“They have few chances and they scored from them ”, Pep Guardiola – 03/12/2016.
Goals; Cahill (OG 45');Costa (60'), Willian (70'), Hazard (90')
Line Up (3-4-2-1) (match ratings in brackets);
Bravo (4)
Kolorov (5)
Otamendi (5)
Stones (5.5)
Navas (7.5)
Fernandinho (6.5, Red Card 90')
Sane (7), (Clichy (4) 69')
Gündogan (6.5), (Toure 5.5), 76')
Silva (6.5)
Agüero (6.5, Red Card 90')
De Bruyne (6.5)
Stats;Possession, 61%/39%; Shots, 14(5)/10(4); Fouls, 14/9
Referee; Anthony Taylor (-5)
Line Up (3-4-2-1) (match ratings in brackets);
Bravo (4)
Kolorov (5)
Otamendi (5)
Stones (5.5)
Navas (7.5)
Fernandinho (6.5, Red Card 90')
Sane (7), (Clichy (4) 69')
Gündogan (6.5), (Toure 5.5), 76')
Silva (6.5)
Agüero (6.5, Red Card 90')
De Bruyne (6.5)
Stats;Possession, 61%/39%; Shots, 14(5)/10(4); Fouls, 14/9
Referee; Anthony Taylor (-5)
Firstly City should have won the game with or without Chelsea being on the favourable end of some hugely controversial refereeing from Anthony Taylor, in what even in this season of ridiculously poor refereeing, was quite frankly an appalling display.
Of the three game changing moments in the match, Taylor was involved in two. His failure to step up and take the big decision when Luis took out Aguero when free on goal in the 36', was just plain cowardice. Eight minutes later and Kante takes out Gundogan in the box, less clear cut but certainly would have been given as a foul if it hadn't been inside the penalty area. These are the big decisions that top referees are paid big money to make and Taylor simply did not have it in him ... make your own minds up as to why.
So when Gary Cahill shinned Navas' cross into his own net on 45', it was the least City deserved at that point. Though on another day Chelsea would have been down to ten men and already 1-0 down.
Then came the third decisive moment. Chelsea had already been let off the hook a couple of times; the most significant when Aguero latched onto defensive lapse by Alonso and should really have cut the ball back rather than shoot. Then City broke on the right and Navas squared a beautiful ball to De Bruyne, which the Belgian skied over the bar when it was much easier to score from 5 yards out.
And from that point City's Achilles heal, its wayward defence, became the heart of a collapse rarely seen at the Etihad. Goals from Coast, WIllian, and Hazard were all on the break and all through lack of foresight and pace by City's defenders. Bravo again proved that he's not a shot stopper barely twitching and the three efforts went past. Clichy, brought on to shore up things defensively was perhaps the biggest problem alongside Otamedi and Kolorov's insistence on playing in midfield.
The press will now delight in informing us of Chelsea's dominance, where in actuality City should have buried them. But they didn't, and whilst the tactics and wonderful football are not accompanied by the required composure in front of goal, they do not allow for a set of defenders as poorly drilled and as lacking in discipline as City's back line. Something needs to change and it needs to change quickly in that back five.
The two red cards at the end were a direct result of the poor refereeing previously, Luis had already hurt Aguero on a further two occasions when the Argentine overran the ball and mistakenly thought he could exact some revence with a wild kick out towards the ball but intended for Luis. Fernandhino had received a slap from Fabregas before his chase of the Spaniard cause him to fall theatrically over an advertising hoarding. In the cold light of Sunday morning these will both look indefensible considering the damage the accompanying three match bans will have on City's run into Christmas, but in the moment they were understandable frustration. Again its noteworthy that not a single Chelsea player received any punishment in the melee following Aguero's challenge. #CTID
@l0ngwayfr0mh0me
