CHELSEA 2-4 Man City: 2 Pens, 2 Red Cards & Not A Hand-shake In Sight!
CHELSEA 2-4 MAN CITY
Well, there’s bad games and then there’s complete disasters – and make no mistake, this was the latter.
The game everyone had waited for, like soap watchers anticipating the next installment after a particularly juicy cliff-hanger, even neutrals wanted to see what would happen when the stars of the show came face-to-face. Never has there been so much focus on the boring ‘meet and greet’ stuff where the eyes of the world waited to see what would happen once Wayne Bridge got level with Terry, and when he did, he didn’t let the press down. Because after we’d already seen a reluctant handshake from Bellamy, who clearly muttered something as he turned his head away in disgust, once it did get to Bridge, he completely ignored the Chelsea skipper’s outstretched hand. So, there was never going to be any love lost in this one but whilst I’d thought this was going to be somewhat of a battle, it appears Ancelotti hadn’t prepared his troops.
Although happy to see Joe Cole in the starting line-up, I have to say I was less than comfortable to see Malouda being played out of position again at left-back in the absence of both Ashley Cole and Yuri Zhirkov. As it turned out though, Malouda wasn’t the weakest link in our defence on the day, as both our first-choice centre-backs looked out of sorts again.
Not a lot to say about the first 40 minutes really, which didn’t live up the hype as we were served up a comfortable, if pretty dull performance. I feel like I could copy and paste these words this seasons but yet again, we dominated possession and failed to make it count. City didn’t have any serious attacks to speak of and seemed happy to limit themselves to breaking up the play where they could.
As for us though, it was a half of shots over the bar, wasted free-kicks and poor final balls – some might call it patient play but realistically it was just bloody frustrating against a City side that had offered very little. But in the 42nd minute it looked as if the ‘patience’ had paid off with Joe Cole assisting Frank Lampard with a lovely ball slotted through the defence for Lampard to almost stroll on to and put past Given.
But if we thought we would push on from there, particularly with another chance presenting itself to Lampard, we’d have been a bit premature because he fannied about long enough for City to send the ball down-field. A naïve back-header from Mikel fell perfectly for Carlos Tevez to take on Carvalho and Terry, turning them in the box to make complete mugs out of not just them but the slow to react Hilario (who we know couldn’t catch a cold) as it just about trickled into the net. So, 1-1 at the break and City no doubt wondering how the hell they’d managed it.
Second half and with City scoring again just six minutes in, it was starting to feel a bit surreal. Another counter-attack saw Bellamy losing Mikel to hit the ball across Hilario, slotting it into the far corner for one of those ‘what the f***?’ moments. They’d barely had the ball since we kicked off and yet here they were 2-1 up with less than an hour gone. The words ‘caught napping’ just don’t do justice to our preferred style of defending for this game.
Ancelotti’s response was to replace Joe Cole with Daniel Sturridge and Belletti for Mikel although as it turned out, despite his errant header in the first half, Mikel might well have been the safer option because on 75 minutes, Belletti was adjudged to have brought Barry down in the box to concede not just a penalty but a red card as well – not quite as blatant as Zabaleta’s attempt to have his opponents penalised with his imaginary card but Barry certainly didn’t come out of his attempt in the ref’s book anyway.
So, Tevez vs Hilario for the penalty was a no-brainer as bizarrely we found ourselves 3-1 behind and a man down. And if any hopes of turning the game round had dwindled before that fiasco, they well and truly dissolved when Michael followed Belletti down the tunnel courtesy of a second yellow for a foul on Tevez. By this point, I have to admit it almost felt worth it to see the little Argie twat in pain.
It was inevitable we’d concede again once we were down to 9 men, particularly seeing as we insisted on pushing forward, so it was no surprise to seeing another counter-attack end with Bellamy slotting home their fourth. Thankfully, even that didn’t deter us and we managed to bring the scoreline down a little courtesy of a Frank Lampard penalty following Barry’s foul on Anelka.
Overall then – a bloody nightmare!
TEAMS
CHELSEA: Hilario, Malouda, Terry, Carvalho (Kalou, 68), Ivanovic, Mikel (Belletti, 60), Lampard, Ballack, J Cole (Sturridge, 60), Anelka, Drogba
Unused subs: Turnball, Ferreira, Matic, Alex
MAN CITY: Given, Bridge (Santa Cruz, 78), Lescott, Kompany, Richards, Zabaleta, de Jong, Barry, Johnson (Wright-Phillips, 60), Bellamy, Tevez (Sylvinho, 90)
Unused subs: Taylor, Onuoha, Toure, Ibrahim
GOALS
CHELSEA: Lampard 42, 90 (pen)
MAN CITY: Tevez 45, 76 (pen), Bellamy 51, 87
Filed under: Match Day, Match report, Rants
Chelsea News 24/7
what baffles me about this disaster of a match is, why the bloody hell wuld ancelotti take joe cole off & then reduce our already shaky defence line to 3men when it’s obvious anelka has been underperforming for a few matches now. And for the love of God, if you are going to take off a defender which i think is a nutty decision in that particular match, y take carvalho off? His performance has always been above par [see the inter match, altho we lost] Take off d bloke with the lady issue. We all know the pressure’s telling on him.
John terry blanked everyone in the game, he was woeful and is affecting the team…time for a spell on the bench I think!
Ballack got sent off as a direct result of all the shit flying around….Terry needs to act like a man and take a rest from football….he is affecting Chelsea to the negative….Joe cole was even trying to hide the fact he was talking to Bridge!!!
Hilario is shite, but we all know that….john terry used to be ok, now his whole attitude is in question????
Anelka and drogba were very good today and both kept trying…..more than can be said for a lot more of them….
