion.

Arsenal are vying for the title and currently sit second, two points behind leaders Liverpool, having started a year with five straight league wins for the first time in club history.

“It was a lot of fun out there,” Saka told club media. “I really enjoyed it and it’s nice to see the fans coming up with new chants and stuff. I just loved it, so I enjoyed it.

“The boss has told us we’re the first Arsenal team to win five in a row at the start of the year, so it’s a nice achievement and we’ll definitely build momentum going forward.”

Arsenal have scored 21 goals in that five-game winning run and will look to take that form into the Champions League at Porto in Wednesday’s last-16 first leg.

“I think it’s really good,” Saka said of the Gunners’ free-scoring form.

“Definitely now that, not only that I’m playing well, the team’s playing well and we’re scoring a lot of goals because we’ve got some really important fixtures coming up, starting on Wednesday and I can’t wait to go there.

“I’m really excited. So yeah, looking forward to it and hopefully we can take this form into that game as well.”

While all connected to Arsenal left Turf Moor with a smile on their face, the home fans’ mood reflected the grim Lancashire weather on Saturday.

Vincent Kompany’s side’s hopes of survival are fading fast as Burnley turn their attention to next weekend’s trip to Crystal Palace.

Skipper Josh Brownhill said: “We’ve just got to review that game, the stuff that we can do better and work on that for this week.

“We’ve got a great chance to go away to Palace and put in a performance.

“But it’s the Premier League, you can’t expect any result in this division. They’re a good team, especially at home.

“They’ve got some really quality players so it’s not going to be easy at all.

“It’s one that we’re going to have to have a big week and go into that game and get our confidence back, that belief back and go on and put on a show.”

Rodri wants Manchester City to move on quickly from the frustration of Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Chelsea.

The champions dropped two points in the Premier League title race after spurning a succession of opportunities in the second half of a compelling encounter at the Etihad Stadium.

It might even have been worse had Rodri not finally made a chance count by cancelling out Raheem Sterling’s first-half opener with a deflected strike in the 83rd minute.

The result ended City’s six-game winning league run and left them third in the table, four points behind leaders Liverpool with a game in hand, which they play on Tuesday against Brentford.

Midfielder Rodri said: “We could do better in some situations. We have to learn from the mistakes and try to move on. Sometimes a point is not bad.

“We are frustrated we didn’t win but after a few hours that is it. We move on.

“We keep fighting but we have to perform well in the next game against Brentford.

“It is one of the most important games because we can be there again at the top of the table with Liverpool, with one point (difference). This has to be the mentality.”

Chelsea were also guilty of wasting chances during a first half in which City proved vulnerable to the counter-attack.

Sterling eventually made them pay with a well-taken goal against his former club two minutes before the break.

City dominated the second period but could not find a way through until Rodri drove home after a Kyle Walker shot rebounded into his path.

Erling Haaland proved particularly profligate, even missing a free header from six yards, but Rodri was quick to defend the normally clinical Norwegian.

He said: “You have to be precise and effective and we weren’t, to be honest. We weren’t ourselves.

“But that is normal. It is not always (perfect).

“Erling always helps us with his goals but he had three chances and it couldn’t be possible. We’ll just support him and we know he is going to give us everything for the next ones.”

Chelsea have been inconsistent throughout the season but their confident performance offered plenty of reason for optimism heading into next week’s Carabao Cup final against Liverpool.

Goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic told chelseafc.com: “We didn’t realise our chances and we didn’t kill the game, maybe to make a two-goal lead and have a better chance.

“So we are a little disappointed but also happy because we showed to everyone we can play against a top team.

“It is a big motivation to everyone. We showed we can play and we will show that against Liverpool.”

England were powerless to stop India from upping their lead past 400 and Ravichandran Ashwin’s impending return to the third Test is set to add an extra layer of difficulty to the tourists’ hopes.

India reached lunch on 314 for four as they stretched an overnight lead of 322 to 440 on the penultimate day in Rajkot, with England seemingly running out of ideas underneath the baking sun.

The hosts are likely to declare at some point in the afternoon as they push to go 2-1 ahead in the five-match series and their bid will be boosted by Ashwin coming back into the fold at some point.

Ashwin, India’s premier spinner, pulled out of the Test on Friday night to tend to a family medical emergency but it was announced he will return on Sunday afternoon and be available immediately.

His absence effectively left India down to 10 players as he could only be replaced in the field and not with bat or ball although England’s batting collapse meant they had a first-innings deficit of 126.

