- Sergio Aguero opened the scoring for Manchester City against Chelsea in the 32nd minute
- Diego Costa held back by Chelsea team-mates as he advanced on Fernandinho after copping an elbow
- John Terry was replaced by Jose Mourinho for the first time in 177 matches, replaced by Kurt Zouma at the break
- Vincent Kompany doubled City's lead and his season's tally with a header from a corner in the 79th minute
- Controversially still on the pitch, Fernandinho's drive from range killed the game off in the 85th minute
By Martin Samuel for the Daily Mail
Sergio Aguero, quite magnificent. David Silva, simply stunning. Yaya Toure, immense. Yet that defence. That Manchester City defence. They were, well, Chelsea. There really is no other word for it. City were Chelsea-like in their resilience. They are the team to beat this season, make no mistake of that.
Yes, it is early. Long way to go, all the usual clichés. But this was a performance that made a powerful statement about the way City have grown in just a year. It is more than the addition of Raheem Sterling to an already stellar forward line. He worked hard and adds a threat, but is still finding his feet after the move from Liverpool.
This was about the rest of them: players who were here last season, yet strangely subdued. Toure, engaged again, a midfield monster; Eliaquim Mangala and Vincent Kompany, refusing to be bullied by Diego Costa; Fernandinho, looking the best he has since powering Shakhtar Donetsk through Europe; Aleksandar Kolarov, arguably the best left-back in the Premier League right now. We knew City would be an attacking force this season, but the defence was a worry. No longer. This was a match that revealed a new depth to Manuel Pellegrini’s side.
MATCH FACTS, PLAYER RATINGS, PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE AND MATCH ZONE
- MANCHESTER CITY 4-2-3-1: Hart 7, Sagna 7, Mangala 7.5, Kompany 8, Kolarov 8, Toure 8, Fernandinho 8, Navas 7 (Nasri 65mins 6.5), Silva 8, Sterling 7.5 (Demichelis 79'), Aguero 8.5 (Bony 83')
- Subs not used: Caballero, Zabaleta, Clichy, Iheanacho
- Manager: Manuel Pellegrini 8.5
- Booked: Kompany, Fernandinho, Mangala, Toure
- Goals: Aguero 34, Kompany 79, Fernandinho 85
CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): Begovic 7, Ivanovic 5, Cahill 6, Terry 5.5 (Zouma 45), Azpilicueta 6, Ramires 5.5 (Cuadrado 64), Matic 5.5, Willian 5.5 (Falcao 79), Fabregas 6.5, Hazard 7, Diego Costa 6
- Subs not used: Blackman, Mikel, Loftus-Cheek, Remy
- Manager: Jose Mourinho 5
- Booked: Ivanovic, Hazard
- Referee: Martin Atkinson 7
- Attendance: 54.331
They were not flattered by a three-goal winning margin, as Jose Mourinho suggested; if anything Chelsea were the fortunate ones.
Stand-in goalkeeper Asmir Begovic kept them in touch in the first-half and they did not have a shot on target until the 70th minute. This was not a negative performance, but the plan was to hit on the counter, and City just directed that threat down blind alleys.
Costa was belligerent, but little more, expertly marshalled and crowded out in possession and matched physically when he tried to put it about. Eden Hazard was nullified, Cesc Fabregas ineffectual.
John Terry was taken off at half-time with a badly bruised ego and scorch marks. He usually finds a way against quicker men like Aguero, but on Sunday there was none. Hatchet faced on the sideline, Jose Mourinho seemed to know it, too. It was the first time he had substituted Terry in a league game and although Aguero was quieter for the introduction of Kurt Zouma, City then scored two more. Branislav Ivanovic is looking every bit as vulnerable right now, by the way.
Make no mistake, this was a huge result for City and Pellegrini. Mourinho usually beats his big rivals. He draws, at least. His record in these elite clashes is remarkable. If he has the best team, he wins. If he is outgunned, he finds a way around that, throws a blanket over the game, organises, controls, drills his players, leaves nothing to chance. Yet no mere scheme could negate City and only an exceptional first-half display by Begovic prevented this match being done in little more than 30 minutes.
When Begovic signed up to be Thibaut Courtois’ understudy this season he probably didn’t expect to be involved so soon – or be quite so busy. Yet with Courtois banned following his sending off against Swansea last week, it was Begovic in goal for the first marquee game of the campaign, and Begovic versus Manchester City for much of the first-half. The goalkeeper even won an unlikely fan in Aguero, who was so impressed at the way he had been regularly thwarted that he offered a high five salute to his rival. And no doubt some tensely gritted teeth.
For City versus Begovic, read Aguero versus Begovic, in essence. This was a quite wonderful individual duel that began within the first 20 seconds when Silva threaded a pass to the Argentine striker, who sped clear of the back line, one on one. Perhaps the chance came a little too soon and he was rusty, because his finish was ordinary and smartly saved. From the rebound Jesus Navas curled a low shot just wide of the far post.
