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MOTD- Manchester City 0-1 Chelsea

By on February 3, 2014

It was a performance that proves Chelsea are still serious contenders in the Premier League title race.  Although Manchester City have been by far the best attacking force in the league this season, Jose Mourinho pulled out on of his trademark masterclasses to keep the home side scoreless for the first time in sixty-one matches.  There was no stopping City from firing twenty-five shots throughout the match, but the ability to stay solid defensively and pounce at exactly the right moment will be a skill Chelsea will definitely hope to implement again; and boy did they use it well tonight.

City certainly came out all guns firing in the first half, and nearly found the opener after just sixteen minutes when Yaya Toure curled a shot inches over from twenty-five yards, but The Blurs held strong. They did likewise two minutes later as Toure romped down the right side of the box before cutting it back to David Silva, who shuffled a low effort inches wide of the far post. Yet Chelsea also made clear of their ability to strike on the break, and really should have made it 1-0 off a counter-attack in the twenty-sixth minute, only for Joe Hart to parry Ramires’ low effort away.

However, Chelsea made up for that missed chance just six minutes later when Branislav Ivanovic fired a cracking low volley into the bottom left corner from twenty yards out to give the visitors the lead. This put City on the back foot for just a moment, but Chelsea took advantage of that and pushed forward with their full weight. Hart just blocked Eden Hazard’s low shot three minute after the opener, yet was nowhere near stopping Samuel Eto’o’s rocket to slam Hazard’s cut-back from the left onto the angle of the post and crossbar.

As the match switched over into the second half Chelsea didn’t even cease to go forwards, as Nemanja Matic’s screaming twenty-five yard effort slammed back out off the right post eight minutes into the second period. Gary Cahill’s header then hit the bottom of the post, but Chelsea could just not find that winning goal, allowing for a nervy finale. Yet Mourinho’s defense held strong too, and The Blues sealed the three points to take themselves level on points with the second placed City.
Man of the Match: Nemanja Matic (although Hazard was brilliant, as always)

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.