Manchester City vs. Chelsea: Rating the City Players at the Etihad

Joe Hart: Not particularly overworked and stood little chance after Gary Cahill's shot suffered a deflection on its way toward the goal. 6

Pablo Zabaleta: The tireless Argentine returned to action with a typically effervescent display. His performance was summed up by winning a defensive header in the 90th minute, then embarking on an 80-yard run to support Sergio Aguero. 7

Micah Richards: A switch to centre back restricted the Englishman's foraging runs forward, but he marshaled the threat of Fernando Torres well. He made one vital interception. 7

Kolo Toure: Looked comfortable alongside Richards and deputised for the injured Kompany and Lescott well. 7

Gael Clichy: Ramires kept him busy in the first half with a succession of head-to-head sprints, but grew into an attacking force as the game went on. His overlapping runs became an important weapon as the Blues pushed forward. 7

Yaya Toure: A huge player in every sense. His driving runs forward energised the attack, while his accurate passing rarely wasted possession. He was voted Man of the Match at the stadium. 8

Nigel de Jong: Quick in the tackle and decisive in keeping possession. Sacrificed as the Blues chased the game. 6

David Silva: Not anywhere near his best. The final ball evaded him in a frustrating night for one of the contenders for the Player of the Season award. 5

Samir Nasri: Far and away his best performance in a blue shirt. The Frenchman performed when it really mattered. It was unfortunate to see an early effort ricochet off the crossbar, the match-winning goal was a just reward for an impressive display. 9

Sergio Aguero: Calmly converted a penalty under immense pressure. His touch and pace ensured that the Chelsea defence could never settle for long, even if his finishing from open play was lacking. 8

Mario Balotelli: Should have scored a one-on-one versus Petr Cech. Held the ball up well but spurned his one chance on goal before being substituted at half time. 5

Substitutes:

Edin Dzeko: The Bosnian striker left the bench to change the game last Thursday versus Sporting Lisbon and his presence had a similar impact tonight. Smartly won the corner which led to the penalty. 6

Carlos Tevez: Clearly not match-fit, but had the one moment of quality to provide a sublime assist to Samir Nasri. A very timely return. 7

Gareth Barry: Introduced at the start of the second half to gain control of the midfield. Rarely wasted the ball and his tough-tackling display helped establish a vital win. 7