There followed two quite magnificent, and uncannily similar, saves in the space of two minutes. The first was created by another Kolarov pass that Aguero brought under control superbly before executing a great turn and a low shot, which Begovic kept out with a strong outstretched hand.
From City’s next attack, a Navas cross from the opposite, right, flank was met by Aguero and repelled by Begovic in identical fashion. Even the striker felt moved to admire that one.
It could not last, though. Terry was in trouble against Aguero’s movement, Cahill wasn’t greatly convincing either, and Chelsea ultimately buckled under the sheer weight of City pressure.
In the 31st minute, the team, and its striker, got what they deserved. It was Silva’s firm pass into Aguero that started the move, the striker laying the ball back to Toure and getting it in return almost immediately. There were four Chelsea defenders in the vicinity but it did not trouble him. He turned Cahill, left the rest for dead, and slipped his finish past Begovic into the far corner. An exquisite goal, from an exquisite player and a fair reward for the ambition shown.
Not that the siege was over. In the last attack before half-time a Kolarov cross was met by Mangala, who should have done better with his glancing header. It provoked Begovic’s sole false step of the half, missing the ball with his punch but connecting with Cahill’s nose, the player laid out and requiring several minutes treatment.
This, of course, brought Chelsea’s medics haring onto the field, much to the merriment of the locals, following the fall-out from the row and demotion of the previous pitchside team, Eva Carneiro and Jon Fearn.
The Gibraltarian doctor had her name chanted, Mourinho was cursed with equal feeling and, then, Costa was flattened by a wild forearm from Fernandinho – meaning Manchester City’s medical staff had to come to the aid of Chelsea’s stricken striker. More larks.
Amid the laughter, Mourinho will have quietly noted that his point about the danger of being reduced to nine men by pitchside treatment was vindicated by what happened next.
As Cahill and Costa waited behind the white lines to return, a Chelsea free-kick broke down and City counter-attacked with numerical advantage, stifled only by a magnificent rearguard action from Willian. Told you, Mourinho might have thought. Not that he was in any position to score points.
Not that he didn’t try. He described the outcome as fake, claiming Chelsea were the better team in the second-half. They were certainly better than in the first but, frankly, they couldn’t fail to improve.
Cesc Fabregas had their only shot, wide, after 42 minutes, and their first of real purpose came 28 minutes later when Costa cut the ball back to Hazard, who shot straight at Joe Hart. It was at this point, just when Chelsea were beginning to threaten on the counter-attack, that Kompany finished them off.
EA SPORTS DISTANCE STATS |
|||
MINS
|
KM
|
MILES
|
|
Manchester City |
105.5
|
65.5
|
|
David Silva
|
90
|
11.3
|
7.0
|
Aleksandar Kolarov
|
90
|
10.2
|
6.4
|
Fernandinho
|
90
|
10.1
|
6.3
|
Chelsea
|
112.5
|
69.9
|
|
Nemanja Matic
|
90
|
11.6
|
7.2
|
Cesc Fabregas
|
90
|
11.60
|
6.9
|
Cesar Azpilicueta
|
90
|
10.1
|
6.3
|
Costa clutches his head with both hands and grimaces after the arm of Fernandinho catches him during an aerial challenge
GRAHAM POLL: MOURINHO'S CLAIM CITY SHOULD HAVE HAD TWO RED CARDS IS OVER THE TOP
Chelsea can’t ever seem to lose a game without laying some blame on a match official.
But referee Martin Atkinson had a fine game. One could look at the elbow by Fernandinho on Diego Costa just before half time — which certainly angered the Chelsea striker — but given the way referees dealt with incidents such as this throughout last season Atkinson was consistent in showing a yellow card to the City player.
Jose Mourinho claimed in his post-match TV interview that City should have been reduced to nine men and although they had a total of four yellow cards his comment was completely over the top.
The Chelsea manager blamed his medical team for their naivety last week and expects us to be equally naive in listening to his post-match spin. Next week Chelsea need to win or perhaps the fans will be at fault.
It was a Silva corner from the left that did the damage, Kompany all over Ivanovic, before flicking a header past Begovic to put the result beyond doubt.
Chelsea may claim their man was fouled, but there is so much wrestling in the penalty area these days – and Ivanovic is such a master of it – that it is hard to feel much sympathy.
After his shocker against Jefferson Montero of Swansea last week, Ivanovic’s confidence looks shot.
He was poor for the third too – the one that gave the scoreline real emphasis – slow to react to the advancing Silva and dispossessed, the ball flying to Fernandinho, who finished it sharply.
On the touchline, Mourinho looked as if a migraine was kicking in. He has one point from two matches, the poorest return of any Premier League champions at the start of the season. Is there a doctor in the house?
