Chelsea vs. Manchester City score, result, highlights from 2021 Champions League final

Simon Borg

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Chelsea vs. Manchester City score, result, highlights from 2021 Champions League final image

Chelsea pulled off the upset in the 2021 UEFA Champions League final, beating Manchester City 1-0 in a tense yet entertaining all-English matchup. It’s the club's second Champions League trophy and first since 2012.

Chelsea’s Kai Havertz picked a fine time to score his first-career Champions League goal, running onto an inch-perfect pass into space from Mason Mount, rounding the ‘keeper and depositing into the back of the net three minutes before halftime.

It was the only goal Chelsea needed, frustrating Manchester City with strong defensive play in the second half — typical of the approach under coach Thomas Tuchel. They would hold the defending English Premier League champions to just one shot on goal the entire match.

American Christian Pulisic also became the first U.S. national team player to feature in a Champions League final when he entered in the 66th minute for Timo Werner. Just minutes after coming in, he narrowly missed a golden opportunity, hitting wide of the target.

"It's incredible. I have no words, I'm so proud," Pulisic told a pool reporter after the match. "I knew I was going to have to put in the hard work defensively. I wish I put away the chance I had. I didn't quite get under it like I wanted. But in the end, this team — we were always going to win this game. I'm just so proud of them.

"I'm just so proud to be here. It's been a difficult road for me. I couldn't imagine winning the Champions League ever in my life and now I'm here. It's just crazy."

Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola introduced a surprise lineup, with central holding midfielders Fernandinho and Rodri starting on the bench. Whether it was the unusual lineup or Chelsea’s play, the Citizens never looked settled in the first half and Chelsea had several looks at goal before the Havertz opening strike.

Man City was dealt a tough blow to start the second half when captain Kevin De Bruyne was forced out of the game with a head injury after a collision with defender Antonio Rudiger. It was an uphill battle without their best attacking player. Guardiola brought on forwards Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus, but they couldn't help their goal-challenged team.

Chelsea owned Manchester City during the stretch run of the season. The Champions League final was the third straight win for the Blues in the head-to-head matchup after winning their final Premier League showdown and the FA Cup semifinal.

Chelsea vs. Manchester City final score

  1H 2H Final
Chelsea 1 0 1
Manchester City 0 0 0

Goals:
CHE - Kai Havertz (Mason Mount) - 42nd min

Chelsea vs. Manchester City live updates, highlights from Champions League final

FINAL: Manchester City 0, Chelsea 1

97th min: It's all over. Chelsea have done it! Give them a lead and they can defend like few teams in the world.

90th min: Seven minutes of added time! Chelsea has looked comfortable defending deep. Hard to see how Man City break through in this one.

88th min: CARD — Gabriel Jesus gets a yellow card for a challenge on Havertz. Frustration foul.

80th min: SUB — Mateo Kovacic comes on for Mason Mount. Chelsea want to lock this one down.

77th min: SUB — Sergio Aguero comes into the game for Raheem Sterling. It's Aguero's final game for Manchester City, whatever the outcome.

73rd min: Pulisic JUST misses scoring! He fed Havertz on the break and he got the ball back but couldn't get it on frame. Ederson did well to close the angle.

66th min: SUB — Christian Pulisic comes on for Timo Werner and makes history: First USMNT player to play in a Champions League final.

64th min: SUB — Fernandinho comes into the match for Bernardo Silva.

60th min: Shout for a Chelsea hand ball by Reece James in the box, but the referee is decisive — no hand ball. Check complete.

59th min: Goodness. The Man City captain has to come off with a head injury. De Bruyne out. Gabriel Jesus comes on for him. Sterling takes the armband.

57th min: Quiet start to the 2nd half. Rudiger collides with De Bruyne and gets a yellow for it. Sergio Aguero warming up for Man City.

46th min: Underway to start the second half. No changes.

HALFTIME: Manchester City 0, Chelsea 1

Halftime: Entertaining first half. Chelsea with the deserved lead. They were on their game — sharp, quick, decisive. Man City looked out of sorts. Tough to second-guess Tuchel on the Pulisic benching after Mount and Havertz combine on the goal.

Thomas Tuchel - Chelsea

42nd min: GOAL — What a pass by Mason Mount into Kai Havertz making a run, he rounds the 'keeper and scores easily. Chelsea up 1-0! It was Havertz's first Champions League goal!

