It's the first big battle between two of the heavy weights in the Premier League as the last season's runners-up welcome the Champions. Chelsea didn't have a great run out last week after losing their goalkeeper and dropping 2 points, while Manchester City certainly started with style. They dominated their opening game and came out with a 3-0 to show for it. It will still be an interesting game judging by these games last season which showed off both team's attacking and defensive qualities. In a game like this though, anything could happen.
It was City who came out of the blocks flying and they certainly took the game by the scruff of the neck within the opening minutes of the game. Sergio Aguero, especially, proved to be a big threat to the visitors from the very beginning. Within the first minute, David Silva had slipped a ball through to him, and he got in between the two defenders before forcing Asmir Begovic to make himself big to stop him from scoring. Shortly after, Aleksander Kolarov swings his free kick round to the near post where Aguero almost managed to get his boot to it, but Begovic was placed well to catch the ball anyway.
In the 15th minute, Aguero had another chance in front of goal. His shot was powerful and was heading towards the bottom left corner before Begovic got down to block the shot with his arm. Not even a minute later, Aguero had a similar chance. This time he was on the left corner of the six-yard box and hit the shot with just as much power and Begovic pulled off a similar save to deny him again. Five minutes after this one, Aguero had his fifth chance of the first half after John Terry couldn't deal with a cross into the box at the risk of him scoring an own goal. Aguero failed to sort his feet out quick enough though and the scuffed shot went wide of the post as Begovic closed him down. Aguero even applauded the keeper for his many successful saves against him.
Somewhere between Aguero's quick hat-trick of chances, Chelsea managed to find a foothold in the game. They finally had their first big chance of the game following a Cesc Fabregas free kick which on its first go didn't cause any problems, but City couldn't close the Chelsea players down quick enough. Eden Hazard eventually managed to chip the ball towards Nemanja Matic at the near post, but the midfielder could only direct his header wide of the post. They also had a few long range efforts from outside the box, but it looked like they were finally going to prove a threat to their opposition.
However, even though they had started to look good when moving forward. It was a different story when they came to defending. It took until just after the half hour mark for Aguero to finally get the better of the Chelsea defence. No pressure was put on him from the Chelsea defenders until it was too late, and even then he managed to turn three of the defenders before he calmly slotted the ball into the bottom left of the goal. The goal certainly unsettled Chelsea and they almost came unstuck again just before half time when Kolarov put a brilliant free kick into the box which Eliaquim Mangala got his head to. He chose to just glance the ball onto the target though, not putting enough power behind it, meaning the ball ended wide of the post.
Chelsea did come out for the second half looking like a more confident team. Ramires had an early goal wrongly disallowed after some good build-up play from Chelsea that finally took them past the City defence. Hazard switched the play from right to left before coming in to the centre of the field to slip the ball through to Ramires in the middle of the 18 yard box. He lifted the ball past Hart, but it was quickly disallowed to keep City in the lead. Chelsea had another chance to pull a goal back on the counter attack after City committed too many men forward. Diego Costa lead the attack and almost lost the ball before he pulled it back to Hazard who hit the ball hard, but straight at the keeper and Joe Hart pulls off a great save to prevent the goal.
10 minutes later, the City captain made Chelsea rue the chances that they missed. Silva floated a corner into the near post where Vincent Kompany got the better of Branislav Ivanovic and headed the ball against the inside of the far post to help the ball into the back of the net. It was another poor goal for Chelsea to let in, especially as this goal was extremely similar to the one he scored in his last game. Yaya Toure followed this up a few minutes later with a shot from the edge of the box that curved round as he sent it towards the goal, but Begovic was in the right place to turn the ball away.
Minutes after this, Chelsea defence was given the run around once again as Fernandinho finished off the game for City. It was a City counter attack led by Samir Nasri that started it, but the initial cross into the box was turned away by Juan Cuadrado, who had drifted into the left back position. After a few half chances, the ball landed to Fernandinho outside the box and he hit the ball sweetly and the power of the shot carried it into the bottom left corner of the net. The goal might have been prevented though if Cuadrado had stayed in his defensive position instead of drifting off, and Chelsea fans would argue that Fernandinho was lucky to still be on the pitch after he only saw a yellow card for an elbow on Costa at the end of the first half.
The game ended with Chelsea attacking the City goal in the hopes of simply getting a consolation goal. Costa had his go first but could only direct his shot against the near post, and Radamel Falcao followed this up, but Hart came out of his goal quickly to smother the shot and keep his clean sheet.
