Erling Haaland breaks XG record during Man City v Chelsea - but not one he'll be proud of

Manchester City dropped two crucial points in their title race against Chelsea on Saturday as Erling Haaland failed to convert any of his three big chances.

Erling Haaland broke an unwanted XG record for Manchester City against Chelsea.

The usually clinical Norwegian star played the full 90 minutes of City's disappointing Premier League draw on Saturday. After the Blues fell behind thanks to a goal from former player Raheem Sterling in the opening 45, City stepped things up in the second half, creating plenty of chances.

Yet Holland, who has scored 22 goals in all competitions this season, has been strangely wasteful in front of goal. And despite midfielder Rodri saving the day for the league champions with a late equaliser, the striker left the field with an embarrassing new record to his name.

The 23-year-old missed three headers that he would normally convert with ease. At one point, he only found space from six yards out but he nodded Kevin De Bruyne's cross well over the bar.

All of Holland's shortcomings resulted in statistics that were the exact opposite of a goal machine. He took nine shots on goal against the Blues, three of them big chances.

He set last year's treble winner for an xG (expected goals) of 1.71 - but no goals to his name. That made him the most XG player in a league game all season without scoring a goal, meaning he just couldn't finish his dinner.

Sterling finished off a brilliant counter-attack to give Chelsea the lead at the Etihad, meeting Nicholas Jackson's cross and cutting inside compatriot Kyle Walker to curl his effort into the net. City held on to a dangerous Mauricio Pochettino side as both Jackson and Sterling went close to adding a second.

On the brink of their first home defeat in the league since November 2022, Rodri stepped into the dying embers, as he did in last year's victorious Champions League final. He struck first-time with a powerful strike, which rounded Trivoh Chalobah with seven minutes of normal time remaining.

It marked the two points dropped by Pep Guardiola in the title race. City fell behind rivals Arsenal and Liverpool in the table, both with emphatic wins earlier on Saturday.