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FULL TIME: And then the referee ends the confusion and blows the final whistle. Chelsea lose a close one, 2-1.

90+5min: At the other end, Mount takes a snapshot, but the referee blows up for something (offiside? foul?). No one knows what’s going on.

90+3min: Goal, Sterling. Game set match, as Tomori doesn’t get his header correct and Sterling is in space to turn and beat Kepa. VAR checks ... and disallows the goal! LOL.

90+2min: Mount goes for goal (just like he describes in the recent video about himself), and just misses the top corner!

90+1min: Gundogan in the book for a tactical foul on Kanté, breaking beyond him. Free kick 30 yards out, Mount to take.

90min: Willian almost finds Pulisic running in from the left, but Fernandinho plays his angles correctly and gets there first.

89min: Batshuayi offside, he’s lucky he’s not within arm’s reach of Lampard. Foden then wins the ball off Kanté, which is just silly.

86min: Kepa catches a Mahrez cross, but everyone’s back and there’s no chance to build quickly. Chelsea do eventually get out, but a long ball from Mount doesn’t reach James and City have the ball back.

82min: Chelsea look to be breaking in behind and Mount plays in Batshuayi, but he loses his footed and City have a goal kick, much to Lampard’s frustration.

81min: Willian’s rasping long-range effort is tipped over by Ederson, and for some reason the referee gives a goal kick.

80min: Great play from Tomori to stop De Bruyne on the counter attack, after Batshuayi couldn’t hold the ball at the other end.

77min: The free kick is hit the near post where it’s half-cleared. Foden tries a first-time side-footed effort from the loose ball, but it’s wide.

76min: City have a couple corners that Chelsea defend well enough. But Kanté’s called for a push on Sterling wide left, as City have a free kick. Meanwhile, Jesus is on for Agüero, who has picked up a knock.

73min: Double-change from Lampard as Batshuayi replaces Abraham, and Mount replaces Jorginho as Chelsea switch to a 4-2-3-1.

71min: Pulisic twists and turns and finds Abraham, but his shot is blocked by Fernandinho, who then wins a foul off Abraham to complete the clearance.

68min: Jorginho sprays wide to James, who gets his cross in past Mendy. City only half clear and Willian pounces on the loose ball, but he goes for the spectacular first-time shot and it’s high and wild and not close.

67min: Foden on for David Silva for City. Silva’s straight down the tunnel with an apparent knock.

65min: Chelsea survive as Azpilicueta makes another heroic block and Kepa makes a big save on Mahrez. De Bruyne’s corner is then cleared, but City have it back and well in control.

61min: Jorginho first in the book for an obvious professional foul on De Bruyne in the center. Chelsea had been on the break after James won the ball, but Pulisic’s pass was just behind Willian and City could intercept.

59min: James on for Emerson, as Azpi switches to the left. But it’s City who are on the attack, as Chelsea scramble to close down Sterling, then Mahrez, then De Bruyne. The latter settles for an aimless cross and Chelsea can build, but give it away after crossing midfield.

57min: Willian dallies on the ball in midfield and City win it back and break. Mahrez settles for a long shot, which is blocked. Then Tomori blocks Aguero’s shot, then cross, and Chelsea can clear through Kanté at last.

56min: City have a corner, which Tomori heads behind. Mahrez curls the second one in, and it’s a set play that finds Cancelo on the run for a free shot. It looks goalbound until Azpi clears off the line!

53min: Kanté finds space and plays wide to Willian, but he takes an extra touch and gets his shot blocked. Chelsea maintaining a bit of possession afterwards, and a reverse ball from Willian finds Azpi in space and onside in the area. His cutback finds Kanté, but his shot only finds a City leg. Willian’s corner is cleared.

51min: Rodri looks unable to continue for some reason for City. Gundogan’s on in his stead.

48min: City looking confident at the start of the half, keeping Chelsea at arms’ length. Mahrez goes on a little run from the right, cutting across repeatedly outside the area, and eventually taking aim from 20 yards out. The shot goes wide; Kepa had it covered anyway.

46min: City get us back underway; no changes for either side.

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HALF-TIME: Chelsea’s strong opening 20-25 minutes were more than answered by City, who lead 2-1 at the half.

45+2min: Abraham turns expertly at the halfway line, and plays Pulisic down the left. His cross finds Willian, but he can’t find space for a shot. Chelsea work the ball around, but Kanté’s cross is blocked and there’s no time to take the corner.

45+1min: City overplay their hand on a 3-v-3 break after yet another midfield giveaway, as Sterling lets the ball run thinking he’s offside.

43min: Massive mistake from Kepa as he mis-hits his goal kick straight to Agüero, but he hits the crossbar with the net empty, and Chelsea can scramble the ball away.

41min: City carve through Chelsea’s defense, and only a despairing Tomori can prevent Agüero from tucking home a goal. The crowd bay for a penalty, but replays agree with the referee’s no-call. Tomori looks to have hurt his shoulder in the process but seems okay to carry on.

39min: Good work from Kovacic in the middle sees Willian get on the ball down the right flank. He creates space for a cross, but it’s a bit behind Abraham making the near post run and City can clear.

