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Chelsea take leap forward in 4-4 draw with Man City – ARN News Centre
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Chelsea’s rip-roaring 4-4 draw with Premier League champions Manchester City on Sunday sent a resounding signal that Mauricio Pochettino’s new-look side are finally finding their feet after a faltering start to the season.
The Blues came from behind three times at Stamford Bridge and their never-say-die spirit was rewarded when Ruben Dias slid into substitute Armando Broja and former City striker Cole Palmer thumped home the penalty in the 94th minute.
That last-gasp leveller was nothing less than the hosts deserved from a game which saw City take the lead via an Erling Haaland penalty before Chelsea went 2-1 up with goals from Thiago Silva and Raheem Sterling only for Manuel Akanji to make it 2-2, all before halftime.
Haaland restored City’s lead a minute into the second half but 20 minutes later Nicolas Jackson pounced to make it 3-3. Rodri seemed to have won all three points for City with a deflected 86th-minute shot, before Palmer’s late penalty.
Stamford Bridge erupted in celebration under a downpour at the final whistle, even if the point left the Londoners in 10th place in the table.
They have now only won once in their last 14 home league games, a run stretching back into their disastrous 2022-23 campaign.
But those statistics speak of the Blues recent past – which has included home defeats to Nottingham Forest and Brentford – whereas the talk on Sunday was of what might lie ahead, coming on the heels of Monday’s 4-1 win at Tottenham Hotspur, albeit against a nine-man Spurs.
Pochettino said his “project from zero” with Chelsea’s newly and expensively rebuilt squad was progressing and he hoped the draw against City represented two steps forward after more hesitant progress earlier in the season.
“Still far away, away in the distance,” Pochettino said when asked about Chelsea’s evolution. “That is the process, that is a different moment to this period.
“Of course, this type of performance, we need to use for the future and we can go step by step and maybe jump two steps.”
“You face a team that for me is the best team in the world and there were many things that happened during the game that made me proud, the way we managed the game was really good.”
City coach Pep Guardiola was effusive in his praise of his opponents who had failed to even score against City in their previous six league and cup encounters, all of which were won by the Sky Blues.
The last time Chelsea beat City was in the Champions League final in 2021. Their fortunes have diverged sharply since then with City winning the Premier League twice and the Champions League this year while Chelsea’s form was so bad last campaign they fired coaches Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter.
“They are a fantastic team with an experienced manager with a traditional club with a lot of titles in the last 20 years,” City coach Pep Guardiola told BBC radio. “They are starting to build something new from now on.”
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Indian chess star Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu produced a brilliant final-round victory to win Norway Chess 2026, capping a dramatic finish to one of the year’s most prestigious tournaments.
Entering the final day half a point behind leader Wesley So, Praggnanandhaa knew only a win would give him a realistic chance of claiming the title. The 19-year-old delivered under pressure, defeating Vincent Keymer with the white pieces to secure the full three points and surge to first place.
The victory lifted Praggnanandhaa to 18 points, enough to overtake Wesley So and clinch the Norway Chess crown in Oslo.
So, who had led the standings heading into the final round, drew his classical game against Alireza Firouzja before winning the Armageddon tiebreak. However, the extra points were not enough to keep him ahead of the charging Indian grandmaster.
Firouzja completed a strong campaign to finish third overall.
Elsewhere, world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen signed off in style with a classical victory over reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju, delighting home fans with a final-round win.
Final Standings
- Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu – 18 points
- Wesley So – 17 points
- Alireza Firouzja – 15.5 points
Assaubayeva dominates women’s event
In the Norway Chess Women’s tournament, Bibisara Assaubayeva completed a dominant campaign to secure the title after having already wrapped up first place with a round to spare.
The final day featured three decisive classical games, eliminating the need for Armageddon tiebreaks.
Women’s world champion Ju Wenjun handed Assaubayeva her first classical defeat of the tournament, while Zhu Jiner defeated Humpy Koneru to secure second place overall. Anna Muzychuk also ended her campaign on a high note with a victory over Divya Deshmukh to finish third.
Norway Chess women’s final standings
- Bibisara Assaubayeva – 16.5 points
- Zhu Jiner – 16 points
- Anna Muzychuk – 15 points
Praggnanandhaa’s triumph marks another major milestone in the young Indian grandmaster’s rapidly rising career and further strengthens India’s growing influence at the highest level of world chess.
The battle for the Norway Chess 2026 title is set for a thrilling finish after a dramatic Round 9 left three players firmly in contention heading into the final day in Oslo.
Tournament leader Wesley So maintained his narrow advantage after drawing his classical game against Magnus Carlsen before winning the Armageddon tiebreak to secure valuable extra points.
The standout result of the day came from Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, who defeated reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju with the black pieces. The victory earned Praggnanandhaa three points and moved him to within half a point of the tournament lead.
Meanwhile, Alireza Firouzja kept his championship hopes alive by overcoming Vincent Keymer in Armageddon after their classical game ended in a draw.
With one round remaining, Wesley So leads the standings on 15.5 points, followed by Praggnanandhaa on 15 points and Firouzja on 14.5 points, setting up a nail-biting conclusion to the tournament.
Assaubayeva seals women’s title
In the women’s competition, Bibisara Assaubayeva secured the Norway Chess Women 2026 title with a round to spare.
Assaubayeva drew her classical game against Anna Muzychuk, who later claimed the Armageddon win. However, the result was enough to guarantee Assaubayeva an unassailable lead at the top of the standings.
The only decisive classical result in the women’s event came from Zhu Jiner, who defeated Divya Deshmukh to move into second place.
Elsewhere, Humpy Koneru and Ju Wenjun drew their classical encounter before Ju Wenjun claimed the Armageddon victory.
After Round 9, Assaubayeva tops the women’s standings with 16.5 points, ahead of Zhu Jiner on 13 points and Anna Muzychuk on 12 points.
Praggnanandhaa wins Norway Chess 2026 title after stunning comeback
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