I have spoken about Joe cole’s inconsistency before and today again he proved me right……if we can sell him, then take the cash!
Unfortunately I had to watch this game in a bar in Copenhagen full of irish men loving Man City….quite spoilt my lunch!
Ha ha, even more uncomfortable than our ‘supporters’ embarrassing themselves by booing Bridge – if that’s possible!
Have to agree with you on JT, despite the fact he’s done nothing but bring shame on himself and the club by default, he isnt trying to re-dress the balance on the pitch. He’s been shocking in his last few games. Although demola, how you can say Carvalho has always been ‘above par’ is beyond me. He may well have been our best defender in the past but he’s looked like he couldn’t care less this season.
At the end of the day, Man City have done the double over Chelsea this season thumping 6 goals past them in the process… This isn’t a disaster, a fluke or just a bad day – City are just too good for Chelsea, it’s just a potty they are not a little more consistent because they’d walk this Premier league. Thank whoever we didn’t sign Terry.
Mr Bluesky – ha ha ha City too good for Chelsea? do me a favour mate. Jesus, I knew you lot were a bit deluded this season but you have to be kidding me. You played against a Chelsea side without Cech, Essien, Bosingwa, Ashley Cole or Zhirkov, Deco – oh and you didnt really shape that scoreline until you’d got a pen and were playing against ten men, so I really wouldn’t start thinking youre ready to compete with the big boys just yet. Doesn’t sound quite so flattering that you finished playing against 9 men and still conceded does it? lol
Too good for Chelsea, my arse!
Time for Sham to make an entrance after he gets drunk on his giro….
Man City are very inconsistent and will be for a few seasons to come…..and do not believe Mancini is the man for the job as my Singaporean girlfriend could have picked a team to beat Chelsea today and she knows as much as Sham about football….nothing!
No good beating the best and losing to the worst, which is why we are above you….we are more consistent….FACT.
You won today and deservedly so, but you are lagging behind us and will do for time to come…..too good for Chelsea means you have to be above us or am I wrong???
By the way if Burnley were more consistent they could win the league, if Arsenal were more consistent they could too…..but they have more in common with you than us….we are consistent and apparently looking at the league table, just a wee bit more consistent than you?? Maybe I am wrong….
Chelsea’s 90th min Penalty flattered them. Chelsea were out classed and dead & buried well before they spat their dummies out and got players sent off. Chelsea are our poor relations, not quite as poor as Man Utd but certainly not in our league as far as buying power goes. City still have two years to go before we become ‘untouchable’ but believe me, it’s coming. Win the Prem this year as it’s likely to be your last for many years to come.
Mr Bluesky – sorry what? Are you suggesting buying power means you’ll dominate in the Premier League? Oh right, because if thats the case how come we only won 2 titles when Roman Abramovich was the top money man in the PL? Maybe because you need a manager who knows how to put the right players together – fortunately though, you have Mancini so top spot is safe.
2 years from now the likes of Messi, Ribery & Co will be at City, Chelsea could never attract this pedigree… That will be the difference between Chelsea and Man City, wait and see.
You think Messi is going to join City.
Take a break from footy manager, please mate.
Mr Bluesky – and what exactly is it that will attract these players to City? Your trophy cabinet maybe? Oh no wait……….34 years now isnt it?
Fucking disgrace!….Ancelloti bottled it and made panic substitutions…taking of Joe for Sturridge was just stupid…Sturridge brought nothing to the game and isn’t capable (yet) of turning these sort of situations…Belletti for Mikel!! again stupid…how to destabilise the midfield in a stroke..
Beletti/Ferreira to left back and Malouda in behind the strikers seems the most sensible to me…but in any case the substitutions were too early…
JT has lost the plot and needs some time away from the club..we have plenty of cover so lets use it..
Ivanovich gets better and better…Anelka gets slower and slower…
As for that Mr Bluesky…clearly knows jack shit about football…stick to your cider and your bedsit you numpty!
I seem to remember Robinho choosing Man City over Chelsea even if he was a big let down. Chelsea have been “talking” about signing Aguero for the past 12 months but have they managed to attract him… No ! Trophies in your cabinet mean sweet FA as players from the past have won these, same reason Utd are no longer attractive. Player join clubs with ambition and Manchester City are the most ambitious club in the world. 2 years, you’ll see.
mr. Bluesky, ur a mirror of contradiction. U said u attracted robinho – true but how long were u able 2kip him? In case u still dont know, he was there for ur money. He got it & he left. And If memory doesnt fail me, i also know u were trying 2lure ronaldinho, ribery & even c.ronaldo. But how many of them did u get? Squat! The only players u’ll get are remnants from other notable clubs so stuff d city hot air vibe for sum hungry player who cares.
Mr Bluesky – Robinho…now what a great loss he was, lol. Signed for a club at the very last minute and didn’t have a bloody clue who he’d signed for. I think we saved ourselves the embarrassment he brought on you tbh.
The press have talked about us buying lots of players over the last 12 months actually even if the club have said consistently during that time they had no plans to buy anyone. Maybe because they’ve learnt throwing money at something doesn’t make it successful? Kid yourself as much as you like, you’ll never even be the most successful club in your own City never mind the country, lol.
Hypocites… Read ur comment, they are a joke. Maybe we don’t need to sign anyone if our current squad can thrash Arsenal, and thrash Chelsea twice in a season before we’ve even started. – imagine in two years when consistency kicks in, bye bye Chelski… Think about it ?
whatever…i love chelsea…
tank for giving us two goals..
good luck terry…
Mr Blueski – by beating Chelsea twice this season, don’t be fooled into thinking you are on your way. You’ll probably lose to Hull next week – oh sorry you did that a couple of weeks ago !