(Pre-season) Manchester City 5 Chelsea 3
The Londoners failed to satisfy their American fans as City, days after launching a Major League Soccer franchise in New York, showed a determination to make their mark in the Big Apple.
A well-taken double by Samir Nasri and further goals from Gareth Barry, James Milner and Edin Dzeko secured victory but Chelsea contributed to an entertaining encounter with a Ramires double and Juan Mata's free-kick.
The final whistle brought to an end Napoli-linked Benitez's tenure as interim boss.
The club were unwilling to comment on reports that Jose Mourinho, who is leaving Real Madrid this summer, has already agreed a deal to return to Stamford Bridge for a second spell.
As they had in the meeting between the two clubs in St Louis on Thursday, Chelsea had the majority of the support in the 39,462 crowd at one of baseball's most famous venues.
That was clear evidence of the progress they have made in the US in recent years and what City must hope to emulate.
Chants of "Let's go Chelsea", however, indicated they were playing to a different sort of support than back home.
City began with purpose, as if well aware of the importance of selling themselves to their audience.
They attacked with vigour and their passing was slick, and with the aid of some poor Chelsea defending, they were ahead inside four minutes.
Oscar gave the ball away to Sergio Aguero and although Hilario palmed away his shot, Barry was on hand to tap in.
They could have been 3-0 up inside six minutes as Sergio Aguero narrowly failed to connect with an Aleksandar Kolarov cross and Pablo Zabaleta shot at Hilario.
Chelsea wanted a penalty when Fernando Torres went down under a Dedryck Boyata challenge but the tackle was clean and Demba Ba thought he had scored - as did thousands of fans - when his shot hit the side-netting.
City got their second when Nasri lobbed Hilario from a Milner pass.
Torres had an effort from a corner disallowed because a second ball was on the pitch and Joe Hart palmed the retaken corner onto the bar.
Aguero and David Luiz were involved in a controversial clash in last month's FA Cup semi-final and it seemed needle remained with an argument before the break that continued as the players walked off.
Chelsea pulled a goal back within a minute of the restart as Ramires raced onto a long ball from Luiz to score.
Ramires then had a deflected effort cleared off the line by Milner, who struck at the other end after combining with Dzeko.
Dzeko was again involved as Nasri grabbed the fourth with a neat dink. Mata gave fans hope of a comeback with a superb free-kick eight minutes from time but Dzeko rifled one in from long range and almost beat substitute Petr Cech again moments later.
MAN CITY v CHELSEA
2012/2013 Sun 24 Feb Man. City 2 - 0 Chelsea Premier League
Sun 25 Nov Chelsea 0 - 0 Man. City Premier League
Sun 12 Aug Chelsea 2 - 3 Man. City Charity Shield
2011/2012 Wed 21 Mar Man. City 2 - 1 Chelsea Premier League
Mon 12 Dec Chelsea 2 - 1 Man. City Premier League
2010/2011 Sun 20 Mar Chelsea 2 - 0 Man. City Premier League
Sat 25 Sep Man. City 1 - 0 Chelsea Premier League
2009/2010 Sat 27 Feb Chelsea 2 - 4 Man. City Premier League
Sat 05 Dec Man. City 2 - 1 Chelsea Premier League
2008/2009 Sun 15 Mar Chelsea 1 - 0 Man. City Premier League
Sat 13 Sep Man. City 1 - 3 Chelsea Premier League
2007/2008 Sat 05 Apr Man. City 0 - 2 Chelsea Premier League
