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Manchester City ended a run of three successive defeats against Chelsea by beating the Blues 1-0 at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Saturday.
Pep Guardiola’s side dominated the game but could not add more shine to the scoreline. A combination of some good saves from Edouard Mendy and some poor finishing from the Manchester City attackers made the scoreline look respectable.
Manchester City dominated possession and pinned Chelsea to their own half for large periods of the game before finally taking the lead through a deflected Gabriel Jesus strike in the second half.
Chelsea looked threatening at times on the break, but Romelu Lukaku was largely starved of the ball and failed to test Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson.
Several Manchester City players impressed against Chelsea, so without further ado, here's a look at the top five.
#5 Aymeric Laporte
Aymeric Laporte’s distribution from the back was as impeccable as ever, and he rarely put a foot wrong against the pace and strength of the Chelsea attack.
The Spanish international attempted 71 passes and completed 70 of them. He also remained calm whenever Chelsea tried to press Manchester City while they played out from the back.
Along with Ruben Dias, he was solid at the back and neutralized the Chelsea threat, preventing the Blues from registering a single shot on target.
#4 Ruben Dias
Heading into the game, all the talk was about how the Manchester City defense would fare against the Chelsea attack. While City's backline had performed fairly well entering this game, that's primarily because they had hardly been tested in the Premier League.
Dias put in a commanding display at the back against Chelsea. Manchester City played a high line to keep the pressure on Chelsea in the first half, and Dias’ front-footed defending was crucial.
The Portuguese centre-back was assured with his passing too as he helped City easily negotiate the Chelsea press and play out from the back.
Although there were moments when Lukaku threatened with his hold-up play and Timo Werner drove at the Manchester City defense, Dias, along with Laporte, often had the last laugh.
#3 Joao Cancelo
Joao Cancelo seems to relish playing as an inverted full-back, with Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola placing a lot of trust in the Portuguese ace.
Cancelo was not only a key player in attack, but he also did not shy away from his defensive responsibilities against Chelsea.
Reece James’ injury perhaps made Cancelo’s life a bit easier as Cesar Azpilicueta did not have the same impact on the break. That allowed Cancelo to stay in the attacking third without the fear of being overrun by a player of James’ speed and agility.
No Manchester City player completed more dribbles (three) than Cancelo. He tracked back efficiently and preserved the shape on the transitions as he finished the game with an impressive four interceptions; the highest among all the players on the pitch.
#2 Gabriel Jesus
The first half showed exactly what Manchester City have lacked at times this season – a clinical goal-scorer who can finish moves. While Gabriel Jesus has been touted to play in that role, he left a mark on the right wing in this game.
The Brazilian pressed from the front and his work rate set the tone for the Sky Blues as Chelsea failed to get out of their own half for the majority of the game.
Although he could have had more than just the one goal, he put in a good display that will please Pep Guardiola. The goal will also give him a bit of confidence as Manchester City need their attackers to be in good goal-scoring touch.
#1 Rodri
N’Golo Kante has arguably been the best defensive midfielder of the season so far, but Manchester City’s Rodri put in a stellar display in the middle of the park on Saturday.
The Spaniard was spot on with all of his tackles spot on, and his passing was solid as Chelsea struggled to press and dispossess him.
Despite boasting good pace and strength in their attack, no Chelsea player was able to dribble past Rodri. Ruben Dias and Aymeric Laporte finished with a combined one tackle, which shows how well they were protected by Rodri and the rest of the midfield.
Manchester City fans will perhaps wonder more than ever why Rodri was left out of the Champions League final against the same opposition a few months ago.