Yashasvi Jaiswal then made 104 before retiring hurt on the third evening although he was back in situ after England made their only breakthrough of the first hour when Shubman Gill was run out for 91.

Gill set off from the non-striker’s end only to be sent back by nightwatcher Kuldeep Yadav and not even a desperate dive was enough as Tom Hartley whipped off the bails following Ben Stokes’ sharp throw.

Up until that moment on the stroke of drinks, it had been a frustrating morning for England, underscored by a failure to review a leg-before off Kuldeep Yadav, who had missed a sweep off Hartley.

England were down to just one review, having already spurned a review on a tail-end batter averaging just 10 earlier in the session, but they have now missed three referrals in this Test.

The miss did not matter as Yadav failed to add to his 27 before edging Rehan Ahmed to Joe Root. There was no celebration and the umpires had to send the decision upstairs to confirm the dismissal.

That merely brought together Jaiswal and Sarfaraz Khan, two of India’s bigger-hitters, and the pair looked utterly untroubled, each smashing Root over the leg-side boundary in a single over.

Jaiswal was on 149 not out at lunch with debutant Sarfaraz on an unbeaten 22 off just 23 balls.

Ravichandran Ashwin is set to return to the fold for India against England on the penultimate day of the third Test in Rajkot.

Ashwin’s withdrawal from the Test on Friday evening to tend to a family medical emergency effectively left India down to 10 players as he could only be replaced in the field and not with bat or ball.

But the spinning great will take India back up to their full complement at some point on Sunday afternoon and be available immediately as they look to move into a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.

A statement from Jay Shah, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, said: “Both R Ashwin and the team management are pleased to confirm that he will be back in action on day four.

“The team management, players, media and fans have shown immense understanding and empathy, acknowledging the importance of family as a priority.

“The team and its supporters have stood united in support of Ashwin during this challenging period, and the management is delighted to welcome him back to the field.

“Ashwin and his family kindly request privacy as they navigate through these challenging times.”

Ashwin celebrated his 500th Test wicket just a few hours before pulling out and heading “to Chennai to be with his mother”, according to BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla on X.

Despite India being a bowler down in his absence, England threw away a promising position of 224 for two as they were all out for 319 and a deficit of 126 after the first innings.

India have since swelled their advantage and Ashwin’s impending return will aid their cause when England go off in pursuit of what would be a world record chase in the fourth innings.

England were powerless to stop India from upping their lead past 400 and Ravichandran Ashwin’s impending return to the third Test is set to add an extra layer of difficulty to the tourists’ hopes.

India reached lunch on 314 for four as they stretched an overnight lead of 322 to 440 on the penultimate day in Rajkot, with England seemingly running out of ideas underneath the baking sun.

The hosts are likely to declare at some point in the afternoon as they push to go 2-1 ahead in the five-match series and their bid will be boosted by Ashwin coming back into the fold at some point.

Ashwin, India’s premier spinner, pulled out of the Test on Friday night to tend to a family medical emergency but it was announced he will return on Sunday afternoon and be available immediately.

His absence effectively left India down to 10 players as he could only be replaced in the field and not with bat or ball although England’s batting collapse meant they had a first-innings deficit of 126.

Yashasvi Jaiswal then made 104 before retiring hurt on the third evening although he was back in situ after England made their only breakthrough of the first hour when Shubman Gill was run out for 91.

Gill set off from the non-striker’s end only to be sent back by nightwatcher Kuldeep Yadav and not even a desperate dive was enough as Tom Hartley whipped off the bails following Ben Stokes’ sharp throw.

Up until that moment on the stroke of drinks, it had been a frustrating morning for England, underscored by a failure to review a leg-before off Kuldeep Yadav, who had missed a sweep off Hartley.

England were down to just one review, having already spurned a review on a tail-end batter averaging just 10 earlier in the session, but they have now missed three referrals in this Test.

The miss did not matter as Yadav failed to add to his 27 before edging Rehan Ahmed to Joe Root. There was no celebration and the umpires had to send the decision upstairs to confirm the dismissal.

That merely brought together Jaiswal and Sarfaraz Khan, two of India’s bigger-hitters, and the pair looked utterly untroubled, each smashing Root over the leg-side boundary in a single over.

Jaiswal was on 149 not out at lunch with debutant Sarfaraz on an unbeaten 22 off just 23 balls.

Derek Chisora lost his WBC heavyweight title fight against Vitali Klitschko on a unanimous points decision in Munich on this day in 2012.

Chisora took Klitschko the distance over 12 rounds, but the bout was littered with controversy before and after.

