Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk believes his best form has returned ahead of his side’s top-of-the-table clash with Premier League champions Manchester City.
Van Dijk’s reputation as one of the world’s elite centre-backs has been under scrutiny since a knee injury in October 2020 sidelined him for nine months and last season’s campaign only intensified the criticism.
The Dutchman, who took over the captaincy from Jordan Henderson in the summer, does not back away from the fact he was well below his best as Liverpool finished fifth last term, but he believes there has been an upturn in his form and he is feeling “important” again.
“Last year saw ups and downs, good games and less good games,” said the Netherlands captain.
“I’m held to a very high standard and I still am. That’s what I’ve created and I enjoy that. If that’s not the case then something’s not right.
“But I feel like I am in good moment physically and mentally and I feel like I am important. I just feel very good and I want to keep going.
“For me the most important thing is how I feel, what my team-mates feel about me and especially the manager. All the noise from the outside, whether it is very good or very bad you can’t do anything with it.
“I want to keep improving and I definitely feel I did.”
Van Dijk’s biggest critics are in his homeland, with the likes of Marco van Basten and Ruud Gullit among the most outspoken.
He has brushed it off in the past and continues to do so, with his form appearing to be peaking ahead of Saturday’s trip to face leaders City.
“The only thing I can influence is how I play and last year I know I wasn’t at my best,” added the Dutchman when asked about the criticism.
“I had good games and lesser good games and I just have to perform on the pitch.
“What I strive for each and every game but also all season is consistency, that the team can rely on me at a certain level all the time and this year definitely off the pitch with the captaincy, something I enjoy and am learning still.
“I’m not perfect but I’m doing it my way and enjoying the challenge.”
While Van Dijk is relishing wearing the armband for club as well as country, he has also seen a change in Trent Alexander-Arnold, the new vice-captain.
“I hope it (vice-captaincy) has helped him. Whether he likes it or not, and I think he does like it, he has to take that responsibility,” he said.
“He will grow into it. He’s not the most vocal guy out there but he is learning and doing his thing and it’s really good how he copes with it, especially off the pitch and taking that responsibility.
“It is a new role but it suits him, especially as a local guy who knows everything about the club.”
The Premier League has been defeated in its bid to ban loan transfers between associated party clubs in January.
The move was designed to prevent a club like Newcastle loaning a player from another club owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund – they have been linked with a temporary switch for Ruben Neves from Saudi club Al-Hilal.
The Premier League needed 14 out of 20 clubs to vote for the ban at the shareholders’ meeting in London on Tuesday afternoon.
But the PA news agency understands the vote finished 13-7 in favour of a ban, short of the threshold to push the motion through.
Injury-hit Newcastle will now, if they wish, be able to bring in former Wolves midfielder Neves on loan to replace Sandro Tonali following his 10-month ban for breaking rules on gambling.
Similarly, Manchester City would be able to loan players from other clubs owned by the City Football Group.
In another blow to the Premier League, the clubs were unable to approve the terms of the so-called ‘New Deal’, a £900million settlement between it and clubs in the English Football League.
The Premier League had hoped to confirm the package at Tuesday’s meeting, but it is understood no vote took place.
Despite a three-hour discussion there remains a sticking point surrounding new cost control measures for both Premier League and EFL clubs.
The Premier League wants the matter resolved before the new independent regulator in English football is put in place.
Rico Lewis is hoping his versatility will work in his favour as he aims to make a late charge to Euro 2024.
Gareth Southgate will name a 23-man squad for next summer’s finals in Germany, having been able to pick 26 players for both Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup.
That means competition for places will be more fierce than in recent years, with Southgate admitting those who are more adaptable could have the edge.
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The likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kieran Trippier and Phil Foden can occupy several different positions on the pitch.
So too, can Lewis – the 18-year-old having already played in both full-back roles and in midfield for treble-winners Manchester City.
He has yet to make his senior England debut but was called up for the first time last week and will be targeting minutes in the final Euro 2024 qualifier away to North Macedonia on Monday.
“Obviously, in terms of a tournament, you can only select the amount you can select,” he said.
“It (versatility) can be a key factor in going or not going. But for me, I am not really focusing on that right now but I understand it is a key thing that could contribute to me being picked or not.
“Obviously he (Southgate) has asked me about where I want to play, my favourite position, stuff like that.”