37min: GOAL, MAHREZ. Great indivisual player from Mayhread, who cuts inside between Emerson and Kovacic, and hits a shot that goes between Tomori’s legs, past the fingertips of Kepa, and inside the far post. 2-1, City.

36min: De Bruyne in acres of space again. He winds up the left foot and unleashes a powerful drive ... that just misses the top corner.

35min: Fantastic break from Chelsea, again lead by Willian, who eventually picks Emerson for his pass. His cross from the byline is horrendous, but Kanté retrieves on the far side. Pulisic’s next to cross, but he overhits it as well.

33min: City now in the ascendancy, and De Bruyne and Agüero combine to create danger in the area. Solid defending from Tomori and awareness from Kepa prevents the danger from turning into a goal.

29min: GOAL, DE BRUYNE. Chelsea had been dominating possession, but Fernandinho intercepts a pass ahead of Abraham and City can break, finding De Bruyne in space. He sits down two with a fake shot, then takes aim with his left. Kepa looks to have it covered, but Zouma’s deflection takes it into the back of the net. 1-1, against the run of play.

27min: Chelsea maintaining a bit of possession, much to the locals’ frustration.

24min: City win a corner, after Pulisic is called for a weak foul, that Stones heads tamely wide. City win another corner quickly after Chelsea lose the ball, but De Bruyne mis-hits a cross and Chelsea have a goal kick.

21min: GOALLLLLLL KANTÉ!!!! He’s been making that run through the center all game, and this time he’s found by Kovacic, who had played a lovely 1-2 with Jorginho to create space. Kanté takes a perfect touch, holds off Mendy, and bundles the ball over the line past the defender and the goalkeeper. 1-0, CHELSEA!!!

19min: Great passing on the right touchline has Chelsea breaking beyond Chelsea’s midfield through Willian. He threads a ball across to Emerson in space; he chooses a shot that’s easily saved, much to the frustrations of Pulisic and Abraham making the near and far post runs, respectively.

18min: More good work from Pulisic and Abraham in the center, with the former driving at the backline and chipping over them for Abraham to turn and try to have a shot. Abraham’s tackled on his turn, but he had strayed just offside on the initial pass from Pulisic.

15min: Strong work from Pulisic and Abraham gets Chelsea going forward. Kante and Willian combine in the right channel to win a corner. City can’t clear and Tomori finds the loose ball. His left-footed snapshot just misses the near post, and he slams the turf with his fist in frustration.

12min: Kovacic and Jorginho getting a bit too fancy in playing out; Chelsea get away with it, but just. A bit of midfield scrap breaks out, before City settle for a bit of possession.

11min: Kovacic finds Kante making a good right through the center, but a disappointing touch means he has to cut back. His layoff is to Abraham, who tries a first time curling effort with the goalkeeper off his line, but it’s well wide.

10min: Pulisic tries a cross from the byline that’s headed clear just ahead of an arriving Willian at the far post. Chelsea recover the ball high and wide right, but Willian’s cross doesn’t find a target.

9min: From the goal kick, Ederson spots Agüero all alone behind the defensive line and finds him with the goal kick. Agüero looks to be in 1-v-1, but the referee stops play as the ball was moving when Ederson hit it. Bit lacking in awareness there from the Chelsea defense, losing track of Agüero.

8min: Abraham wins the ball on the high press and releases Willian down the right channel. He takes aim ... and just misses the far post by a hair, just like De Bruyne 4 minutes prior. Unlucky.

6min: Chelsea break through Pulisic, but then slow it down. He eventually gets back on the ball, but is crowded out just as he’s about to break into the area. At the other end, City break behind the midfield line, but De Bruyne pulls back and Chelsea can clear.

4min: After trading bits of sleepy possession, Fernandinho breaks the lines with a pass to Agüero who lays it on for De Bruyne. He bursts into the area, takes aim ... and just misses the far post by a hair. Letoff for Chelsea.

KICK-OFF: Chelsea, in all Blue, get as underway. City in the home baby blue with white shorts and white socks win possession back in about 30 seconds.

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And here it is, the main event of the day.

Highly anticipated, possibly quite scary, possibly most glorious.

Can Chelsea score a big win over a big team on a big occasion?

Let’s find out!

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Manchester City starting lineup (4-2-3-1):
Ederson | Mendy, Fernandinho, Stones, Cancelo | Rodrigo, Silva (c) | Sterling, De Bruyne, Mahrez | Agüero

Substitutes from: Bravo, Walker, Gundogan, Jesus, Angeliño, Otamendi, Foden

Chelsea starting lineup (4-3-3):
Arrizabalaga | Emerson, Tomori, Zouma, Azpilicueta (c) | Kovačić, Jorginho, Kanté | Pulisic, Abraham, Willian

Substitutes from: Caballero, James, Christensen, Mount, Pedro, Batshuayi, Giroud

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Date / Time: Saturday, November 23, 2019, 17:30 GMT; 12:30pm EST; 11pm IST
Venue: Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England
Referee: Martin Atkinson

On TV: Sky Sports Main Event (UK); NBC, Telemundo (USA); Start Sports Select HD1 (India); Canal+ Sport 2, SuperSport 3 (NGA); elsewhere
Streaming: Sky GO (UK); NBC Sports Live, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo (USA); HotStar (India); DStv Now (NGA)

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Be excellent to each other, and party on, dudes!