Manchester City vs. Chelsea: Winners and Losers from Premier League Game
Manchester City made it two wins from two at the start of the Premier League season with a 3-0 triumph over reigning champions Chelsea.
Sergio Aguero put the home side 1-0 up at half-time at the Etihad Stadium when the striker finally managed to beat Asmir Begovic to break the deadlock.
After a tough first 45 minutes, Chelsea improved as an attacking force in the second half, though they still went on to suffer their first league defeat in the month of August since 2006, per Squawka Football.
Manchester City grabbed the all-important second goal when their captain, Vincent Kompany, produced a near-post run to head home a corner.
Midfielder Fernandinho put the icing on the cake with a well-struck shot, giving the final scoreline a one-sided look.
Here, B/R picks out the winners and losers from the clash between last season’s top two in the Premier League.
Winner: Sergio Aguero
1 of 6
It seemed Sergio Aguero could endure a frustrating afternoon, as he was consistently denied by Chelsea goalkeeper Asmir Begovic in the opening half-hour.
Restored to the starting XI after being a substitute at West Bromwich Albion, the Argentina striker could have opened the scoring in the opening seconds after being played through by David Silva.
But, after seeing Begovic keep out a hat-trick of chances, Aguero finally found a way to get the ball into the net after 31 minutes. Some neat footwork created the opportunity for the forward, who then calmly stroked his left-footed shot low into the net.
His goal laid the platform for a resounding victory that led Martin Samuel to write in the Mail, "(Manchester City) are the team to beat this season, make no mistake of that."
Loser: John Terry
2 of 6
John Terry experienced a new feeling when he was substituted, according to OptaJoe. It was the first time Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho had ever withdrawn his captain during his time in charge at the club.
Kurt Zouma was sent on in place of Terry at half-time, leaving the experienced defender to watch the remainder of the match from the bench.
Jason Burt of the Telegraph confirmed after the match on Twitter that Mourinho replaced the former England international for tactical reasons, rather than because of an injury.
Chelsea struggled to cope in the opening half and have now conceded nine goals in their last four Premier League outings, according to Squawka Football.
Winner: Asmir Begovic
3 of 6
Asmir Begovic was a rare bright spot on a tough afternoon for Chelsea. The summer signing from Stoke City took over in goal for the suspended Thibaut Courtois and produced an excellent display.
Begovic had to be alert to deny Aguero in the opening seconds on his full debut for his new club, and had it not been for their goalkeeper, Chelsea could have trailed by more than one goal at half-time.
The Bosnian could do little about the two goals his side conceded in the second half.
However, his display in defeat led former Premier League goalkeeper Shaka Hislop to question on Twitter whether he will be wasting his time sitting on the bench for the reigning champions.
Loser: Diego Costa
4 of 6
Diego Costa had an eventful day, to say the least.
An early penalty shout was turned away in a first half that finished with the Chelsea striker sporting a bandage around his head following an aerial challenge from Manchester City’s Fernandinho.
The Spain international, who continued to vent his frustration at Fernandinho as the players left the field at the half-time interval, cut a frustrated figure throughout the contest.
His misery was complete when a late effort at goal managed to beat home goalkeeper Joe Hart but was kept out by the woodwork.
As Daniel Taylor of the Guardian pointed out on Twitter, “Sergio Aguero spent that entire match trying to score goals and play football. Diego Costa spent it trying to win free-kicks and pick fights.”
Winner: Manuel Pellegrini
5 of 6
Manuel Pellegrini kept his job at Manchester City in the summer despite a disappointing season that saw them finish eight points behind Chelsea in the league and fail to get past the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League.
John Richardson of the Daily Express reported back in May that the Chilean would be sacked, but instead, the club decided to keep faith in their man.
The early signs in the new campaign suggest they were right to stick with Pellegrini.
Manchester City have scored six goals so far, kept two clean sheets and now given the reigning champions a bloody nose at the start of a long and arduous title race.
Loser: Jose Mourinho
6 of 6
While Manuel Pellegrini enjoyed an afternoon to remember, Jose Mourinho will want to quickly erase the memories of the game at the Etihad.
The Chelsea manager came out firing in his post-match interview, per the Premier League’s official Twitter feed: "The 3-0 is completely fake, out of context. If (Eden) Hazard scores it’s 1-1 and they’re in trouble. The 2nd & 3rd are player mistakes."
Fake or not, Mourinho has now seen his side pick up just one point from two league matches. It is only the second time reigning Premier League champions have failed to win one of their opening pair of fixtures, per OptaJoe.
At least he has reinforcements arriving to help right the ship. The club announced not long after the final whistle that they have reached a deal to sign defender Baba Rahman from FC Augsburg, per BBC Sport.
