Manchester City

Man City vs Chelsea player ratings: Julian Alvarez proves once again he's more than just an Erling Haaland backup as much-changed champions cruise to victory

Richard Martin
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The Argentine struck the only goal of the game in a comfortable 1-0 win for the triple champions against Chelsea

Manchester City enjoyed a Premier League coronation against Chelsea a day after being crowned champions for a third year in a row.

Pep Guardiola heavily rotated his squad for the occasion and Julian Alvarez again made the most of his opportunity to lead the attack, scoring the only goal after a lovely assist from Cole Palmer, who was making his first start of the season in the league.

Kalvin Phillips also impressed in his first league start, playing his part in the goal. The match at times felt like a pre-season game but even a makeshift City team with little to play for had too much for Frank Lampard's side.

When the full-time whistle went to complete a 12th successive win for City, thousands of fans got on the pitch, delaying the trophy lift.

GOAL rates Man City's players from a very happy Etihad Stadium...

Editors' Picks

  1. Goalkeeper & Defence
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    Goalkeeper & Defence

    Stefan Ortega (7/10):

    Saved clear chance for Raheem Sterling with his leg and then made an important block after Conor Gallagher's shot had come off the post.

    Kyle Walker (6/10):

    Captain for the day but was not as sharp as usual. Lost a couple of duels with Sterling.

    Aymeric Laporte (6/10):

    Dyed his hair blue to celebrate the title win and gave an assured performance, distributing the ball well and keeping Chelsea's forwards quiet.

    Manuel Akanji (6/10):

    Back in his usual role at centre-half and barely put a foot wrong. Was the first to come off but was nothing to do with his performance.

    Sergio Gomez (5/10):

    Struggled to get involved in the game and did little to show he should have played more often in his first season with the club.

  2. Midfield
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    Midfield

    Kalvin Phillips (8/10):

    Had a lot to prove in his first league start but played really well, pinging balls from deep to create chances and battling to win the ball back, including for the goal. Unlucky not to score when his header came off the post.

    Rico Lewis (7/10):

    Involved in some nice link-up play and put in a shift defensively too.

    Phil Foden (8/10):

    Looked determined to earn a spot in the starting XI for at least one of the finals. Dominant in midfield and always involved in City's best attacking moves.

  4. Attack
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    Attack

    Riyad Mahrez (6/10):

    Not as incisive as usual and struggled to create much danger. Committed a blatant handball in the second half which led to an Alvarez goal being chalked off.

    Julian Alvarez (8/10):

    Led the line superbly in Haaland's absence, holding the ball up well and taking his goal superbly.

    Cole Palmer (8/10):

    Very impressive in his first start of the season, setting up the goal with a dazzling run.

  5. Subs & Manager
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    Subs & Manager

    John Stones (6/10):

    Blocked a shot off the line which the crowd loved, even though the flag then went up for offside.

    Kevin De Bruyne (6/10):

    Didn't offer much of his usual magic when he came on in the 78th minute.

    Rodri (6/A):

    Not as dominant as usual but had little motivation to be.

    Erling Haaland (6/10):

    Had only one chance in his 16 minutes on the pitch, skewing the ball wide of the far post.

    Pep Guardiola (8/10):

    Gave the players who needed some minutes a run out but his side still managed to record a 12th consecutive league win.