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Chelsea were sensational at the Etihad yesterday evening as they managed to shut out Manchester City to claim an impressive 1-0 win and a vital three points.
Branislav Ivanovic’s first-half thunderbolt secured the victory, as the Serb smashed home past Joe Hart and into the corner of the net to give the London side a vital win.
City had previously won 11 out of 11 at home in the league before Chelsea’s visit, but their unbeaten record was unravelled as Jose Mourinho masterminded the narrowest of victories.
The two teams are now level on 53 points in the Premier League table with 14 games left to play and it is fair to say the title race remains wide open.
Key Stats
Manuel Pellegrini’s side dominated proceedings through a 58% share of possession, yet they were still unable to break down a well-disciplined Chelsea side. City – the Premier League’s most potent attack with 68 goals – managed to get just three of an attempted 25 shots on target, while their opponents were accurate from six strikes. The Blues managed 18 efforts in total.
In terms of quality in possession, the home side accumulated a total of 384 passes with a completion rate of 83%. Chelsea, on the other hand, played a mere 181 balls, recording an accuracy of just 74%.
The visitors were forced into making 65 clearances throughout the course of 90 minutes as they sat back, waiting to burst forward on the break. The club defended successfully against 40 City crosses and a total of 10 key passes.
Pellegrini’s team were far superior in terms of the statistics, but Mourinho’s set-up his tactics to perfection. The club executed a counter-attacking style of football to full effect and we witnessed a textbook performance as a result.
Man of the Match
Chelsea’s goalscorer, Branislac Ivanovic, was awarded the Squawka man of the match award following an impressive display against City.
The Serbian’s 25-yard thunderbolt was worthy of winning any game, but he helped to pick up a vital three points for the Blues on this occasion.
An impressive defensive performances saw him win two tackles and four headers, while completing five clearances. He was ever present down the right hand side and he played an important role in limiting the threat posed by David Silva and Aleksandar Kolarov.
With a performance score of 70 points, he finished the match a long way ahead of his closest competitor for the award, Jesus Navas.
Performance Score
Believe it or not, Manchester City’s performance score was superior to that of Chelsea for the entire opening 35 minutes. The home side pushed hard to register the first goal of the match during this period and, until Ivanovic’s 32nd minute strike, they appeared to be the team in the ascendancy.
However, the Serb’s goal changed proceedings considerably and from here on in the away team pushed on to dominate. Chelsea continued to impress throughout the second half and they were unfortunate not to win by a larger margin.
As the final whistle sounded there had been an obvious disparity between the two sides. City registered a performance score of 119 points, compared to the 257 of Chelsea.
Key Observations
Mourinho’s tactics may sometimes come in for criticism, but he does know how to set up a team to get a result and Chelsea’s approach throughout this 1-0 win was perfect.
Central defender David Luiz, playing the holding role in midfield alongside Nemanja Matic, gave the four players in front them – Willian, Eden Hazard, Ramires and Samuel Eto’o – freedom to press and hurry their opponents.
City were without Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho, and the latter’s absence’s was telling with Martin Demichelis left floundering in midfield as his replacement. With disparities between the two teams in the middle, Chelsea were able to capitalise on the home team’s weaknesses.
Hazard Take-Ons vs City (A) – PL 2013/14Eden Hazard in particular dazzled spectators with his skill and industry, whilst the relentless running of Willian and Ramires ensured Chelsea posed the greatest threat. The Belgian won 11 take ons yesterday evening – as many as the entire City team combined – as he reinforced the notion that he can perform on the highest level against the best teams.
New signing, Matic, also excelled in midfield for the away team, dominating matters in the centre of midfield. The Serbian completed 23 passes, 2 interceptions, 11 clearances, 75% headed duel success and won a total 3 tackles. If he continues to put in performances similar to this, his £21 million price tag will not seem so extravagant after all.
Demichelis Tackle Success vs Chelsea (H) – PL 2013/14Yaya Toure struggled alongside Demichelis in front of the defence and ultimately City lacked any invention late on, when they most needed some form of inspiration. The home side were simply outplayed in the midfield and they offered very little in defence.
The centre back partnership of Vincent Kompany and Matija Nastasic looked a shambles compared to their opposite numbers, whilst Aleksander Kolarov and Pablo Zabaleta struggled to make their usual impact.