Sat 27 Oct Chelsea 6 - 0 Man. City Premier League
2006/2007 Wed 14 Mar Man. City 0 - 1 Chelsea Premiership
Sun 20 Aug Chelsea 3 - 0 Man. City Premiership
2005/2006 Sat 25 Mar Chelsea 2 - 0 Man. City Premiership
Wed 28 Dec Man. City 0 - 1 Chelsea Premiership
2004/2005 Sun 06 Feb Chelsea 0 - 0 Man. City Premiership
Sat 16 Oct Man. City 1 - 0 Chelsea Premiership
2003/2004 Sat 28 Feb Man. City 0 - 1 Chelsea Premiership
Sat 25 Oct Chelsea 1 - 0 Man. City Premiership
2002/2003 Sat 22 Mar Chelsea 5 - 0 Man. City Premiership
Sat 19 Oct Man. City 0 - 3 Chelsea Premiership
2000/2001 Sat 19 May Man. City 1 - 2 Chelsea Premiership
Sun 03 Dec Chelsea 2 - 1 Man. City Premiership
1995/1996 Tue 12 Mar Chelsea 1 - 1 Man. City Premiership
Sat 23 Dec Man. City 0 - 1 Chelsea Premiership
1994/1995 Wed 08 Mar Man. City 1 - 2 Chelsea Premiership
Wed 31 Aug Chelsea 3 - 0 Man. City Premiership
1993/1994 Sat 30 Apr Man. City 2 - 2 Chelsea Premiership
Mon 22 Nov Chelsea 0 - 0 Man. City Premiership
Tue 26 Oct Man. City 1 - 0 Chelsea League Cup
1992/1993 Sat 09 Jan Chelsea 2 - 4 Man. City Premier League
Sun 20 Sep Man. City 0 - 1 Chelsea Premier League
1991/1992 Sat 28 Mar Man. City 0 - 0 Chelsea First Division
Wed 01 Jan Chelsea 1 - 1 Man. City First Division
1990/1991 Sat 09 Feb Man. City 2 - 1 Chelsea First Division
Sat 22 Sep Chelsea 1 - 1 Man. City First Division
1989/1990 Wed 21 Mar Man. City 1 - 1 Chelsea First Division
Sat 28 Oct Chelsea 1 - 1 Man. City First Division
1988/1989 Sat 18 Mar Man. City 2 - 3 Chelsea Second Division
Tue 20 Sep Chelsea 1 - 3 Man. City Second Division
1986/1987 Sat 14 Mar Man. City 1 - 2 Chelsea First Division
Sat 18 Oct Chelsea 2 - 1 Man. City First Division
1985/1986 Sat 08 Mar Chelsea 1 - 0 Man. City First Division
Sat 05 Oct Man. City 0 - 1 Chelsea First Division
1983/1984 Fri 04 May Man. City 0 - 2 Chelsea Second Division
Sat 03 Dec Chelsea 0 - 1 Man. City Second Division
1978/1979 Sat 20 Jan Man. City 2 - 3 Chelsea First Division
Sat 16 Sep Chelsea 1 - 4 Man. City First Division
1977/1978 Fri 05 May Chelsea 0 - 0 Man. City First Division
Sat 26 Nov Man. City 6 - 2 Chelsea First Division
1974/1975 Sat 12 Apr Chelsea 0 - 1 Man. City First Division
Sat 05 Oct Man. City 1 - 1 Chelsea First Division
1973/1974 Sat 09 Feb Chelsea 1 - 0 Man. City First Division
Sat 22 Sep Man. City 3 - 2 Chelsea First Division
1972/1973 Tue 27 Mar Man. City 0 - 1 Chelsea First Division
Sat 26 Aug Chelsea 2 - 1 Man. City First Division
1971/1972 Sat 18 Mar Man. City 1 - 0 Chelsea First Division
Sat 21 Aug Chelsea 2 - 2 Man. City First Division
1970/1971 Sat 17 Apr Man. City 1 - 1 Chelsea First Division
Sat 10 Oct Chelsea 1 - 1 Man. City First Division
1969/1970 Sat 20 Dec Chelsea 3 - 1 Man. City First Division
Sat 06 Sep Man. City 0 - 0 Chelsea First Division
1968/1969 Sat 11 Jan Man. City 4 - 1 Chelsea First Division
Sat 02 Nov Chelsea 2 - 0 Man. City First Division
1967/1968 Tue 16 Apr Chelsea 1 - 0 Man. City First Division
Fri 12 Apr Man. City 1 - 0 Chelsea First Division
1966/1967 Sat 11 Feb Chelsea 0 - 0 Man. City First Division
Sat 01 Oct Man. City 1 - 4 Chelsea First Division
1961/1962 Sat 07 Apr Chelsea 1 - 1 Man. City First Division
Sat 18 Nov Man. City 2 - 2 Chelsea First Division
1960/1961 Sat 08 Apr Man. City 2 - 1 Chelsea First Division
Sat 19 Nov Chelsea 6 - 3 Man. City First Division
1959/1960 Sat 02 Apr Chelsea 3 - 0 Man. City First Division
Sat 14 Nov Man. City 1 - 1 Chelsea First Division
