Chelsea caretaker boss Calum McFarlane praised his players’ resilience and unity after they overcame a turbulent week to secure an unexpected 1-1 draw at title-chasing Manchester City.
Enzo Fernandez struck a stoppage-time equaliser at the Etihad Stadium to earn Chelsea a point, days after the shock departure of head coach Enzo Maresca on New Year’s Day. The result dented City’s Premier League title ambitions and rewarded a disciplined, defiant display from a Chelsea side widely written off before kick-off.
Tijjani Reijnders’ first-half goal had put City on course for victory as Pep Guardiola’s side aimed to close the gap on leaders Arsenal, but Chelsea’s late response ensured the spoils were shared and left City six points adrift at the summit.
McFarlane, the club’s Under-21 coach who was thrust into the role of interim manager at short notice, successfully navigated a daunting assignment against the reigning champions. However, he was quick to deflect credit onto his players.
“There’s a lot of change that’s gone on,” McFarlane said. “Enzo was incredibly successful with this group and some of them were shocked by the decision.
“So the character they’ve shown in the last two days, and again today Reece, Tosin, Enzo they’ve really dragged the group together. Everyone thought we were coming here to lose. No one thought we stood a chance.
“But we knew the character and the talent in this group, and they’ve really pulled it through. I can’t speak highly enough about the characters in the group.”
Chelsea are expected to confirm Liam Rosenior as Maresca’s successor, potentially before Wednesday’s trip to Fulham, with McFarlane likely to return to his academy role. Rosenior is currently in charge of Chelsea’s sister club Strasbourg, and speculation has suggested McFarlane could move to France as part of the reshuffle.
“That’s the first I’ve heard of that,” McFarlane said. “When I first took this job, I was told I would take the Manchester City game. There’s a chance the new manager will be in on Monday.”
For City, the draw compounded recent frustrations following a midweek goalless stalemate at Sunderland and came at a physical cost. Defenders Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias were both forced off injured, joining John Stones on the sidelines and deepening Guardiola’s defensive concerns.
“We have a lot of injuries,” Guardiola said. “John Stones is missing for I don’t know how many months. Ruben will be out, Josko will be out, and we know Nathan cannot play regularly. It’s the situation we stay strong and we will find a solution.”
Asked whether January reinforcements could be part of that solution, Guardiola was cautious. “I don’t think so, but we’ll see what happens,” he said.
Despite the late setback, Guardiola felt his side had done enough to win the game.
“We were extraordinary in all departments except we could not score the second or the third or the fourth,” he said. “In the second half they had nothing to lose and in the end they found their reward.”
For Chelsea, the draw represented more than just a point it was a statement of resolve during a week of upheaval and a reminder of the squad’s underlying quality and leadership.
