Noni Madueke had punished debutant Abdukodir Khusanov’s error inside two minutes, but City hit back to level through Josko Gvardiol before half-time. A mistake from Robert Sanchez then allowed Erling Haaland to put Pep Guardiola’s side ahead, before Phil Foden crowned a 3-1 victory.

It is, for both Chelsea and Manchester City, a very important match indeed. But it is also a ‘here’s what you could have won’ moment for Pep Guardiola and City — Cole Palmer ’s return to his former club a subplot that is impossible to overlook.