1958/1959 Sat 04 Apr Chelsea 2 - 0 Man. City First Division
Sat 15 Nov Man. City 5 - 1 Chelsea First Division
1957/1958 Wed 04 Sep Man. City 5 - 2 Chelsea First Division
Wed 28 Aug Chelsea 2 - 3 Man. City First Division
1956/1957 Sat 09 Mar Chelsea 4 - 2 Man. City First Division
Sat 08 Dec Man. City 5 - 4 Chelsea First Division
1955/1956 Sat 11 Feb Man. City 2 - 2 Chelsea First Division
Sat 01 Oct Chelsea 2 - 1 Man. City First Division
1954/1955 Sat 22 Jan Chelsea 0 - 2 Man. City First Division
Sat 11 Sep Man. City 1 - 1 Chelsea First Division
1953/1954 Mon 19 Apr Man. City 1 - 1 Chelsea First Division
Fri 16 Apr Chelsea 0 - 1 Man. City First Division
1952/1953 Wed 29 Apr Chelsea 3 - 1 Man. City First Division
Sat 13 Dec Man. City 4 - 0 Chelsea First Division
1951/1952 Wed 26 Dec Man. City 3 - 1 Chelsea First Division
Tue 25 Dec Chelsea 0 - 3 Man. City First Division
1949/1950 Sat 25 Feb Man. City 1 - 1 Chelsea First Division
Sat 08 Oct Chelsea 3 - 0 Man. City First Division
1948/1949 Mon 18 Apr Chelsea 1 - 1 Man. City First Division
Fri 15 Apr Man. City 1 - 0 Chelsea First Division
1947/1948 Mon 29 Mar Man. City 1 - 0 Chelsea First Division
Fri 26 Mar Chelsea 2 - 2 Man. City First Division
1937/1938 Sat 02 Apr Man. City 1 - 0 Chelsea First Division
Sat 20 Nov Chelsea 2 - 2 Man. City First Division
1936/1937 Wed 03 Feb Chelsea 4 - 4 Man. City First Division
Sat 26 Sep Man. City 0 - 0 Chelsea First Division
1935/1936 Thu 26 Dec Chelsea 2 - 1 Man. City First Division
Wed 25 Dec Man. City 0 - 0 Chelsea First Division
1934/1935 Sat 27 Apr Chelsea 4 - 2 Man. City First Division
Sat 15 Dec Man. City 2 - 0 Chelsea First Division
1933/1934 Sat 21 Apr Man. City 4 - 2 Chelsea First Division
Sat 09 Dec Chelsea 1 - 2 Man. City First Division
1932/1933 Wed 03 May Man. City 1 - 4 Chelsea First Division
Sat 17 Dec Chelsea 3 - 1 Man. City First Division
1931/1932 Sat 16 Apr Man. City 1 - 1 Chelsea First Division
Sat 05 Dec Chelsea 3 - 2 Man. City First Division
1930/1931 Sat 21 Mar Man. City 2 - 0 Chelsea First Division
Sat 15 Nov Chelsea 2 - 0 Man. City First Division
1927/1928 Sat 24 Mar Chelsea 0 - 1 Man. City Second Division
Sat 12 Nov Man. City 0 - 1 Chelsea Second Division
1926/1927 Sat 30 Apr Chelsea 0 - 0 Man. City Second Division
Sat 11 Dec Man. City 1 - 0 Chelsea Second Division
1923/1924 Wed 30 Apr Chelsea 3 - 1 Man. City First Division
Sat 05 Apr Man. City 1 - 0 Chelsea First Division
1922/1923 Sat 07 Apr Chelsea 1 - 1 Man. City First Division
Sat 31 Mar Man. City 3 - 0 Chelsea First Division
1921/1922 Sat 25 Mar Man. City 0 - 0 Chelsea First Division
Sat 18 Mar Chelsea 0 - 0 Man. City First Division
1920/1921 Sat 22 Jan Man. City 1 - 0 Chelsea First Division
Sat 15 Jan Chelsea 2 - 1 Man. City First Division
1919/1920 Sat 10 Apr Man. City 1 - 0 Chelsea First Division
Sat 03 Apr Chelsea 1 - 0 Man. City First Division
1914/1915 Sat 26 Dec Man. City 2 - 1 Chelsea First Division
Fri 25 Dec Chelsea 0 - 0 Man. City First Division
1913/1914 Sat 28 Mar Chelsea 1 - 0 Man. City First Division
Sat 22 Nov Man. City 2 - 1 Chelsea First Division
1912/1913 Sat 01 Mar Chelsea 2 - 1 Man. City First Division
Sat 26 Oct Man. City 2 - 0 Chelsea First Division
1908/1909 Sat 26 Dec Chelsea 1 - 2 Man. City First Division
Fri 25 Dec Man. City 1 - 2 Chelsea First Division
1907/1908 Sat 04 Apr Man. City 0 - 3 Chelsea First Division
Sat 07 Dec Chelsea 2 - 2 Man. City First Division