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Chelsea and Manchester City faced each other before the new season in the Community Shield at Wembley on Sunday. New Chelsea Coach Maurizio Sarri was missing a few big names and put up a competitive side from the player that was available.
He started with veteran Caballero in goal, with Azpilicueta, Rudiger, David Luiz and Alonso set up in a back four.
His midfield comprised of Fabregas and Barkley partnering new man Jorginho in a three-man midfield. Morata led the attack, with Pedro and Hudson-Odoi on the sides.
Pep Guardiola also set up his team in a similar 4-3-3. Bravo started in goal, whereas Walker, Stones, Laporte and Mendy made up his defence.
Bernando Silva and youngster Phil Foden started alongside Fernandinho in the midfield, whereas in the attack, there was an eagerly anticipated debut of Mahrez in City colours. The Algerian teamed up with Aguero and Sane to complete the City line up.
Both teams started well, with City looking the better side right from the start. Mahrez looked full of desire and Sane was stretching the game. For Chelsea, Jorginho and Barkley started the game strong. However, City grew in confidence with every passing minute and went ahead through a well-taken Aguero goal in the 13th minute.
Chelsea tried to play in the counter, but City was strong, as they managed to keep danger man Jorginho quiet and that was where the game was lost for Chelsea. T
he first half ended 1-0. Chelsea was out of the blocks quickly in the second half, but Aguero all but settled the game with his second goal in the 58th minute.
City had 18 shots on goal compared to Chelsea’s 5. 9 of those 18 shots from City were on target, while Chelsea only had a couple on target. In the end, Pep Guardiola’s side were too strong for Sarri’s boys and City deservedly won the Community Shield.
In a battle of wits between two very tactical Managers with very similar playing style, we look at five points from the game.
#5 Jorginho needs a defensive partner
Jorginho started as the deep-lying playmaker for Chelsea's and he was quite good in the role initially.
However, since both Fabregas and Barkley contributed nothing to the defensive side of the game, Jorginho was caught out more than once, especially by Bernando Silva.
Jorginho is not a defensive midfielder, so he needs a defensive partner who will compliment his capacity to influence the game. Even in this game initially, unless Jorginho joined the attack, the Chelsea players looked clueless.
As the game progressed, City kept the Brazilian so busy in defending that his talents could not come to the fore. The Brazilian did show his tenacity with a perfectly timed tackle to stop a City counter from a Chelsea corner, but it is just a part of his game.
He is, inherently, a playmaker, a midfield general who can dictate the tempo of the game and plan how to crack the opposition open.
Sarri will know this better than others and this is why he will be desperate for Kante to arrive and build a partnership with Jorginho
#4 Chelsea need to hold on to Hazard and Courtois
Sarri started with Pedro and Hudson-Odoi to partner Morata in the attack and none of them were effective.
Pedro was poor and didn’t contribute too much going forward. Mendy regularly joined in attack, because the Spaniard had not given him any cause of concern.
On the other side of the field, Hudson-Odoi did give Walker a few moments of worry and the youngster certainly has the potential to do well. But he lacks the consistency and the decision-making abilities that are required at this level of the game and he is just a teenager.
These are things that will come with practice and experience, so he will be one for the future. Cabellero could not do much about the goals and he did force Aguero to move wide when clear on goal once, but he is not a replacement for Courtois by any measure.
As such, it is clear that Hazard is Chelsea's, main man. Coming off a stellar World Cup, the Belgian will be crucial for Sarri's system and he has the bit of magic that is required to unlock these games.
Also, with Hazard on the field, Jorginho will have the target to aim those glorious balls to, which was a facet of the Brazilian's game that was missing on Sunday.
As such, Chelsea will be looking to hold on to their main stars with all their might until the transfer window closes.
#3 Sarri’s philosophy might take time to flourish at Chelsea
Every new coach needs time to instill his playing style and philosophy into his squad. Pep Guardiola got a year where Manchester City won nothing and it has done wonders for them. Sarri might require some time to convert Conte’s team to Maurizio Sarri’s team and it is understandable.
Given the competitive nature of the Premier League, instant results are a thing of the past. David Luiz, accustomed to Conte's back three, looks uncomfortable as a part of a back two and City exposed him quite often.
There was a lack of pressing off the ball, which is an intricate part of Sarri’s philosophy, in the Chelsea midfield and Sarri will be looking at Kante to solve that issue.
Morata contributed almost nothing to the game and his form remains a concern, but Chelsea does have Giroud coming back as a World Champion.
Even without many of his first eleven, Sarri took on Guardiola in his own game. City had 53% possession and attempted 586 passes with 89% accuracy.
Chelsea, even with less possession, attempted 525 passes with 87% accuracy. This should give hopes to Chelsea fans even in defeat.
Once Sarri has his full squad at his disposal, Chelsea will definitely be better, but it shall take time.
#2 Sergio Aguero looks ready for the next season
Aguero had a disappointing World Cup campaign, where he scored two goal in five games, as Argentina were knocked out in the Quarter Finals by eventual Champions France.
But he seems to have put all the despondency behind and on Sunday, he showed the World what a brilliant player he is.
He instantly hit it off with Mahrez and his clever runs freed up the Algerian on quite a few occasions.
The first goal was a showcase of his finishing skills, as he had the composure and the awareness of the goalkeeper’s position, to put the ball beyond Caballero. It was his 200th goal for the club and he definitely is a City Legend.
His missed a great chance to double the lead when he was sent through and tried to round off the keeper but ended up hitting the side netting.
He continuously stretched the Chelsea defense and ultimately made up for his earlier miss, when he scored a fine second to take the game beyond Chelsea’s reach.
Pep will be delighted with his goals as well as his overall performance and Aguero will be raring to go in the new season.
#1 Manchester City look like a formidable Pep Guardiola team
The depth of City's squad is phenomenal. Bernando Silva and Phil Foden will be playing only a handful of games this season, but in this game, one could be forgiven for thinking that they were City’s first choice midfield.
Bravo did nothing to impress though and there should be no debate regarding who is the first choice goalkeeper. However, what will concern the rest of the teams in the league the most, is that every player looks to be well drilled in Pep Guardiola’s philosophy.
Everyone is comfortable on the ball and everyone wants the ball. Foden kept it simple, allowing the more talented players around him to run the show, but he was combative when required and showed maturity beyond his years. Sane had a quiet game, but Bernando Silva ensured that he covered well for the German.
The Portuguese was brilliant as a part of the midfield and will have please Guardiola with his performance. And new signing Mahrez was lively, displaying his beautiful first touch and passing abilities and giving Alonso a tough time in the first half.
Without the ball, Guardiola’s team pressed and did not give Chelsea any room and when they had the ball, City’s transition from defense to attack was mesmerizing. Make no mistake, Pep Guardiola’s City is preparing to hit a higher gear this season.