38th min: Thiago Silva injured. He's going to have to come off. Oldest player in a Champions League final. Andreas Christensen replaces him.

37th min: Chelsea had an odd-man break led by Kante. Havertz botches it and Man City left back Zinchenko cleans up.

34th min: CARD — Ilkay Gundogan gets a yellow card for a foul on Mason Mount. And we have a hydration break.

30th min: Another ball to Sterling wide left. No danger on the cross, but Man City are looking for that space between Reece James and Cesar Azpilicueta.

27th min: What a stretching block by Antonio Rudiger in the box. Neutralizes a Phil Foden chance in the box.

26th min: Reece James is having himself a game. Strong play defensively. They're going to need more of it because Man City are coming down that flank.

22nd min: Chelsea has been the better team 20 minutes in. Energetic, good ideas on the ball, quick to attack. Man City are unsettled.

17th min: Of all people to get on a header in the box. It's defensive midfielder N'Golo Kante. But it's off the mark.

14th min: Two shots by Timo Werner in a matter of seconds. He couldn't get around on the first one. Second is stopped for a corner.

10th min: End-to-end stuff here. Timo Werner whiffs on a cross in the box on one end. Sterling sends a cross right through the Chelsea box but doesn't find a teammate.

8th min: First big chance for Man City. Long ball to Sterling and Reece James and Mendy come up big to thwart the opportunity.

1st min: We're underway! Great to have fans in the stadium.

2:57 p.m. ET: Refs lead the starting lineups out on the field.

2:49 p.m. ET: We're close.

2:33 p.m. ET: Get a feel for the energy in the stadium.

2:30 p.m. ET: Here's what Tuchel said about leaving Pulisic out: "Tough choice to leave him out, but very strong from the bench."

2 p.m. ET: If this goes badly for Man City today, we know what everyone will be talking about.

1:56 p.m. ET: Most important appearance of the day right there.

1:49 p.m. ET: Bummer for USMNT fans. But Pulisic will be on eventually.

1:34 p.m. ET: Counting down the minutes.

1:30 p.m. ET: Chelsea legend Didier Drogba rallying his side.

9:03 a.m. ET: The weather in Porto sets up nicely.

MORE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE NEWS:

Chelsea vs. Manchester City starting lineups

The starting lineups are out. Christian Pulisic and Zack Steffen will start on the bench:

Manchester City

Starting Lineup (4-3-3, left to right): Ederson — Oleksandr Zinchenko, Ruben Dias, John Stones, Kyle Walker — Phil Foden, Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva — Raheem Sterling, Kevin De Bruyne (captain), Riyad Mahrez

Available Subs: Zack Steffen-GK, Scott Carson-GK, Nathan Ake, Aymeric Laporte, Eric Garcia, Joao Cancelo, Benjamin Mendy, Fernandinho, Rodrigo, Ferran Torres, Gabriel Jesus, Sergio Aguero

Chelsea

Starting Lineup (3-4-3, left to right): Edouard Mendy — Antonio Rudiger, Thiago Silva, Cesar Azpilicueta — Ben Chilwell, N'Golo Kante, Jorginho, Reece James — Kai Havertz, Timo Werner, Mason Mount

Available Subs: Kepa Arrizabalaga-GK, Willy Caballero-GK, Kurt Zouma, Andreas Christensen, Marcos Alonso, Emerson, Mateo Kovacic, Billy Gilmour, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic, Olivier Giroud

How to watch the Champions League final in USA

  • Time: 3 p.m. ET / noon PT
  • TV channels (English): CBS
  • TV channels (Spanish): Univision, TUDN
  • Live streams: Paramount+, TUDN.TV, fuboTV (free 7-day trial)

CBS and Univision/TUDN will provide English- and Spanish-language coverage of the 2021 UEFA Champions League final with pregame coverage starting at 1:30 p.m. ET on both networks.

Both networks are available to stream via fuboTV as part of a 7-day free trial.

Simon Borg

Simon Borg Photo

Simon Borg is a senior editor at The Sporting News who has covered football/soccer for over a decade. A supporter of Italian club Parma Calcio from his years growing up in Europe, he was previously a long-time member of Major League Soccer's digital media team, as a multimedia content producer, on-air personality, and Editor-in-Chief. Based in New York City, Borg is multilingual and has covered the domestic and global scene for TSN since 2021.