Chelsea 2 Man City 1
Balotelli 2, Meireles 34, Lampard pen 82
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On Sunday, league leaders Manchester City host Arsenal in the 4pm Super Sunday game.
It was always gonna be a difficult game.
Will City’s first league defeat rock their confidence?
Or make them twice as determined to get back on track?
On balance, I reckon Sunday afternoon will be an even bigger challenge for the remodelled Arsenal. We’ll find out how much Arsenal have improved.
Although I rarely write previews these days, I may have something to say on Sunday morning.
When last night’s thriller started it was if Man City were playing at home.
They forced the pace, pressing high up the field. But only with six players, not eight like Barcelona. The rain was pelting down, just like Manchester, and the title favourites started with a killer thrust of power football which opened up the Chelsea defence immediately.
Aguero spun off John Terry and played in Balotelli, who showed colossal composure and strength to go past Ivanovic and Cech and slot in one minute and 39 seconds.
“What a knock-out blow that is!” I thought.
That dramatic start made every preview, every opinion, instantly obsolete.
Even neutral viewers must have thought : Bloody hell!
Aguero’s spurts are scary because he’s very direct. He gives you less time to decide.
Strike partners come in all sizes and styles.
A big man often suits a little man.
And if they can play each other in, if they can invent new angles in a nanosecond, watch out !
When Bosingwa clipped David Silva on the knee in the box in 14 minutes, ref Mark Clattenburg waved play on. The replays showed two things. Silva was looking for it. But it was a penalty. He mugged his defender, just as Modric did at Stoke on Sunday.
The first 30 was eventful and fascinating.
Then Sturridge turned Clichy inside out and his pinpoint cross was volleyed in by Raul Meireles from eight yards.
After 34 minutes the score was 1-1.
In central midfield, the exotically named Oriol Romeu was doing OK, always holding his position, so the back four can pass to him if they want, but also making some cute first time passes.
On 58, Clichy got a second yellow for a sloppy tackle on the breaking Ramires. It was still 1-1 but Citeh were down to ten men.
After 64, we\’d had 30 minutes without a goal and it looked hard for City now. But a red card doesn\’t have to mean you lose the game. Milner went to right back, Zabaleta to left back, Kompany blocked a Ramires shot. Kolo Toure came on for Aguero to release Milner back into midfield. City\’s 17-match Premier League unbeaten run stretched back to May. Could they hold in?
Then midfielders were substituted.
In 73, AVB yanked Meireles and put on SuperFrankieLampard, and De Jong soon replaced David Silva.
In 82, Sturridge smashed a shot that hit the arm of Lescott.
PENALTY!
Lampard blasted it straight down the middle for 2-1.
The rain was still bucketing down as the stands erupted. Chelsea fans were celebrating as if they’d won the league.
Big night in the title race?
Or just one compelling game among many?
As Monday Night Football goes, I reckon this was as good as it gets.
But Chelsea are still in transition. Rebuilding a winning team is hard job, fraught with pitfalls and banana skins. Right now, the balance isn\’t quite right. At times Drogba is playing as a front man of a five, not a three, and he’s a shadow of the omnipotent warrior he once was. And AVB hasn\’t quite found the right role for Mata.
Man of the match was Gary Neville of Sky.
Why did he leave Old Trafford? What happened there that we don\’t know about?
Neville is the best analyst now.
But he\’s wasted on TV.
He should be on the training pitch.
Should be in the dressing room
I listen to Gary Neville and think he should be managing Fulham.
I watched the Amir Khan fight again.
Still think he was robbed.
Lamont Petersen is a good slugger who fought the fight of his life in a see-saw battle over 12 rounds.
He stuck his head into Khan’s chest and face all night long but was never warned. The ref was either an idiot or a stooge.
Next time, Amir Khan will outbox Petersen and stop him.
If he fights again at this weight.
He may not fight again at light-welter.
Many insiders say Khan will move up a weight now.