Izuchukwu OkosiManchester City forward, Riyad Mahrez came off the substitute bench to score the decisive goal for the Premier League champions in the top of the bill clash against Chelsea Thursday evening.
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Man City was eight points adrift of leaders, Arsenal, and hardpressed to reduce the gap and they achieved that in a heated game that seemed it was headed for a draw.
It was the main event before Sunday’s FA Cup third-round meeting at the Etihad Stadium and the stakes were high for both teams, the pressure intense.
Chelsea was without Mason Mount who missed the game due to a training ground knock and were expected without Reece James due to be out for a lengthy period of time.
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From a Nigerian perspective, young Anglo-Nigerian midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka came off the substitute bench and put on a decent shift, creating chance after chance and even had a shot canon off the woodwork before the half time break.
Chukwuemeka is eligible to play for Nigeria through his parents, having not played for his adopted nation England at the senior level.
Guardiola tweaked his formation a lot more in the second half and it paid off in the 63rd minute when super subs, Jack Grealiah and Mahrez combined to score the vital goal.
League’s top scorer, Erling Haaland dashed forward in anticipation of the ball but Grealiah, delivering a tantalizing cross, found Mahrez who finished with aplomb from the near post.
When Grealish crossed, Kepa Arrizabalaga chose not to throw out a hand – a weird decision – and Mahrez did the rest, deepening the sense of introspection at Chelsea in the process. They have now taken just six points from an available 24.
The game was the sixth of the season in the Premier League for Chukwuemeka in the topflight.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
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