The then-28-year-old Chisora slapped Klitschko the day before their meeting at the weigh-in and the ill-feeling continued up until the first bell with a row over the Londoner’s hand wraps.

Chisora was booed into the ring and immediately aimed to get into his opponent’s face as soon as Klitschko entered after spitting water in his brother’s direction when the introductions were made.

More unsavoury scenes followed after the fight as the evening took another ugly turn when Chisora clashed with fellow British heavyweight David Haye, sparking a brawl which left Haye’s manager Adam Booth with a facial cut.

Chisora showed aggression and punch resistance in the ring, but Klitschko remained in control throughout and dominated in the opening rounds.

The Briton landed a couple of good shots in the seventh, but the Ukrainian responded with a blow near the ear which was the first time Chisora looked hurt and he landed another powerful punch the following round to exercise his authority.

Chisora kept battling until the final bell, where a unanimous verdict was announced in Klitschko’s favour with scores of 118-110 twice and 119-111.

“First of all I’m very happy to defend my title. It was not an easy fight,” Klitschko said post-fight.

“It was a good performance from Chisora, he was very motivated, putting me under pressure throughout the 12 rounds.”

Regarding the incidents in the build-up to the fight, he added: “I have respect for Chisora as a fighter but I don’t have respect for him as a human.

“He showed a bad example for all boxing, for all fighters. He came from Great Britain but he’s not a gentleman.”

Ravichandran Ashwin is set to return to the fold for India against England in the third Test in Rajkot.

Ashwin withdrew from the Test just a few hours after taking his 500th wicket in the format on the second day to attend to a family medical emergency with India’s full blessing.

His absence effectively left India down to 10 players as he could only be replaced in the field and not with bat or ball although England’s batting collapse on Saturday meant the hosts gained the upper hand.

But a statement from Jay Shah, the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s secretary, confirmed Ashwin would come back at some point on the penultimate day as Rohit Sharma’s side push to go 2-1 up in the series.

“Both R Ashwin and the team management are pleased to confirm that he will be back in action on day four and will continue to contribute towards the team’s cause,” the statement read.

“The team management, players, media and fans have shown immense understanding and empathy, acknowledging the importance of family as a priority.

“The team and its supporters have stood united in support of Ashwin during this challenging period, and the management is delighted to welcome him back to the field.

“Ashwin and his family kindly request privacy as they navigate through these challenging times.”

India pushed their lead to 372 after the first hour of play on day four, with England’s only moment of success arriving directly before the break in play when Shubman Gill was run out by Tom Hartley for 91.

Nightwatcher Kuldeep Yadav should have been leg-before two balls earlier after missing a sweep off slow left-armer Hartley but England elected against using their one remaining review.

Gary Wilson reeled off a brilliant 147 against an outmatched John Higgins as he set up a Welsh Open final with Martin O’Donnell.

O’Donnell booked his first appearance in a ranking final when he held his nerve to see off Elliot Slessor 6-5 in Llandudno, but Wilson will head into Sunday’s showpiece on the crest of a wave after a 6-4 win took him past four-time world champion Higgins.

Wilson had been on the hunt for a maximum break in the first frame but had to settle for 104 as he missed the 14th red at the middle pocket.

He put that right in some style at the very next attempt, clearing the table with expert placement and clinical potting to bring up the fifth 147 of his own career and the 199th overall.

The Scottish Open champion received a huge ovation from the crowd at the Venue Cymru and proceeded to bank the next two frames for a 4-0 lead.

At that stage the 38-year-old looked to be cruising, but a break of 93 in the fifth finally gave the Scot a foothold.

Wilson soon re-established control to go 5-1 ahead but his golden touch deserted him as Higgins put together a run of three in a row to tease an unlikely comeback.

Higgins ran out steam in the 10th frame, with Wilson sealing a 97-4 win on the back of a 73 break.

O’Donnell had earlier survived a nervy finish of his own, going from 5-3 in front to a winner-takes-all decider.

Having previously seen off reigning world champion Luca Brecel in the quarter-final, O’Donnell dug deep to pull off a break of 126 and give himself a shot at a first title.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag does not think a six-match unbeaten run means their season has turned a corner but he believes they are “back in the race” for the top four.

Having won just twice in nine matches and lost five in December, United have now won five and drawn one of their last six.

Last weekend’s victory at Aston Villa was important as it kept them within six points of fourth-placed Tottenham and with games to come against Luton, Fulham, Everton, Sheffield United and Brentford – not withstanding the Manchester derby in that sequence – maintaining that sort of form will push them closer to Champions League qualification.