With Southgate’s defensive options already limited in the current camp, Lewis’ chances of playing in Skopje have been further boosted with Trippier not travelling due to personal reasons.
Asked if he would be happy to fill in at left-back, where Southgate is particularly bereft of options, Lewis replied: “Of course. Anywhere I played, I would relish it. Whether it is right-back, midfield, left-back – I am not really bothered.
“I just love playing football and at the moment it is going really well. Any opportunity I get, I will do my best to take it.
“Obviously, it is not something I expected, especially coming into the international week when I was in the under-21s. Obviously a lot of things happened and fortunately for me I am here now.
“I have enjoyed every minute of it so far: meeting everybody, meeting the players, the staff, the training sessions, everything.”
Southgate himself hailed Lewis as someone who could fill the void given the number of left-backs who have been forced onto the sidelines.
“He is an option. He’s a versatile player,” said the manager.
“I’m really pleased with how he’s trained, he’s settled really well. He’s very comfortable with the ball. He’s played there a few times. He’s played everywhere for City.”
Lewis admits Alexander-Arnold is someone he will look to learn from, with the Liverpool man playing a very similar hybrid role.
“In a sense we are very similar – being full-backs and leaning a little bit more towards midfield, especially with England. and he is somebody I can take a lot of information from,” he added.
“I have had a few conversations with him and he is a very nice person. He is somebody I have got to know a little bit.”
Stale Solbakken admits it was a “big blow” to lose Erling Haaland for Sunday’s dead-rubber Euro 2024 qualifier against Scotland at Hampden – but the Norway manager is confident the Manchester City striker’s injury is not a serious one.
The free-scoring forward withdrew from the squad on Saturday morning after damaging his ankle in the second-half of Thursday’s 2-0 friendly win over Faroe Islands.
“It’s a big blow for any team but we have played without him before, sometimes with success, sometimes without,” said Solbakken, speaking at Hampden on Saturday evening.
“We started the qualification when he was not ready for the first two games, but after that he has played every single game so it was unfortunate for us that he got the small knock on Thursday.
“It’s the movement in his foot that is the problem but it’s not a serious injury. Had it been a final, I don’t know (if he would have been fit to play).
“All parties agree it is probably a little too early (for him to play) but it is not a career-threatening injury.”
When asked why Haaland – a talisman for club and country – was risked in such a low-key match, Solbakken said: “It was his choice. He wanted to play 45 minutes to keep the momentum in a week where we were maybe not training as much. It was his decision.
“There were three players who have played many games and we had conversations with all three of them and Erling’s much preferred choice was to play 45 minutes.”
Many anticipated Sunday’s match being a qualification decider but Scotland’s 2-1 win in Oslo in June, when they scored two goals in the closing minutes to overturn Haaland’s penalty, has proved pivotal.
The Scots are already assured of a place in the finals in Germany and are six points ahead of third-placed Norway, who have only a slim chance of landing a play-off if results elsewhere go their way.
“It was probably the sorest defeat you will ever feel,” said Solbakken, recalling Scotland’s late turnaround in the summer. “I still wake up at night thinking about those last five minutes but that is life.
“If you look back now, those five minutes were very, very damaging. Otherwise the game tomorrow would have been a final. That speaks volumes.
“But we must congratulate Scotland on a great campaign. They have done really, really well, not only in this campaign but also in the years before that.
“They’ve played at a very high level and have also been good at bringing the margins on their side in tight games, which is very important in national football when there are so few games.”
Unless they manage to salvage a Euro 2024 place via a play-off, Norway’s run without major tournament football will extend to 26 years. The Scots ended a 23-year wait when they qualified for the Euros in 2021 and Solbakken feels his nation can draw inspiration from Steve Clarke’s resurgent side.
“Of course we can,” he said. “I think we are quite even. We always play very tight games against each other but they have been better than us with the small margins lately. We need to see if we can find that way too.”
Erling Haaland is to sit out Norway’s Euro 2024 qualifier against Scotland on Sunday at Hampden Park due to a foot problem.
The Manchester City striker took a blow to his foot on Thursday when Norway beat the Faroe Islands 2-0 in a friendly in Oslo.
In a statement on the Norwegian Football Federation’s official website on Saturday, team doctor Ola Sand said: “The injury is not serious, but he is in so much pain and somewhat restricted function that the Scotland game unfortunately comes a little too early.”
