Manchester City 1-2 Chelsea: 5 hits and flops as Marcos Alonso scores at the death to leave City's champagne on ice | Premier League 2020-21

Hit: Kurt Zouma (Chelsea)

Kurt Zouma was key in stopping Raheem Sterling's effort in the dying moments of the game.

Andreas Christensen's injury turned out to be a boon for Chelsea, as Kurt Zouma came on and produced a superb outing in defence. He played a key role in Chelsea holding on to their win by thwarting Raheem Sterling twice in the dying moments of the game.

Kurt Zouma certainly has his limitations as a centerback but if I had to pick one guy to make a last ditch chase down slide tackle to save me, I'm picking him every time.

— Kieran Doyle (@KierDoyle) May 8, 2021

The Frenchman was hot on the trail of Sterling;s marauding and brought him down inside the area right before he could make a shot. In their second duel, Sterling appealed for a penalty, but the referee waved it off as Zouma got another vital block in his bag.

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Flop: Benjamin Mendy (Manchester City)

Benjamin Mendy (right) was outpaced by James on the night.

Manchester City's defence was all over the place against Chelsea. But one player who particularly made life difficult for City was Benjamin Mendy, whose lapse in concentration and lack of pace at the break was disconcerting.

Chelsea's Reece James left Mendy in the dust several times. The latter's offensive plays were nothing spectacular either, as his crosses were too heavy, or they went begging.

It was no surprise to see Guardiola hauling off Mendy for Zinchenko.

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Hit: Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea)

Cesar Azpilicueta was at his defensive best against Manchester City.

Last but certainly not least, Cesar Azpilicueta was at his defensive best against Manchester City. He showed that he could be the most influential player even in a squad of young and exciting talents.

Cesar Azpilicueta's game by numbers for Chelsea vs. Man City:100% passing accuracy in opp. half100% aerials won97 touches (most)73 passes completed (most)9 duels won (most)5 tackles (most)3 clearances (most)3 aerials won (most)2 interceptions (most)1 assistWow. 🤩 pic.twitter.com/tziN6CvnKo

— Squawka Football (@Squawka) May 8, 2021

The Chelsea captain played a big part in keeping Manchester City at bay. He read the game brilliantly, making three clearances. Moreover, he also made an impact at the other end as well by producing a sumptuous cut-back for Hakim Ziyech to level proceedings on the night.