In a battle between the second-placed sides in the Premier League and La Liga, Chelsea emerged emphatic winners thanks to goals from 18-year-old Estevao and Liam Delap after a Jules Kounde own-goal had given the 2021 Champions League winners a first-half lead.
The visitors played just over half the encounter a player down following captain Ronald Araujo’s dismissal for two bookable offences on the stroke of halftime.
After stalling last time out — Chelsea being held 2-2 by Qarabag and Barca drawing 3-3 with Club Brugge — both sides came into the match at Stamford Bridge looking to get their campaigns back on track.
Victory propelled Chelsea to fifth in the league phase standings on 10 points.
"It’s a big win, especially because the other team was Barcelona," Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said.
Guardiola surprisingly rested the majority of his stars at the Etihad, Erling Haaland, Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva and Gianluigi Donnarumma all left out of the starting lineup as Man City went down 2-0 to Leverkusen.
A first loss of the campaign for City, coming hot on the heels of Sunday’s 2-1 defeat at Newcastle in the Premier League, leaves the 2023 winners on 10 points.
"I take full responsibility. Still I think the players that started were exceptional players but we missed something needed at the highest level," Guardiola said.
Slack defending allowed Alex Grimaldo the chance to put the away side in front in the 23rd minute, before Patrik Schick glanced in a second-half goal an hour later.
In the south of France, Marseille roared back from an early Ashley Barnes goal to beat Newcastle 2-1 thanks to a second-half Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang double.
Marseille’s Mason Greenwood, who left Manchester United following allegations of attempted rape and sexual assault, the charges for which were dropped by prosecutors in February 2023, was kept quiet by Newcastle in his first time facing English opposition since the allegations.
An injury-time goal by Jonathan David snatched a 3-2 win for Italian giants Juventus in the Arctic Circle against Norway’s Bodo/Glimt.
Sondre Brunstad Fet’s 87th-minute penalty had looked like it had secured a third draw for winless Champions League newcomers Bodo until the Canadian bundled home in the 91st minute.
Serhou Guirassy netted a brace as Borussia Dortmund moved up to fourth with a 4-0 victory over 10-man Villarreal, despite the Germans missing two penalties at the Westfalenstadion.
Serie A champions Napoli beat Qarabag 2-0 at home, while Benfica won by the same scoreline at Ajax.
Union Saint-Gilloise of Belgium won 1-0 away to Galatasaray and Athletic Bilbao played out a goalless stalemate at Slavia Prague. — AFP