Norway boss Stale Solbakken said: “It is of course a shame that Erling will not be ready for the match on Sunday, but we will not be bringing in a replacement.
“This is a great opportunity for the offensive players in the squad to show off.”
Premier League leaders City return to action after the international break by hosting Liverpool – a point behind in second place – on November 25.
Haaland, scorer of 52 goals for City in their treble-winning campaign last season, has netted 17 times in all competitions for Pep Guardiola’s men so far this term.
The Premier League has arguably never been more competitive than it is this season, with just three points separating the division’s top five teams.
Manchester City sit top of the table on 28 points, with Liverpool and Arsenal one behind on 27, Tottenham on 26 and Aston Villa on 25.
It is the first time in Premier League history that five teams have amassed 25 points or more in their first 12 matches.
However, the level of competition extends beyond the top few sides, as demonstrated by several of the weekend’s results including City’s thrilling 4-4 draw at Chelsea and Spurs’ injury-time loss at Wolves.
Just 12 matches into the 2023-24 campaign, it is already possible to create a continuous ‘victory loop’ from English top flight results.
A victory loop is made by arranging results so that Team 1 beats Team 2, Team 2 defeats Team 3, and so on until Team 20 beats Team 1.
Sheff Utd 2 Wolves 1 (Nov 4)
Wolves 2 Tottenham 1 (Nov 11)
Tottenham 2 Liverpool 1 (Sep 30)
Liverpool 3 West Ham 1 (Sep 24)
Brighton 1 West Ham 3 (Aug 26)
Brighton 3 Bournemouth 1 (Sep 24)
Bournemouth 2 Newcastle 0 (Nov 11)
Newcastle 1 Arsenal 0 (Nov 4)
Arsenal 1 Man City 0 (Oct 8)
Man City 2 Nottingham Forest 0 (Sep 23)
Nottingham Forest 2 Aston Villa 0 (Nov 5)
Aston Villa 3 Crystal Palace 1 (Sep 16)
Man Utd 0 Crystal Palace 1 (Sep 30)
Burnley 0 Man Utd 1 (Sep 23)
Luton 1 Burnley 2 (Oct 3)
Everton 1 Luton 2 (Sep 30)
Brentford 1 Everton 3 (Sep 23)
Chelsea 0 Brentford 2 (Oct 28)
Fulham 0 Chelsea 2 (Oct 2)
Fulham 3 Sheff Utd 1 (Oct 7)
Cole Palmer believes his impatience is paying off having flourished for Chelsea and earned a first England call-up since leaving all-conquering Manchester City in search of regular football.
Part of Pep Guardiola’s treble-winning squad before helping his country win the Under-21 European Championship, a more prominent role at club level looked on the cards this term.
Palmer scored in the Community Shield and another in the Super Cup, but made no secret about his desire for regular action after his man-of-the-match display against Sevilla in the European curtain-raiser.
It proved his final City appearance and a fortnight later the forward joined the glut of gems being collected by free-spending Chelsea in a deal worth up to £42.5million, signing a seven-year deal.
“It happened fast, to be fair,” Palmer said. “I spoke to someone at Chelsea and I was speaking to my dad, but I really didn’t know what to do.
“I was just thinking about it for a couple of days, like near enough every minute of the day.
“But then I just thought for my career and stuff I have to go and try and get regular game time.
“It was a big move for me. I’d never been out of Manchester, not even on loan or anything like that, so to move down there on my own was a big thing.
“When I first went down there it was difficult, like staying in a hotel and stuff, but now I have settled in more and I’m enjoying it.”
This season always felt important in promising Palmer’s career, especially after a combination of injury and competition restricted him to just seven starts last year.
The 21-year-old has already made eight in an impressive beginning to life with the Blues, leading to a first England call-up following some withdrawals from the initial selection for this month’s Euro 2024 qualifiers.
“Obviously you know how good of a manager Pep is and he gave me the opportunity and the platform to kick-start my career, so I’ll always be grateful to him,” Palmer said.
“Who knows what would have happened if I had stayed.
“Maybe I would have played more, maybe not. But I think the decision that I made to go to Chelsea so far is paying off.”
Palmer gave short shrift to a question asking him to compare Guardiola with Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino when he faced the media for the first time since his England call-up.
