The Etihad Stadium was a cauldron of tension on January 4, 2026, as Manchester City appeared poised to secure a vital three points against a managerless Chelsea side still reeling from Enzo Maresca’s abrupt departure. With the clock ticking into the 94th minute and City leading 1-0 courtesy of Tijjani Reijnders’ first-half thunderbolt, Pep Guardiola’s men looked set to narrow the gap to Premier League leaders Arsenal.
Then came the chaos that no one – least of all Guardiola – saw coming.
Malo Gusto, Chelsea’s energetic right-back, surged forward one last time and whipped in a dangerous low cross from the right flank. The ball took a slight deflection off Nathan Aké, evading substitute Liam Delap in the center and finding its way to Enzo Fernández lurking at the far post.
What followed was a frantic scramble that will be replayed endlessly: Fernández’s initial effort was a scuffed mis-kick that bobbled toward goal. His second, a more composed close-range prod, forced an astonishing point-blank save from Gianluigi Donnarumma – the Italian goalkeeper throwing out a strong hand to deny what seemed a certain equaliser. Many goalkeepers would have been beaten twice over, but Donnarumma’s reflexes kept City ahead… for mere seconds.
The rebound fell kindly back to Fernández, who reacted quickest amid the six-yard box melee, bundling the ball home at the third time of asking. The net bulged, the away end erupted, and the Etihad fell into stunned silence.
It wasn’t a “bizarre last-second decision” from Donnarumma in the sense of a reckless rush out or poor positioning – rather, it was a moment of sheer persistence from Fernández capitalizing on a rebound after the keeper’s world-class stop. Yet, for City fans, it felt like a cruel twist: their £100m+ summer signing from PSG had pulled off a miraculous save only for the ball to fall straight back into danger.
Pep Guardiola’s reaction was priceless and instantaneous. The Catalan, usually a picture of animated intensity on the touchline, froze in disbelief as the ball hit the net. Hands on hips, staring blankly at the pitch, he appeared speechless – a rare sight for a manager who’s seen it all. Moments later, as Chelsea players mobbed Fernández, Guardiola turned away, shaking his head in frustration, his body language screaming exasperation. Sky Sports cameras captured it perfectly: the man who has masterminded multiple trebles looked utterly deflated, knowing those dropped points could prove costly in the title race.
Post-match, Guardiola remained composed but couldn’t hide the sting: “We were extraordinary in all departments, except we could not score the second, the third or the fourth.” He refused to blame a loss of control, insisting, “They scored a goal and that is why you analyse the result.” But the injuries piling up – Josko Gvardiol and Rúben Dias both forced off – added to the gloom, with Guardiola admitting uncertainty over Rodri’s fitness for the next game.
For interim Chelsea boss Calum McFarlane, in his first-ever senior match (against Guardiola, no less), it was a dream debut. The Under-21s coach praised his players’ resilience: “Stuff you dream about – Pep Guardiola, Premier League game, amazing.” The point lifts Chelsea into the European spots amid their turmoil, while boosting Arsenal’s lead to six points.
Social media exploded with the clip of Guardiola’s frozen reaction going viral – memes of him “aging 10 years in 10 seconds” flooded X, alongside praise for Donnarumma’s save (“Keeper of the season contender”) and Fernández’s never-say-die spirit.
In a season defined by fine margins, this 94th-minute madness encapsulated it all: heroic goalkeeping, opportunistic finishing, and one manager left staring into the abyss as his title hopes took another hit.
