Man City beat Chelsea to start Premier League title defence
Haaland marked his 100th appearance for the club with his 91st goal before Kovacic struck on his return to Stamford Bridge to give Pep Guardiola's men the perfect start to their attempt to win a record fifth consecutive English top-flight title.
City were shorn of all four of their Euro 2024 finalists - Rodri, Kyle Waker, John Stones and Phil Foden - from the start as Guardiola opted to give them extra time off to recover from their summer exertions.
Yet, the champions were still able to lay down a marker against one of the few sides they failed to beat in the league last season. Maresca has the tough task of moulding a functioning team unit from a bloated Chelsea squad that has 43 players and over 50 on the books including those on loan.
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