But he was more forthcoming when it came to his current manager’s ability to develop English talents, as he did with aplomb at Southampton and Tottenham.
“A lot of people told me how he is with young players,” Palmer said.
“Ever since I went to Chelsea I can see it, so I’m enjoying working with him and excited to carry on working with him.
“He has given me the confidence and licence to go where I want on the pitch, where I feel I can use my strengths, so I’m grateful for it.”
Palmer certainly does not lack confidence, which was abundantly clear along with his cheeky side in Sunday’s stunning 4-4 draw with City.
Footage went viral of the Chelsea forward pretending to listen to his former team-mates on an afternoon when he celebrated his stoppage-time spot-kick equaliser with a nonchalant shrug.
“When I saw the ref give the penalty, I just thought ‘it’s my time’,” Palmer said.
“I spoke to Raz (Raheem Sterling). He said ‘what’s happening?’ and I was like ‘I want to take it’.
“He was like ‘fine’ and then when I put the ball down I just tried to focus on a spot and put it there.”
Asked if he felt pressure or nerves, he said: “Not really, to be honest.
“I felt I was waiting for a while and obviously I did think about my old club and stuff but after that not really.
“It was a crazy game. I did feel a bit nervous before and a bit weird to see everyone from the club I’ve been at for 15 years.
“But when the game started it felt normal and it was a good game.”
More positive news awaited him when he waded through the myriad of messages on his phone after returning to the Stamford Bridge dressing room.
“I got the message near enough straightaway after the match,” he said of his maiden England call-up.
“But my phone was going crazy because I have got some City fans that are my mates and family and all that.
“I read it and then like I read it again, so it was confirmed.
“I just rang my dad straight away and he was with my mum, so I told them first.”
Manchester City have acknowledged the Premier League charges facing them risk having a “material impact” on the club, as they posted a league-record revenue figure of over £700million.
City earned £712.8m in the year ending June 30, an increase of almost £100m compared to the previous year and far outstripping the £648.4m Premier League record set by Manchester United when their most recent results were announced last month.
City’s run to the Champions League final – where they beat Inter Milan 1-0 in June – contributed to total broadcast revenue of £341.4m, including £113.85m just from UEFA.
However, the club’s annual report mentioned the 115 charges issued against them by the Premier League in February under the ‘Risks and Uncertainties’ section.
“The board acknowledges that there are a number of risks and uncertainties which could have a material impact on the club’s performance,” the report stated.
As well as the Premier League charges, the performance of the first team and any future regulatory changes introduced by the Premier League, the Football Association, UEFA and FIFA were also cited as risks and uncertainties facing the club.
Introductory statements in the annual report from chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and chief executive Ferran Soriano made no reference to the charges.
Khaldoon said: “In the aftermath of the UEFA Champions League win in Turkey and the completion of ‘The Treble’ the question I was asked most often, was ‘How do you top that?’
“The answer is by doubling down on the proven philosophies and practices that have brought us this success and to challenge ourselves to continue to constantly innovate in order to achieve new levels of performance both on and off the field.
“We will continue to question all the industry norms, we will evaluate our successes and learn from any failures. We will not be afraid to set new goals and develop new strategies that deliver for our club, its communities and stakeholders and especially for the fans.”
Matchday revenue was recorded at £71.9m, while profit from player trading was up to over £120m.
However, the club’s total payroll costs were just under £423m, up from just under £354m in 2022. That was despite head count dropping from 549 to 520.
Virgil van Dijk is hopeful Liverpool have rediscovered what it takes to push Manchester City all the way in the Premier League title race again.
The two had epic battles in 2018-19 and 2021-22, when City pipped their north-west rivals by just a single point, while in between those campaigns the Reds clinched their first championship in 30 years.
Having experienced a huge dropoff last season in finishing fifth, Jurgen Klopp’s side have bounced back after a summer midfield rebuild and will resume after the international break with a trip to the Etihad in a first-v-second clash.
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It is the closest Liverpool have been to City in 18 months and Van Dijk believes with consistency in results and fitness they can mount a sustained challenge.
Asked whether he thought they were capable of running City close for the title, the captain said: “I hope so.
“You have all these aspirations, dreams, goals and you want to compete until the very end in every competition we are in.
“That is definitely the case at the beginning of the season and then you grow into a season. It’s November and there is still so much to play for.
