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Erling Haaland’s hat-trick propelled Manchester City to a 4-2 victory over a mistake-prone Chelsea in a pre-season friendly in Columbus.
Haaland, 24, capitalized on Chelsea’s early errors, scoring twice in the first five minutes. A poor pass from Tosin Adarabioyo led to Levi Colwill fouling Haaland, who converted the ensuing penalty after a re-take. Moments later, Haaland intercepted a miscue from Moises Caicedo to score his second goal.
City’s third goal came in the 55th minute when Raheem Sterling’s mistake allowed Oscar Bobb to score at the near post. Haaland completed his hat-trick just a minute later, benefiting from another Chelsea error by Malo Gusto.
Chelsea managed to respond with two goals. Sterling volleyed in a cross in the 59th minute, and Noni Madueke scored on a counter-attack in the 88th minute, in front of 68,000 supporters at Ohio Stadium.
Despite the loss, Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca saw positives in the team’s performance and attributed some of the errors to the “dry” pitch. He emphasized that his side is still adapting to his tactical approach, having been in the role for just five weeks compared to Pep Guardiola’s eight years at City.
Guardiola praised Jack Grealish, who was instrumental in setting up the first goal and linking up effectively with Haaland throughout the match. Grealish, motivated by his omission from the England squad for Euro 2024, showcased his sharpness and aggressive play.
City’s youngsters also impressed, with Rico Lewis, James McAtee, Josh Wilson-Esbrand, and Nico O’Reilly featuring prominently. Bobb, who scored and showed impressive dribbling skills, could be part of the starting trio with Haaland and Grealish in the upcoming Community Shield match against Manchester United.