“First of all I think it is too quick to say we turned a corner. We are not there yet. We are still not in a position,” said Ten Hag.

“We are back in the race but we are not in the position we want to be because this club definitely wants to be a minimum of top four so we have to catch up. But I think we are now in a good direction.”

The priority has to be securing Champions League football again as Ten Hag admits United are not at the level of Manchester City, Liverpool or Arsenal.

However, he knows taking the next step and re-establishing them as title challengers will take longer due to the investment they have made in young players with potential.

“In the summer I think we were in a very good moment: we were third, winning one final and in another final,” he added.

“Then you choose young players for the future and that has to do with FFP (Financial Fair Play – now Profit and Sustainability), then also you know it will take longer before you can go into the competition for the top position in the Premier League.”

The Dutchman was asked whether, during the toughest parts of the season, he had any doubts he would be able to get back on track a team which finished third last season and reached two cup finals, winning one.

He said: “I was convinced. Once the (injured) players are available then I knew the players have the quality to play for the top four and now we have to prove it. Across the whole season I was convinced of that.”

Contributing to their improvement has been the form of youngsters Alejandro Garnacho, 19, and 18-year-old Kobbie Mainoo.

Ten Hag admits if they continue their current progress they could end up saving the club millions in the transfer window.

“Manchester United will always be a buying club but I think the club’s history, in its DNA, is to give opportunities to players from the academy,” he added.

“There are players with potential and we have given them the time to develop and progress and we are mentoring them too because we saw their potential was higher.

“We also take into account that they couldn’t bring the levels in that moment but you see when you give them the opportunity they progress so quickly and they bring the team to higher levels in the long term.

“You assess the potential of the player and we were convinced of those players and I think we still have in the back of our squad young players who can make the step, like Kobbie and Garnacho have made in the last couple of months.”

Robert Lewandowski scored an injury-time penalty at the second time of asking as Barcelona secured a nail-biting late win over Celta Vigo to stay in touch with the LaLiga title race.

Lewandowski had already given his side the lead with an emphatic finish on the stroke of half-time but Iago Aspas put his struggling side on course for a draw with a deflected effort soon after the restart.

Lewandowski eventually won it from the spot in the seventh minute of added time, but only after the referee ordered a retake when his first attempt was saved by an encroaching Vicente Guaita. The result leaves them two points behind Girona in second and seven shy of rivals and leaders Real Madrid, having played one game more than both.

At the Metropolitano Stadium, fourth-placed Atletico Madrid ran out 5-0 winners over Las Palmas. Marcos Llorente and Angel Correa scored two apiece and Memphis Depay rounded things out in a one-sided contest.

Osasuna beat Cadiz 2-0 and Sevilla took a goalless draw from Valencia on their visit to the Mestalla.

In Ligue 1, departing Paris St Germain striker Kylian Mbappe found himself left out of the starting XI against Nantes only to step off the bench and bury a penalty.

Having announced his summer departure from PSG, Mbappe had to wait until the 62nd minute to see action but was ready to slot home from the spot to put the finishing touch to a 2-0 win. Lucas Hernandez had earlier put the runaway league leaders ahead on the hour.

Elsewhere, Lille moved back into third on goal difference as hat-trick hero Jonathan David put away Le Havre 3-0.

In Germany, Bundesliga’s relentless leaders Bayer Leverkusen banked another three points with a 2-1 away win at Heidenheim.

Xabi Alonso’s title-chasers have now won seven of their last eight matches, with Jeremie Frimpong and Amine Adli on target this time. Tim Kleindienst set up some late tension with an 87th-minute reply but the hosts could not force a second.

Third-placed Stuttgart fought for a 2-1 win at bottom club Darmstadt despite Pascal Stenzel’s red card at the end of the first half. They now sit five points above Borussia Dortmund, with the latter held 1-1 at Wolfsburg after substitute Yannick Gerhardt responded to Niclas Fullkrug’s early effort.

RB Leipzig won 2-0 against Borussia Monchengladbach, Union Berlin scored the only goal away to Hoffenheim and strugglers Mainz recorded a 1-0 win over Augsburg.

Juventus’ hopes of chipping away at Inter’s Serie A lead were stifled as they were forced to settle for a 2-2 draw at Verona. Juve twice dragged themselves back from a goal down, Dusan Vlahovic’s penalty and Adrien Rabiot’s second-half strike squaring efforts from Michael Folorunsho and Tijjani Noslin.

A point left Massimiliano Allegri’s men nine points behind the Nerazurri, who have a game in hand.