“It’s going well, but if we had not got a result against Brentford (a 3-0 win at the weekend) we would have been in that downward spiral – from the outside world of course – because you don’t set it up nicely for the game after the international break.
“Overall this season we have been doing well but the season is not decided in November and there could be so many twists and turns, we all know that.”
Key to that will be staying injury-free. Against Brentford, Liverpool’s options were down to the bare minimum with Alexis Mac Allister suspended and Ryan Gravenberch, Curtis Jones, Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic – plus defenders Joe Gomez, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate – all unavailable.
Klopp fielded a bench in which only one outfield player was aged over 20 but they got the job done to move into second and set up the intriguing trip to the Etihad a week on Saturday.
“I looked in the dressing room and it felt like we were the under-23s but we still we have the quality, if you are good enough you are old enough,” Van Dijk added.
“But we need to see, we need a bit of luck, we need no injuries and need consistency.
“We finished on a positive feeling and now it is time to focus on something else (internationals).
“When we come back there is a very big one away and we will see if we are ready for that test.”
Pep Guardiola has no complaints about being forced to name an incomplete substitutes bench that included two goalkeepers during Manchester City’s dramatic 4-4 draw with Chelsea on Sunday.
The champions took only eight replacements to Stamford Bridge, amongst them reserve keepers Stefan Ortega and Scott Carson, as injuries limited the manager’s options.
Guardiola was without John Stones and Nathan Ake, with the latter having been ruled out as late as Friday, whilst Kevin De Bruyne remains a long-term absentee.
Yet City looked to have coped well without their missing trio and thought they had nicked three points late on in west London when Rodri’s effort deflected in off Chelsea’s Thiago Silva four minutes from time.
That was until former City man Cole Palmer levelled from the spot in the fifth minute of stoppage time after Armando Broja had been fouled by Ruben Dias.
Despite the enforced absences and dropped points, Guardiola said he was satisfied with the squad depth available to him.
“Kevin is long-term, John was injured unfortunately. Nathan was injured. The rest are OK,” he said.
“I like to work with a small (group). It’s so tough if five, six, seven players don’t play, they don’t like that. It’s what it is.
“If we have injuries, it’s unlucky, but we have done all the time.
“For many years we’ve had this type of squad.”
Guardiola said he felt his team put in a performance far better than in recent seasons at Stamford Bridge, despite Palmer – who left City for Chelsea in a £42million deal on the last day of the transfer window – coming back to haunt his former manager at the death.
It came after the visitors has twice led through Erling Haaland, who scored his 12th and 13th Premier League goals of the season, with Manuel Akanji also netting.
For Chelsea, Raheem Sterling also scored against the club with whom he won the league four times, with Silva and Nicolas Jackson also on target.
“I don’t remember a game where we’ve come here and had the chances that we had,” said Guardiola. “Even games where we’ve come here and won, last year for example was much, much worse than (Sunday).
“Even by a million times it was much worse than today, and we won 1-0. We tried, we created a lot of chances.
“The talent cannot be controlled sometimes. They are in a good process, their shape is really good, what they do.
“Give credit both teams. The game was tight. It was momentum for everyone, and momentum you can break. It’s a fair result.
“Nothing changed. Chelsea is Chelsea, one of the greatest teams in the last 20 years.
“I know how good they are. For us, it’s a good test. How long we didn’t lose, that’s a good sign.
“Today we didn’t lose, we (played) away. We take a good point, we created a lot of chances in the right moments.
“I think it was a fair result for both sides.”
Emile Heskey will be stunned if Mauricio Pochettino isn't given time to rebuild Chelsea, who are beginning to show signs of life under the former Tottenham boss.
Chelsea have spent over £1billion in the transfer market in 18 months since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital took over, and they have been inconsistent since embarking on another spending spree ahead of Pochettino's first campaign in charge.
After a below-par start under the Argentine, Chelsea have shown encouraging signs in recent weeks, thrashing nine-man Tottenham 4-1 in a remarkable London derby before playing out a thrilling 4-4 draw with Manchester City on Sunday.
That latter game – the first in the Premier League to feature four equalising goals since Liverpool and Arsenal's iconic 4-4 draw in April 2009 – saw Cole Palmer convert a 95th-minute penalty to deny his former club victory.
Chelsea went into the November international break five points adrift of the Premier League's top six, and with the team starting to show positive signs, Heskey believes Boehly will have greater patience with Pochettino than he did with predecessors Graham Potter and Thomas Tuchel.
