Hello all, trust everyone is in good form on this Sunday afternoon.
Well we’re only into the second weekend of the Premier League season but already we have one of the ’marquee’ fixtures of the year as Manchester City host Chelsea at the Ethiad Stadium.
With City appearing to be stronger than last season and Chelsea having endured a stuttering start to their title defence, we’re set for an intriguing game with sub-plots aplenty.
As is so often the case, the build-up has centred around Jose Mourinho as the fallout from his row with first-team doctor Eva Carneiro continues.
The Chelsea boss will hope his side can do the talking on the pitch and take the spotlight away from an issue that has caused plenty of debate and grabbed front and back page headlines over the last week.
Kick-off is at 4pm.
The teams are in and the big news is that Sergio Aguero is fit enough to start and replaces Wilfried Bony in attack. Otherwise, Manuel Pellegrini has opted to stick with the same side that opened City’s campaign with a comfortable win at West Brom on Monday.
Thibaut Courtois’ red card against Swansea means Asmir Begovic is handed a first Premier League start for the champions while Oscar misses out through injury with Ramires drafted in.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Jose Mourinho said: “We started the season with Oscar in the team and we started the week with Oscar in the team. But he had an injury, not a big one but it stops him playing today and probably next week, so we had to make a change.”
A record crowd is expected this afternoon as the game marks the opening of the expanded South Stand at the Ethiad Stadium. The capacity is now up to 55,000.
Here’s a quick check on the substitutes for both sides. Bony drops to the bench but the hosts don’t have much in the way of fire-power with Chelsea able to call upon Falcao or Remy should they be required.
Man City: Caballero, Zabaleta, Clichy, Nasri, Demichelis, Bony, Iheanacho.
Chelsea: Blackman, Zouma, Mikel, Loftus-Cheek, Cuadrado, Falcao, Remy.
Odds on this man finding the net this afternoon?
The atmosphere is building and we’re now just 15 minutes away from kick-off.
Mourinho insists this is just ‘another game’ but having dropped points on the opening weekend, Chelsea will not want to lose further ground on a title rival.
The teams emerge from the tunnel and there’s a real carnival atmosphere at the new-look Ethiad Stadium. In the Sky studio, Graeme Souness and Niall Quinn admit the side that can win this afternoon will come away with far more than three points.
We’re all set, kick-off is a matter of minutes away.
And we’re off!
Chelsea get us underway, playing from right to left in their blue shirts.
What a chance! Right from the off, Sergio Aguero pierces through the heart of the Chelsea defence but is thwarted by Asmir Begovic. You’d have put money on the Argentinian striker scoring there but Begovic stood tall and saved well with his feet. Blistering start.
The ball eventually fell to Navas but he skewed his shot wide and Chelsea scramble it clear. Not the start the visitors wanted but they survived and now look to settle.
Chelsea are all over the place at the back. After Sterling runs at the visitors’ defence, Silva tries to thread one through for Navas but Azpilicueta comes across to cover and clear the danger.
Now it’s Chelsea’s turn to ask questions of the opposition defence as they file forward with numbers but Kompany does just enough to avert the danger. Diego Costa went down under Mangala’s challenge and the striker asked the question but referee Martin Atkinson wasn’t interested.
It’s been an incredibly open and lively start to this game. City are finding pockets of space between the lines and if this continues, it will only be a matter of time before Silva causes damage.
Hmm…
Matic commits the foul on the left touchline and Kolarov comes over to whip it in with his sweet left peg. The Serbian delivers a wicked set-piece but Aguero just can’t get enough contact on it to trouble Begovic.
Save! Lovely stuff from City as they work it out left for Kolarov to find Aguero with a low cross. The striker holds off the challenge of both Terry and Cahill but can’t get the better of Begovic with a crisp drive.
And again! It’s turning into Aguero v Begovic as the former swivels again but the Chelsea ‘keeper is up to the task as he palms away the low drive and quickly gets to his feet to pounce on the rebound.
On Sky Sports, Gary Neville says Chelsea have a problem down their right side with Ivanovic being overworked and overrun time and time again.
Some respite for Chelsea as Fabregas and Hazard link well down the left but Matic can’t divert his near post header on target.
Miss! Aguero is everywhere but once again can’t find the back of the net. Kolarov’s cross flashes across the goal and with just the ‘keeper to beat, he can’t divert his effort on target.
To be fair, that ball came to him very quickly and Begovic did just enough to put the City striker off. Another let off for Chelsea, however.
