Chelsea vs. Manchester City: 6 Things We Learned

Chelsea were gifted a vital victory in the race for the Premier League title after a defensive mix-up from Joe Hart and Matija Nastasic handed the home side all three points on Sunday.

Inside the first five minutes, Jose Mourinho's men were in front after a quick start; some great work from Fernando Torres down the right allowed him to race into the box and deliver a sensational cross to the incoming Andre Schurrle, who tapped home.

Torres, brimming with confidence at this point, then was unfortunate to see a stunning effort strike the underside of the bar after unleashing a fierce effort from 25 yards out.

But Chelsea were made to pay for their profligacy in front of goal, and Manchester City forward Sergio Aguero used the element of surprise after beating the offside trap to fire past a helpless Petr Cech.

The game was heading toward a stalemate before substitute Willian's ball was not dealt with by the City defence. As Hart came out to meet the ball, Nastasic headed it over his keeper, allowing Torres to swoop in behind and tap home the easiest of chances.

An enthralling encounter at the times, this was the perfect display of two attacking teams unrelenting in their search for success. It led to "Handshakegate" being reignited, with Manuel Pellegrini refusing to shake Mourinho's hand at the final whistle. 

With that, I pick out six things we learned from the match at Stamford Bridge.

Fernando might not be "back," but he's improving

In recent weeks, the media seem have to warmed to the idea that the "Torres of old" could be set for a return. It's unnecessary and quite frankly inaccurate given that before Sunday, Torres had not scored a Premier League goal since December of last year.

But what they were referring to was his European form that has gradually being giving small yet significant boosts to his confidence. Torres now has 16 goals in 31 games for Chelsea in Europe; that's a better record than his time at Liverpool.

And his last-gasp goal epitomised a superb performance against Manchester City. There were concerns that he could revert back to the goal-shy version of himself, spurning a one-on-one chance over the bar with the goal gaping. But the Spaniard picked himself up and fired his effort onto the woodwork, before scoring the winner that visibly meant a lot to the 29-year-old.

It's only a matter of time before the celebrations begin to come more often than not.

First Juan Mata, now David Luiz

He had started the season fairly well, but after his error in judgment against Cardiff City, David Luiz may find it difficult to work his way back into the side.

Gary Cahill, though never spectacular, was solid enough and helped John Terry limit Manchester City to just one goal. The Brazilian surely would have felt, however, that Aguero's equaliser could have been prevented had he been picked.

It was a matter of principle that the 26-year-old was dropped, with his calamitous gaffe making Chelsea's task twice as difficult last week. They still won 4-1, but the cockiness that came with Luiz's error was an aspect that Mourinho was evidently not too comfortable with.

After the early treatment of Juan Mata, Luiz may be fearing his place in the side is now under threat and must now work to show he deserves a second chance.

Joe Hart should be dropped

One error is perfectly acceptable from a goalkeeper, especially if you are as good as Joe Hart. But the frequency of his mistakes is starting to cost the Citizens badly, and it appears that Pellegrini has finally lost patience.

The Chilean coach refused to back Hart, and while Hart will never be a spectacular goalkeeper, it's perhaps wise to hand Costel Pantimillon a chance to prove his worth to the side. The Romanian has always proved a solid figure between the sticks when deputising, and with Hart's poor form, it could be time for a change.

Pellegrini wrong to snub Mourinho

It's a professional way to end an exciting game between two wonderful football sides. But Pellegrini chose to snub the high road and took the steps down into the tunnel on Sunday, snubbing opposite number Mourinho.

There are several reasons for this. The Portuguese mastermind was named as Pellegrini's successor at Real Madrid and naturally placed the blame onto his predecessor for their lack of success. But after celebrating the last-minute winner, Mourinho ran into the crowd to find his son, who is supposedly a season-ticket holder. 

Pellegrini was within his rights not to shake Mourinho's hand, especially as he thought the manner in which he behaved was unprofessional and downright unsporting. But then, is the 60-year-old any better if he decides not to shake his hand after the match?

Of course, as supporters, we are concerned about the lack of integrity in the game. But Mourinho wasn't bothered, so perhaps neither should anyone else be. Nothing to see here folks...

Fernandinho: a £34 million player

Many questions were asked about why Manchester City chose to spend such a great deal of money on a 28-year-old who seemingly doesn't do much in the midfield. But Sunday, Fernandinho silenced the doubters as he controlled the midfield.

Alongside Yaya Toure, the Brazilian was in good form at times, breaking up the play and ensuring that neither Frank Lampard or Oscar could have much of an impact on the game. Ramires did manage to trouble his compatriot, racing through twice before being hauled down that resulted in Fernandinho picking up a yellow card.

But his ability to quell the threat from Chelsea's two most influential creative maestros suggest his role in the big games could be key to the Citizens' success.

Mourinho installs "never-say-die" spirit

When that certain cliche is mentioned in football, the natural thing to do is to refer to Sir Alex Ferguson's (and sorry, also David Moyes') Manchester United teams. The fact about the Red Devils is they never know when they are beaten, highlighted by the stunning comeback from 2-1 down against Stoke to win 3-2. 

But Mourinho also carries a sense of this style in his management. Against Norwich, the Blues were heading for a disappointing draw, but the eccentric coach gambled and threw on both Eden Hazard and Willian, with the pair scoring in the last 10 minutes to secure a 3-1 win.

The same philosophy applied Sunday.

Mourinho again threw on attacking options in Samuel Eto'o and Willian, and once again, the latter delivered, supplying the ball that caused havoc in the City defence. Is it possible that the 50-year-old has taken a leaf out of Ferguson's book? Only time will tell, but it will take a special performance to beat this Chelsea team at present.