Manchester City and Chelsea both suffered crushing defeats by a three-goal margin in the Champions League on Wednesday night, marking a historic low for Premier League clubs in the competition. The results add another layer of drama to the ongoing Champions League knockout stage.
English teams faced a challenging night in the first legs of the Round of 16, kicking off on Thursday, March 12th. While Arsenal was held to a 1-1 draw at Bayer Leverkusen, Chelsea and Manchester City both fell short.
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City returned from Real Madrid with a stinging loss, going down 3-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Chelsea’s night was even more difficult, falling 5-2 to Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes.
Chelsea and Manchester City losing on the same night is unprecedented. Opta reports that This represents the first time two Premier League clubs have lost by 3+ goals on the same day in European Cup/UEFA Champions League history.
2 – This is the first time that two English clubs have lost by 3+ goals on the same day in European Cup/UEFA Champions League history:
PSG 5-2 Chelsea
Real Madrid 3-0 Manchester CityHumbling. pic.twitter.com/DW4iJkw1um
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 11, 2026
These defeats leave Chelsea and City facing an uphill battle to reach the quarter-finals. They will need to overcome significant goal deficits in the second leg.
To advance directly, Chelsea and City must win by a margin of four goals. Alternatively, a three-goal victory for either side would force extra time.
A comeback in the knockout phase remains possible for both City and Chelsea, recalling Liverpool’s remarkable turnaround against Barcelona in the semi-finals of the 2018/2019 season.
Liverpool overcame a 3-0 first-leg defeat at Camp Nou to win 4-0 at Anfield, ultimately lifting the trophy at the end of the competition.
Can Chelsea and Manchester City pull off a similar stunning comeback in the second leg?
(yna/pur)