So, the defending champions new title challenge has gotten off to a pretty dismal start, and Jose Mourinho will need to think about improving his side's defence if they want to catch up to City in the coming matches. However, it is looking good for City as they challenge for the title this time out after moving 5 points ahead of Chelsea and recording two very convincing, consecutive 3-0 wins. It is still early on though, and anything could happen over the course of the season knowing the Premier League...
It was City who came out of the blocks flying and they certainly took the game by the scruff of the neck within the opening minutes of the game. Sergio Aguero, especially, proved to be a big threat to the visitors from the very beginning. Within the first minute, David Silva had slipped a ball through to him, and he got in between the two defenders before forcing Asmir Begovic to make himself big to stop him from scoring. Shortly after, Aleksander Kolarov swings his free kick round to the near post where Aguero almost managed to get his boot to it, but Begovic was placed well to catch the ball anyway.
In the 15th minute, Aguero had another chance in front of goal. His shot was powerful and was heading towards the bottom left corner before Begovic got down to block the shot with his arm. Not even a minute later, Aguero had a similar chance. This time he was on the left corner of the six-yard box and hit the shot with just as much power and Begovic pulled off a similar save to deny him again. Five minutes after this one, Aguero had his fifth chance of the first half after John Terry couldn't deal with a cross into the box at the risk of him scoring an own goal. Aguero failed to sort his feet out quick enough though and the scuffed shot went wide of the post as Begovic closed him down. Aguero even applauded the keeper for his many successful saves against him.
Somewhere between Aguero's quick hat-trick of chances, Chelsea managed to find a foothold in the game. They finally had their first big chance of the game following a Cesc Fabregas free kick which on its first go didn't cause any problems, but City couldn't close the Chelsea players down quick enough. Eden Hazard eventually managed to chip the ball towards Nemanja Matic at the near post, but the midfielder could only direct his header wide of the post. They also had a few long range efforts from outside the box, but it looked like they were finally going to prove a threat to their opposition.
However, even though they had started to look good when moving forward. It was a different story when they came to defending. It took until just after the half hour mark for Aguero to finally get the better of the Chelsea defence. No pressure was put on him from the Chelsea defenders until it was too late, and even then he managed to turn three of the defenders before he calmly slotted the ball into the bottom left of the goal. The goal certainly unsettled Chelsea and they almost came unstuck again just before half time when Kolarov put a brilliant free kick into the box which Eliaquim Mangala got his head to. He chose to just glance the ball onto the target though, not putting enough power behind it, meaning the ball ended wide of the post.
Chelsea did come out for the second half looking like a more confident team. Ramires had an early goal wrongly disallowed after some good build-up play from Chelsea that finally took them past the City defence. Hazard switched the play from right to left before coming in to the centre of the field to slip the ball through to Ramires in the middle of the 18 yard box. He lifted the ball past Hart, but it was quickly disallowed to keep City in the lead. Chelsea had another chance to pull a goal back on the counter attack after City committed too many men forward. Diego Costa lead the attack and almost lost the ball before he pulled it back to Hazard who hit the ball hard, but straight at the keeper and Joe Hart pulls off a great save to prevent the goal.
10 minutes later, the City captain made Chelsea rue the chances that they missed. Silva floated a corner into the near post where Vincent Kompany got the better of Branislav Ivanovic and headed the ball against the inside of the far post to help the ball into the back of the net. It was another poor goal for Chelsea to let in, especially as this goal was extremely similar to the one he scored in his last game. Yaya Toure followed this up a few minutes later with a shot from the edge of the box that curved round as he sent it towards the goal, but Begovic was in the right place to turn the ball away.
Minutes after this, Chelsea defence was given the run around once again as Fernandinho finished off the game for City. It was a City counter attack led by Samir Nasri that started it, but the initial cross into the box was turned away by Juan Cuadrado, who had drifted into the left back position. After a few half chances, the ball landed to Fernandinho outside the box and he hit the ball sweetly and the power of the shot carried it into the bottom left corner of the net. The goal might have been prevented though if Cuadrado had stayed in his defensive position instead of drifting off, and Chelsea fans would argue that Fernandinho was lucky to still be on the pitch after he only saw a yellow card for an elbow on Costa at the end of the first half.
The game ended with Chelsea attacking the City goal in the hopes of simply getting a consolation goal. Costa had his go first but could only direct his shot against the near post, and Radamel Falcao followed this up, but Hart came out of his goal quickly to smother the shot and keep his clean sheet.
So, the defending champions new title challenge has gotten off to a pretty dismal start, and Jose Mourinho will need to think about improving his side's defence if they want to catch up to City in the coming matches. However, it is looking good for City as they challenge for the title this time out after moving 5 points ahead of Chelsea and recording two very convincing, consecutive 3-0 wins. It is still early on though, and anything could happen over the course of the season knowing the Premier League...
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