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Perhaps it was almost as Todd Boehly envisaged: a Chelsea game in May, the new champions given a guard of honour after securing what may prove the first of a treble, cruising to victory over fallen rivals. Except Chelsea had to form the guard of honour – in perhaps the closest they came to a coherent formation for quite some time – and Manchester City were celebrating in the sunshine. The nouveaux riches were companion clubs for years but, since each came into extreme wealth, they have never been separated by a greater gulf. If money has talked, and one has spent largely well in recent seasons, the other spectacularly badly in the last 12 months, the consequence is that City’s fifth league title in six seasons was sealed the day before they condemned Chelsea to a first bottom-half finish since 1996. City have the luxury of having Julian Alvarez as a second-choice striker; the rested Erling Haaland’s deluxe deputy is a World Cup winner and he extended their winning run to 12 league games. But, in a season of ignominies for Chelsea, there were more. Pep Guardiola’s team felt suddenly altered on Saturday night, City’s coronation prompting him to rest nine of the starters against Real Madrid. But his second-string side are better than the club with a £600m makeover; indeed City have more than twice as many points as Chelsea. Chelsea had lost to a severely weakened City in the FA Cup and did so again in the Premier League. Over the season, Chelsea have met City four times, lost all four and failed to score in each. Alvarez has scored against them in three competitions, whereas Chelsea have only found the net against anyone in two. Of their quartet of defeats, this may have been the most respectable. Real Madrid had conceded four at the Etihad, like Liverpool and Arsenal before them. Chelsea only let in one as City chalked up a 16th consecutive home win in 2023; indeed, incongruously, the last team to stop them on their own turf was Frank Lampard’s Everton. But the context changed the minute Nottingham Forest beat Arsenal. This became an exhibition game for City, a chance for Guardiola to turn to nine substitutes and make them starters. Even Kalvin Phillips got a belated first start for City. Some 364 days after the previous time he figured in a Premier League starting 11, he headed against the base of the post, a first City goal eluding him. He was part of a makeshift midfield with Rico Lewis and Phil Foden; one is often a full-back of sorts, the other normally found in the front three. It was a reason why City were more open than usual, though it scarcely mattered. More damningly, gaps magically appeared in Chelsea’s five-man defence when City scored. Cole Palmer picked out Alvarez and the Argentinian was free to place a shot beyond Kepa Arrizabalaga. Palmer began in terrific style and the 21-year-old almost marked just his second Premier League start with a goal, Trevoh Chalobah clearing his shot off the line. Foden came close with an audacious lob while Alvarez had a second goal ruled out because of a handball by Riyad Mahrez, his supplier. Alvarez was terrific but if no one else has a second-choice striker of such stature, City can argue he is a £14m bargain. Chelsea, with as many league goals as Haaland has on his own, lack any kind of potent first-choice centre-forward, let alone a high-grade understudy. A side with a marked aversion to scoring had the opportunities to level after making a timid start. Stefan Ortega denied Raheem Sterling a goal on his return to the Etihad Stadium. Sterling was thwarted, too, by a brilliant goal-line clearance from his former teammate John Stones, even if he was then ruled offside. Sterling came off to a standing ovation, but from the home faithful; named Footballer of the Year and scorer of 31 goals in a season for City may have felt nostalgic for his old club. His season, like Chelsea’s, has been a harrowing affair. Chelsea’s other threat stemmed from two of their own. Conor Gallagher headed Lewis Hall’s cross against the post. Hall and Gallagher acquitted themselves well, two youth-team products faring better than many of the buys. Meanwhile, Noni Madueke was strangely demoted to the bench by Lampard; Trevoh Chalobah ended up at left wing-back, irrelevant experiments as Chelsea’s season peters out. Guardiola brought on some of the regulars, in Stones, Rodri, Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne, which meant they had to flee in the pitch invasion after the final whistle. At least, though, they had something to celebrate. Two years ago, Chelsea beat City three times in six weeks and defeated them in a Champions League final. But, as one closes in on a historic treble and the other has endured one of the worst campaigns a superclub has ever had, it feels far longer ago. Read More Man City vs Chelsea LIVE: Premier League trophy presentation delayed by pitch invasion Five titles in six years: Are Manchester City destroying the Premier League? Enzo Fernandez is Chelsea’s sole shining light to take into next season

