Manchester City vs. Chelsea: Score and Reaction from 2016 Premier League Match
Chelsea flexed their muscles in the race for the Premier League title on Saturday. They came from behind to beat Manchester City, who finished the game with nine men, 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium and move four points clear at the top of the table.
Referee Anthony Taylor’s decision not to send off Chelsea defender David Luiz for a foul on Sergio Aguero looked to be the big moment of the first period, before Gary Cahill sliced Jesus Navas’ cross into his own goal in first-half stoppage time.
City missed a plethora of chances to double their advantage after the break, before Diego Costa punished their profligacy with an excellent goal after 60 minutes. Willian, a second-half substitute, capped a blistering counter-attack to put the visitors ahead 11 minutes later, and Eden Hazard wrapped up the win in the last minute.
Tensions boiled over in stoppage time. A frustrated Aguero was red-carded for a high tackle on Luiz, as was his team-mate Fernandinho, who shoved Cesc Fabregas.
The early stages of the match were primarily played in the middle third of the field as both sides sought to establish themselves. And for all the classy attacking players on show, it was a physical affair.
As Greg Johnson of Squakwa Football noted, City’s Fernandinho was assuming the role of hatchet man in the midfield battle:
The Brazilian thought he’d become goalscorer, too, as he headed Kevin De Bruyne’s fizzing free-kick past Thibaut Courtois only to see the linesman correctly flag for offside. Within seconds, Eden Hazard was played through at the other end, although after beating Claudio Bravo, the angle closed, and he was unable to find a team-mate with his cutback.
After a cagey opening to the contest, the high defensive lines being played by both sides meant chances started to come frequently. As did a moment of major controversy.
Another lofted ball over the top looked set to release Aguero, and Luiz stepped across the line of the forward, blocking him off and prompting howls of derision from the City supporters. However, Taylor decided not to award a foul and what would have been a certain red card.
As Jonny Singer of the Daily Mail noted, the match official seemed to second-guess himself on what would have been a crucial moment:
Before the break, it was City who applied the pressure, with Aguero seeing his goalbound shot expertly blocked by Cesar Azpilicueta. He then headed wide from a De Bruyne cross. A goal looked to be coming, and Chelsea eventually caved in comical style.
On the stroke of half-time, Navas raided down the right and put a routine ball into the box. At the near post, Cahill swung wildly with his right foot, and it ricocheted beyond Courtois.
ESPN’s Richard Jolly hailed the work the City man had done, albeit inadvertently:
The game continued to ebb and flow after the break, with De Bruyne shooting straight at Courtois after great work from Leroy Sane. Then Costa snatched his shot wide after Victor Moses had threaded him into the right channel of the penalty area.
There was another hairy moment for Cahill, too, as he allowed Aguero to nip in ahead of him and round the Chelsea ‘keeper. The England international redeemed himself, though, recovering well to deflect the forward’s shot off the line.
De Bruyne then missed the best chance of the lot. After Navas found him with a cross, the goal was gaping for the Belgian eight yards out, but he spooned his shot against the bar.
Almost inevitably, they were made to pay. On the hour-mark, Cesc Fabregas found Costa with a pinpoint long ball. From there, the forward controlled expertly, bustled Nicolas Otamendi out of the way and finished powerfully.
Bleacher Report’s Sam Tighe enjoyed it:
City continued to fly forward after Chelsea restored parity, but the Blues always maintained a threat on the break. Indeed, just seconds after Ilkay Gundogan burst into the area at one end, Antonio Conte's side were celebrating taking the lead at the other.
Costa again was involved as he held the ball up and played Willian through on goal, and the Brazilian finished in emphatic style to send the Chelsea fans behind the goal wild.
As the Chelsea Twitter feed noted, the forward and his compatriot added a classy touch in their celebration, paying tribute to the victims of Monday's Chapecoense air disaster:
The Etihad was stunned, and City manager Pep Guardiola turned to his bench in search of inspiration, with Yaya Toure and Kelechi Iheanacho being introduced. In turn, that left more space for visitors to launch their counter-attacks forward.
It meant a hopeful punt forward from Marcos Alonso in the 90th minute turned into an expert through ball to Hazard. After outstripping Clichy, the Belgium international calmly wrapped up the points for the visitors.
Anger spilled over for City late on, as Aguero scythed down Luiz recklessly. He was shown a red card for his challenge, and in the ensuing scuffle, Fernandinho was also dismissed for pushing Fabregas into the crowd.
While the defending on show from both teams left much to be desired at times, the intensity and attacking quality showcased for the course of 90 minutes made for enthralling viewing. The match was littered with breathless moments and thrilling segments of football.
City will lament their missed chances and would have surely killed the game had they managed to snaffle a second after the break. But Chelsea are a burgeoning force of nature under Conte and showed the kind of resilience needed to go all the way in what’s set to be a pulsating title race.
Post-Match Reaction
Afterwards, Costa spoke to Sky Sports (h/t BBC Sport) about the tactical acumen of the team and his own improved discipline. "We are working very well tactically, everyone knows what we have got to do," the forward said. "...I want to be on the pitch, and I want to be cool."
Per the same source, Conte hailed the fighting spirit of his players afters this stunning fightback. "I think today was very tough, and the game was open until the end," the Italian said. "There were lots of chances for both teams to score. I saw lots of character from my team, and that's very important to grow. But we must continue to work and improve."
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