Napoli’s disappointing season continued to underwhelm as they were held 1-1 at home by Genoa. Morten Frendrup put the away side in front and it was not until the 90th minute that substitute Cyril Ngonge grabbed an equaliser.

Mario Pasalic, Teun Koopmeiners and Mitchel Bakker all found the target as Atalanta strengthened their grip on fourth spot at the expense of Sassuolo.

Dan Cole was given the green light to continue his England career by wife Isobel having decided he did not want to join the contingent of players retiring after the World Cup.

Cole took stock of his Test future after helping England finish third at last autumn’s global showpiece knowing that Courtney Lawes, Jonny May and Ben Youngs had already played their final international games.

The 36-year-old prop has re-established himself in the front row under Steve Borthwick after spending three years in Red Rose exile and is eager to make the most of his time at the top.

“My wife is very understanding that I haven’t got many games left. It was a joint decision,” Cole said.

“She understands that with Steve and the coaches that she knows from Leicester, it is a very good team environment and place to be. I won’t be doing it forever, so enjoy it.”

When asked if the current Six Nations would be his last campaign with England, Cole replied: “I haven’t made up my mind. I haven’t thought about it so far, we’ll see how it goes.

“After the World Cup I thought about everything really. I had a conversation with Steve and he said to me after Courtney had announced his retirement at a press conference ‘are you planning any press conferences or announcements?’.

“I said that ‘I’ve got to speak to my wife and to you Steve because if you’re not going to pick me then I will’. He said that I’d like you to have the option (to play on). I was like fair enough because I owe Steve a lot. And here I am!

“It’s one of those things where you never want to give up, but at the same time you can understand why boys with families do because international rugby is a tough environment to be in. It’s intense.”

Cole will be involved in next Saturday’s visit to Murrayfield where England will be aiming to register a third win of this year’s Six Nations, keeping them on course for the Grand Slam.

The Leicester tighthead’s scrummaging expertise has led to his Test resurgence and he believes the set-piece is more vital than it has ever been.

“Tournament by tournament in international rugby, there are less scrums but they are of higher importance, which is why teams don’t want to give an inch there,” Cole said.

“You have seen in the first couple of weeks of the Six Nations they can sometimes be a bit messy and slow.

“I know the reaction to that over the first couple of weeks of the Six Nations hasn’t been great, but obviously it can be a massive turning point in the game.

“It’s tough because it’s so important and every scrum is heightened. You are playing international rugby and so you are not going to be playing against any mugs, everyone knows what they’re doing and everyone is good.”

Pep Guardiola refused to blame Erling Haaland for wasting chances after Manchester City were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw by Chelsea on Saturday.

The normally prolific Haaland spurned a number of opportunities, including one glaring free header from six yards out, as the champions were held in a compelling Premier League clash at the Etihad Stadium.

City ultimately needed an 83rd-minute equaliser from Rodri to rescue a point after their former forward Raheem Sterling had put the Londoners on course for an unexpected win with a 43rd-minute effort.

City manager Guardiola said: “It’s good to have nine shots and next time he’s going to score.

“I was a football player for 11 years and scored 11 goals. What stats! One goal a season. I’m not a proper man to give advice to strikers.

“We create the chances; he had the chances and next time he’s going to score. I don’t blame him. It’s football, it’s human beings.”

Haaland looked frustrated at the end of the game and pushed away a TV camera, but it has been a difficult week for the Norway international after the death of his grandmother.

The result left City four points off the top of the table in third place, after title rivals Liverpool and Arsenal won earlier in the day.

City dominated the second half, but Guardiola felt they paid the price for a poor first-half display.

Guardiola said: “As a team and a group, the first half was not like we are.

“The demands are so high because no-one is going to give it to us, we have to do everything. We are Man City, so we have to do it for ourselves all the time.

“We had to improve the first half and the second half was unbelievable, how we played and how we made transitions.

“In general, it was really good after we conceded from Raheem but when we play teams with composure and prestige of Chelsea you have to perform at your best for 95 minutes.”

Chelsea’s season has been one of inconsistency, but manager Mauricio Pochettino felt they showed their true character against strong opposition.

Pochettino said: “We tried to prepare, all the coaching staff, to make the plan for the game but football is always a game that belongs to the players and today the execution and the performance was from them. They showed character.

“It was a really important game for us to keep the momentum to realise we are in a good way and improving.

“Still we are not at the level of Man City but that is our aim.

“We need to live this type of game to improve and to create the spirit we need. We show in every single game we want to be competitive.”