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Mauricio Pochettino has agreed terms to become Chelsea’s new manager, with the contract to be signed in the next few days. The 51-year-old has already reached the point where he is discussing prospective summer transfers, with the club looking for a striker, No 6 and goalkeeper to complete a best XI. One of Pochettino's first tasks, however, will be to oversee the cutting down of a bloated current squad. The Argentine has already made clear his admiration for energetic players such as Reece James, Ben Chilwell, Enzo Fernandez, Wesley Fofana and Mason Mount. Of those potentially being signed, Declan Rice, Emiliano Martinez, Alexis Mac Allister and of course Harry Kane have been discussed. Pochettino will also seek talks with Romelu Lukaku, who is currently on loan at Inter Milan. Pochettino became the outstanding favourite for the job around three weeks ago, when it became clear he was the best fit from the initial interviews. The Chelsea hierarchy has prioritised his outstanding success with developing players at Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton, as they seek to build the best young squad in Europe. While the discussions were protracted and slower than anticipated, there has long been a feeling Pochettino would ultimately end up as Chelsea manager. He will be joined by long-time coaches Jesus Perez, Miguel D’Agostino, Sebastiano Pochettino and Tony Jimenez, as well as a core already at Stamford Bridge. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Ryan Mason ready to take on Tottenham job as Julian Nagelsmann is ruled out Kane correct to highlight Tottenham’s lost values, admits boss Mason New manager clarity needed to save Chelsea and Lampard from themselves

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Manchester City struck twice late on to continue the winning start to their Champions League defence with a hard-fought 3-1 success at RB Leipzig. Julian Alvarez finally settled City’s nerves in Wednesday’s Group G encounter with a fine strike six minutes from at the Red Bull Arena before fellow substitute Jeremy Doku wrapped up the win. Phil Foden had opened the scoring midway through a first half the holders dominated but the hosts responded against the run of play through Lois Openda. Foden hit the woodwork as City pushed for a winner but, with Erling Haaland faltering in front of goal, it looked like being a frustrating night until Alvarez struck. That City would need such late heroics from the bench seemed unlikely as they controlled the first half. The presence of Rodri, who is currently serving a domestic ban, brought a noticeable calm that was missing in his absence in Saturday’s defeat at Wolves. Yet it was Rico Lewis, playing alongside him in midfield, who caught the eye with his determination to win possession and some driving runs. Lewis had City’s first serious opportunity after a nice turn in the area but his shot was blocked. Foden drove the ball back across goal from the rebound but Bernardo Silva, returning to the side after injury, failed to turn it in at the far post. City’s opener came after 25 minutes from another attack instigated by Lewis. The lively youngster pushed forward and played a one-two with Silva before pulling back for Foden in the area. The England international met it with a first-time shot that bounced beyond Janis Blaswich. City pushed for a second before the break, with Haaland twice breaking free on the left but the Norwegian first shot wide and was then denied by Blaswich. It was not until the final minute of the first half that Leipzig had an effort on goal when Openda’s long-range shot was deflected over and City reached the break looking completely untroubled. All their good work was undone within moments of the restart as Jack Grealish misplaced a pass and they were caught by a Leipzig counter-attack. Yussuf Poulsen released Openda with a pass from the centre circle and the Belgium international raced through to beat Ederson with a low shot that went in off the base of the post. Haaland threatened to restore City’s lead when he fired wide and then spurned an even better chance when he missed the target from a Foden cross. Foden went closer when he curled a free-kick against the bar from a wide angle but Haaland’s frustration continued as he shot at Blaswich and skewed another effort over. City were caught on the break again but were reprieved when Emil Forsberg failed to find a colleague in the box and Ederson needed to punch clear after substitute Timo Werner broke free. Pep Guardiola’s changes made the difference as Doku teed up Alvarez to clip a fine shot over Blaswich from the edge of the area. Doku then put the seal on victory when he finished off a quick break in injury time as Leipzig paid the price for pushing players forward. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Bill Sweeney believes English rugby is ‘on cusp of something quite spectacular’ England career igniting convinced me to sign new Saracens deal – Ben Earl Local boys Dan Burn and Sean Longstaff score as Newcastle stun PSG