"If you haven't negotiated that you need time at Chelsea, a club that was going through so much turmoil at that time, it would be silly," Heskey told Stats Perform.
"I'd be very surprised if he hasn't gone through that with them; 'We need time to actually build this and make sure we've got the time'.
"The reality is that if you look at some of their games, they've battered teams but not won. So there's something else there in play where the confidence of the players to go and finish, they've lost that.
"You can't say that you created 26 chances and not scored. There's something right there because you're creating 26 chances, but something's fundamentally wrong when that composure to finish isn't there.
"That could be with the stadium, the crowd, the tension that comes with that. They've never had it before because you've had all these top forwards who were just banging in goals.
"They were ruthless. They were relentless. Now they haven't got that, they need something.
"They've got players that need an arm around them, and they've got players that are low on confidence. How do you bring them back up?"
Chelsea are yet to win a trophy under the Boehly regime, though Pochettino has led them to the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup, a competition which appears wide open with City, Manchester United, Spurs and Arsenal already being knocked out.
Heskey won that competition four times during his playing career, twice with Leicester City and twice with Liverpool, also finishing on the losing side in another two finals.
While many consider Chelsea among the favourites to win the trophy, Heskey feels they face a tough task in the last eight, adding: "If I look at the next round, they've got Newcastle and that's not an easy job.
"Newcastle are flying at this moment in time. And for me, if I'm Eddie Howe, that's the competition I want to win."
What the papers say
Reece James is wanted by Manchester City, according to the Independent. City are said to see the 23-year-old from Chelsea as a possible replacement for his fellow England right-back Kyle Walker, who is 10 years his senior.
Mason Greenwood’s time in Spain could be set to continue. The Sun reports Getafe are looking to extend the 22-year-old striker’s loan deal from Manchester United.
Borussia Dortmund’s Julian Brandt is catching the eye of Premier League clubs, according to the Mirror. The paper reports that Arsenal and Newcastle are both keen on the 27-year-old Germany midfielder.
Arsenal are also said to be keen on adding Douglas Luiz to their midfield options. The Mirror reports Aston Villa’s 25-year-old Brazilian has emerged as the top January target at the Emirates.
Social media round-upPlayers to watch
Wilfred Ndidi: Barcelona are keen on the Nigerian midfielder, 26, whose contract at Leicester is up at the end of the season.
Archie Gray: Liverpool are reportedly watching the 17-year-old Leeds midfielder.
Mauricio Pochettino said Chelsea will approach the rest of the season confident in the knowledge they can compete with the best teams after dramatically drawing 4-4 with Manchester City at Stamford Bridge.
Cole Palmer struck a penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage time to deny the club with whom he won the Premier League title in May and snatch a sensational point at the death in west London.
City thought they had won it via Rodri’s deflected strike four minutes from the end, his effort spinning into the goal past the wrongfooted Robert Sanchez off Thiago Silva’s outstretched foot.
Earlier, the lead had been passed back and forth on a topsy-turvy afternoon, Erling Haaland opening the scoring from the spot after 25 minutes before Silva nodded his team level from a corner.
Raheem Sterling scored against his old team to give Chelsea the lead from Josko Gvardiol’s mistake, but they could not hold on until half-time as Manuel Akanji was afforded space from a corner routine to equalise on the stroke of the interval.
Haaland struck again to make it 3-2 moments after the restart, Nicolas Jackson thumped home on the rebound when Ederson failed to hold on to Conor Gallagher’s drive from outside the box for 3-3, before the late drama for which a stunning match will be best remembered.
And Pochettino predicted the performance and the result would have a transformational effect on his young side as they continue their recovery from an indifferent start to his tenure.
“I’m very proud,” he said. “I’m so happy. The players deserve credit, the performance this evening was amazing, against for me the best team in the world.
“Many circumstances that happened during the game that made me proud, the way that we managed the game was really, really good.
“There are things to improve, but it’s the process. When you want to build a project from zero, this type of thing is really good.
“These types of experiences will improve a lot out play and our team. But now we need to translate in the future.
“I am so tired, after Monday (the 4-1 win against Tottenham) and Sunday. I don’t want to be wrong when I assess, but if I go back, we were very disappointed (in earlier) results but this is a process. It’s a young team, you feel the pressure to win.
