By the very high standards he has set, managing top teams and players over the years, Pep Guardiola is a man who hardly regrets the decisions he makes on or off the pitch.
But last season's treble-winning coach must definitely have left the Stamford Bridge Stadium last Sunday with a few regrets following the outcome of his team, Manchester City's draw with Chelsea.
On the basis of recent form, City were easily the team favoured to run away with victory against Chelsea who have seemed to battle indifferent form in recent seasons.
City were poised to extend their lead on top of the league table after last season's title-chasing rivals, Arsenal caught up with them following their convincing 2-0 win over Burnley at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
City were only ahead on goals difference as they both shared the same number of points --27 -- on top of the log.
So, a straight win would have shot them forward by at least three more points before the international break.
And they looked very much in the frame to achieving that as they took the lead in just the 25th minute following a controversial penalty scored by Erling Braut Haaland. But Chelsea had replied almost immediately by scoring through Thiago Silva two minutes later to level the scores.
Chelsea would soon go ahead when they scored again from the most unlikely source -- Raheem Sterling!
The England international who had been sold by Guardiola to Chelsea in the summer of 2022 had been considered surplus to requirements at Manchester City despite several years of meritorious service to them.
But like one who had something to prove, Sterling had been brutal in the way he made the most of a Reece James' cross to beat Ederson in goal for the lead.
Sterling profited from Josko Gvardiol's mistake to score in the 37th minute to put Chelsea in the drivers' seat.
But the first half was not about to end without some further drama. Defender, Manuel Akanji had stole from behind to score from a perfectly weighted Bernardo Silva pass to draw City level during the added time of the first half.
Chelsea had hardly settled into the second half before City struck again. Haaland had again rose to the occasion to turn a Julian Alvarez pass into Chelsea's net, thus scoring his second goal of the match.
The goal coming just two minutes into the second half was a major setback for the Blues who were faced with the unenviable task of chasing the game again after they had fortuitously led through Sterling's 37th minute goal.
But Chelsea were not done yet. They, too, had some aces up their sleeves and did not hesitate to use them. Ivorian star, Nicholas Jackson -- the man who scored a hattrick in Chelsea's famous 4-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur barely a week before -- would again steal the show as he pounced to make scores 3-3 in the 67th minute.
For the neutrals, the end to end spectacle of uninhibited attacking football was a beauty to watch. But for fans of both teams, it was sheer agony as an outright loss was a clear possibility.
At 3-3 with the clock ticking inexorably towards injury time, any goal scored by any of the team's could end up the likely winner. That was why Manchester City fans celebrated wildly after Rodri latched on to Haaland's pass to score what looked like the winner in the 86th minute. 4-3, the scoreline read.
But there was just one more instalment in the unfolding soap opera as Chelsea again stood up to be counted, albeit fortuitously once again.
Ruben Dias got on the wrong side of the referee when he fouled Chelsea substitute, Armando Broja in the City box to attract a late penalty.
Now, guess who stepped up to take the spotkick? Cole Palmer -- the prodigious talent Guardiola sold to Chelsea for £40million just before the current season began.
Palmer, just like Sterling his former teammate at Manchester City, had stepped forward, gingerly placed the ball on the spot, and calmly slotted home to equalise and end scores at 4-4.
It was an epic finish and a befitting finale to one of the season's most thrilling Premier League games so far.
But Guardiola appeared the most deflated as his dream of opening up a three-point gap ahead his rivals on top of the league did not only suffer a blow, but the manner of the outcome which was orchestrated by players he thought were no longer good enough for his team.
He may have to think very deeply before selling his prized assets, especially to rival Premier League teams next time!
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