Chelsea produced a valiant performance to hold Manchester City to a 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium, with Under-21s boss McFarlane taking charge as caretaker following Enzo Maresca's departure on New Year's Day.
Tijjani Reijnders put City ahead in the first half with a well-struck goal, and the hosts dominated large spells. However, Chelsea grew into the game after the interval and pushed for an equaliser.
Deep into injury time, Enzo Fernandez bundled the ball over the line from close range to level the scores, sparking jubilant scenes among the travelling supporters. The result leaves Chelsea with just one win in their last eight league outings, but this point represents a commendable effort given the circumstances.
City, who fielded a makeshift defence late on as Ake replaced the injured Dias, could not hold on for the victory. McFarlane, in his first senior match, outwitted opposite number Pep Guardiola to secure a hard-earned draw.