“This type of performance will build belief and confidence. (But) we have to have patience in some games.”
Having struggled for goals during August and September, Chelsea have now netted eight times in their last two matches following Monday’s frenetic win at Spurs.
It is the third time this season they have scored four times in a league game. By contrast, the team did not manage to do so throughout the whole of the last campaign.
“It showed the character, showed the mentality, showed that we can go for the goal against a team like Man City and to dominate and have the capacity to create chances,” said Pochettino. “I think it’s really important today to build our confidence and to believe more in the way we are working.
“We’re still far away. But that’s the process. It’s a different moment, this period. But of course this type of performance we need to use for the future.
“We go step by step, maybe we can jump two steps. But caution. Today was a massive motivation.”
City boss Pep Guardiola reflected on a fair result as his team moved a point clear of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table.
“It was a good advert and entertaining game for the Premier League and both teams wanted to win,” he said. “I wouldn’t have expected differently. Chelsea have a fantastic team and players.
“We had momentum, two or three transitions one-on-one which we could not finish. But the game was in the moment at the end.
“A tight game, but a fair result. I congratulate the team, we go into the break and we qualify for the Champions League and we come back (after international break) and go.”
Mauricio Pochettino said Chelsea will approach the rest of the season confident in the knowledge they can compete with the best teams after dramatically drawing 4-4 with Manchester City at Stamford Bridge.
Cole Palmer struck a penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage time to deny the club with whom he won the Premier League title in May and snatch a sensational point at the death in west London.
City thought they had won it via Rodri’s deflected strike four minutes from the end, his effort spinning into the goal past the wrongfooted Robert Sanchez off Thiago Silva’s outstretched foot.
Earlier, the lead had been passed back and forth on a topsy-turvy afternoon, Erling Haaland opening the scoring from the spot after 25 minutes before Silva nodded his team level from a corner.
Raheem Sterling scored against his old team to give Chelsea the lead from Josko Gvardiol’s mistake, but they could not hold on until half-time as Manuel Akanji was afforded space from a corner routine to equalise on the stroke of the interval.
Haaland struck again to make it 3-2 moments after the restart, Nicolas Jackson thumped home on the rebound when Ederson failed to hold on to Conor Gallagher’s drive from outside the box for 3-3, before the late drama for which a stunning match will be best remembered.
And Pochettino predicted the performance and the result would have a transformational effect on his young side as they continue their recovery from an indifferent start to his tenure.
“I’m very proud,” he said. “I’m so happy. The players deserve credit, the performance this evening was amazing, against for me the best team in the world.
“Many circumstances that happened during the game that made me proud, the way that we managed the game was really, really good.
“There are things to improve, but it’s the process. When you want to build a project from zero, this type of thing is really good.
“These types of experiences will improve a lot out play and our team. But now we need to translate in the future.
“I am so tired, after Monday (the 4-1 win against Tottenham) and Sunday. I don’t want to be wrong when I assess, but if I go back, we were very disappointed (in earlier) results but this is a process. It’s a young team, you feel the pressure to win.
“This type of performance will build belief and confidence. (But) we have to have patience in some games.”
Having struggled for goals during August and September, Chelsea have now netted eight times in their last two matches following Monday’s frenetic win at Spurs.
It is the third time this season they have scored four times in a league game. By contrast, the team did not manage to do so throughout the whole of the last campaign.
“It showed the character, showed the mentality, showed that we can go for the goal against a team like Man City and to dominate and have the capacity to create chances,” said Pochettino. “I think it’s really important today to build our confidence and to believe more in the way we are working.
“We’re still far away. But that’s the process. It’s a different moment, this period. But of course this type of performance we need to use for the future.
“We go step by step, maybe we can jump two steps. But caution. Today was a massive motivation.”
City boss Pep Guardiola reflected on a fair result as his team moved a point clear of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table.
“It was a good advert and entertaining game for the Premier League and both teams wanted to win,” he said. “I wouldn’t have expected differently. Chelsea have a fantastic team and players.
“We had momentum, two or three transitions one-on-one which we could not finish. But the game was in the moment at the end.
“A tight game, but a fair result. I congratulate the team, we go into the break and we qualify for the Champions League and we come back (after international break) and go.”
Chelsea and Manchester City played out an enthralling 4-4 draw on Sunday – the second brilliant match Mauricio Pochettino’s men have been involved in over the past week.
