Rodri saves point but Sterling stalls old club's title charge

Premier League: Man City 1 Chelsea 1 

RODRI rescued a point for Manchester City just as it seemed their former player Raheem Sterling was about to severely harm their title hopes.

Trailing with seven minutes left, Kyle Walker’s shot deflected off Axel Disasi for Rodri, who drove the ball in via Trevor Chalobah’s knee, just as City appeared to be running out of ideas.

It had appeared that City were about to squander a long list of chances until Rodri popped up, to maintain his record of not having lost a game for his club since February 5 last year.

Erling Haaland, of all people, was guilty of the worst miss of the game, rising to meet Kevin De Bruyne’s 78th-minute cross unmarked, but heading well wide.

Sterling opened the scoring on 42 minutes, although City could not say they had not been warned before their former striker left them in arrears.

The goal came from a rare piece of skill by Nicolas Jackson on the halfway line, as he exchanged passes with Malo Gusto, and sprinted down the right wing before crossing for Sterling.

The striker checked past former teammate Walker before forcing an unstoppable shot past Ederson for a lead that had been long threatened, given City’s tendency to live on the edge.

The defending champions were constantly prone to being caught on the break and, with Rodri their only defensive midfielder, could have been overrun even before that goal.

Before the halfway point of the first period, Sterling’s curling shot had been well held by Ederson and Jackson had stumbled, and allowed the City keeper to block him, as the hosts were caught on the break.

It was obviously the intention of Mauricio Pochettino to do precisely that and when Ben Chilwell wasted one glorious opportunity to catch City out,