Pep Guardiola’s champions led three times at Stamford Bridge only to be pegged back on each occasion, with former City man Cole Palmer holding his nerve to grab his new team a point with a stoppage-time penalty.
The Blues on Monday evening ended Tottenham’s unbeaten start to the Premier League season with an extraordinary 4-1 win over their nine-man London rivals.
A hat-trick from Nicolas Jackson helped Blues head coach Pochettino enjoy a successful return to his former club, but only after a pulsating contest with two red cards – for Spurs defenders Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie – and five disallowed goals.
Here, the PA news agency looks at seven other outstanding games in the Premier League era.
Manchester City 3 QPR 2 (May 2012)
Perhaps the most significant of all. City started this game knowing a win would earn them a first Premier League title but when they went 2-1 down – even against 10 men – it looked as though rivals Manchester United would take the trophy. However, Edin Dzeko scored in the second minute of time added on to level and Sergio Aguero (or, to quote Sky commentator Martin Tyler, “Agueroooooooooo”) won both the match and the title with 93:20 on the clock.
Arsenal 4 Tottenham 4 (October 2008)
Best remembered for David Bentley’s stunning opener for Tottenham against his former club, this game saw Spurs come back from 4-2 down to earn a point. Trailing to Bentley’s amazing volley, the Gunners exposed Spurs’ weakness at defending set-pieces to lead through Mikael Silvestre and William Gallas. Emmanuel Adebayor added a third for the hosts before Darren Bent pulled one back. When Robin van Persie restored Arsenal’s two-goal cushion it had looked all over, but Harry Redknapp’s men showed a new resilience and Jermaine Jenas’ late strike gave them hope before Aaron Lennon equalised at the death.
Liverpool 4 Newcastle 3 (April 1996)
Sure to feature on everyone’s classic list, this was the game which saw Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan slump over the front of the dugout as his side’s title chances went up in smoke. Liverpool came back from 2-0 down to level, only to see Faustino Asprilla make it 3-2 seconds later. Stan Collymore soon levelled and then won it two minutes into added time, with Tyler again taking over with his line of “Collymore closing in”.
Newcastle 4 Arsenal 4 (February 2011)
The game that demonstrated why supporters should never leave early. When Theo Walcott scored for Arsenal 44 seconds into this game it set the tone for a blistering period of away play, with Johan Djourou and Van Persie, who netted twice, putting Arsenal 4-0 up. However, the game turned as Abou Diaby saw red for Arsenal and Newcastle mounted a stellar comeback. Two penalties from Joey Barton and a Leon Best goal gave them a foothold, but they still needed a brilliant 87th-minute volley from Cheick Tiote to get a point.
Norwich 4 Liverpool 5 (January 2016)
Reds boss Jurgen Klopp lost his glasses amid wild celebrations on the touchline after Adam Lallana’s last-minute strike gave Liverpool an astonishing first Premier League win of 2016. Klopp’s men had trailed 3-1 with under 30 minutes to go, then led 4-3 before Sebastien Bassong’s stoppage-time goal levelled matters. But there was still time for substitute Lallana to mis-hit a shot into the ground and secure a 5-4 victory.
Tottenham 4 Arsenal 5 (November 2004)
Four years before the 4-4 thriller at the Emirates, White Hart Lane hosted a similarly high-scoring affair between the two local rivals. The home side took the lead through Noureddine Naybet, but Arsenal equalised through Thierry Henry and then went 3-1 ahead thanks to Lauren, who converted a penalty won by Freddie Ljungberg, and Patrick Vieira. Jermain Defoe pulled one back almost immediately before Ljungberg and Ledley King traded goals and, although Robert Pires added Arsenal’s fifth nine minutes from time, Freddie Kanoute’s goal made for a frantic finish.
West Ham 5 Bradford 4 (February 2000)
West Ham goalkeeper Shaka Hislop suffered a broken leg just minutes into the game to hand a debut to 18-year-old Stephen Bywater, who conceded four goals but still ended up on the winning side. The comeback from 4-2 down started with 25 minutes left when Frank Lampard and Paolo Di Canio argued over who would take a penalty, Di Canio eventually winning the tussle and converting from the spot. Joe Cole soon equalised and Lampard scored the winner from the edge of the box with seven minutes remaining.
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