Much better from Chelsea as they keep hold of possession for a couple of minutes but they aren’t going anywhere as City press them high. In the end, Fabregas commits a foul after losing the ball in midfield.
Jose Mourinho’s side have just taken the sting out of City’s early onslaught. That said, they still look vulnerable at the back and are very fortunate to be level as we approach the half hour mark.
Yaya Toure has been relatively quiet so far but he charges forward on this occasion to win his side a corner on-front of the new South Stand.
But Navas’ delivery is cleared by Matic and Chelsea break before Ivanovic tries his luck from range. It was a tame effort but the guests recycle possession and are beginning to ask a couple more questions of this City rearguard.
At the other end, Toure attempts an acrobatic effort from Kolarov’s centre but his effort is blocked.
GOAL! It was coming and Aguero finally beats Begovic. After collecting the ball from Toure, the striker weaves in and out, beating Cahill and then Terry, before stroking clinically past the goalkeeper and into the corner.
That was pure class from Aguero and Chelsea have had no answer to City so far.
The visitors look for an instant reply. Kompany goes in rashly on Costa on the near touchline but Cahill can’t climb high enough to head Fabregas’ set-piece goalwards.
Mourinho has stood in the technical area since kick-off and, as you can imagine, looks far from pleased with what he’s seen. His side have been at sixes and sevens at the back and could easily be two or three goals down at this stage.
Incidentally, Kompany was shown a yellow card for that challenge on Costa.
Gary Neville says he’s never seen Chelsea so unorganised and City are going for the jugular here as Sterling strikes from range and then Kolarov smashes into the side netting from a tight angle.
Chelsea are seeing plenty of the ball but City are happy to let the visitors pass it around in their own half. They’re not going anywhere fast.
For the first time in the game, Chelsea get in behind City but can’t capitalise. Hazard gets the better of Sagna but after cutting the ball back for Ramires, Mangala stays strong and eventually muscles the Brazilian off the ball.
Chance! Kolarov has been exceptional and his crossing is causing all sorts of problems for Chelsea. On this occasion, Mangala should score as he gets there ahead of Begovic but he can’t divert his header into the net.
Gary Cahill was on the end of an almighty blow during that set-piece as his own ‘keeper caught him flush in the face. The defender needs treatment and that sparks ironic cheers around Eastlands as Chelsea’s medical staff make their way onto the pitch for the first time.
Chelsea doctor Chris Hughes and physiotherapist Steven Hughes are on the bench for this game and are busy at the moment as Costa is then caught by Fernandinho.
It all means Man City’s medics have to rush on to treat Costa with Cahill still being patched up. ‘You’re getting sacked in the morning’, rings around the Ethiad. Scenes.
‘Eva, Eva, Eva’ is now the cry from the City fans as Chelsea’s medical team attend to the walking wounded. Mourinho, meanwhile, stands on the touchline watching it all unfold.
And that’s half-time!
My word, what a half that was! As the teams made their way off, Costa went to confront Fernandinho after being left bloodied and bandaged. We’re off to catch our breath but in the mean time, you can catch the game’s opening goal right here.
Chelsea were unable to contain City in that first-half but it was one avenue in particular that proved profitable for the hosts.
John Terry hasn’t returned for the second-half, with Zouma coming on. According to Sky, it’s the first time Mourinho has subbed his captain in the Premier League.
Back underway at the Ethiad Stadium. No changes for the hosts.
First time we’ve seen Sterling stretch his legs as he eases past Ivanovic and the defender resorts to hauling down the former Liverpool man. This is another dangerous position but Kolarov’s delivery isn’t as good as what’s gone before.
Pinball in the Chelsea area! After the initial free was cleared, the ball falls back at the feet of Kolarov and he drives a low cross across goal where Cahill very nearly deflects it towards his own goal with Mangala waiting to pounce.
City have picked up where they left off but at the other end, Chelsea have the ball in the net only for Ramires to be flagged offside.
It hasn’t been a good day for Chelsea so far.
It’s all getting a little feisty again. Kompany and Mangala are clearly trying to rough Costa up but with the former on a booking, he’ll have to be careful.
Here’s a closer look at Ramires’ disallowed goal. The Brazilian was marginally offside. Good decision by the linesman.
Mangala goes through the back of Costa but City deal with the set-piece and it’s getting a bit scrappy at the moment with plenty of stoppages.
Since the restart, Chelsea are trying to take a stranglehold of this game and they’ve penned City inside their own half for the last five minutes. The visitors have had 57% of the possession in this second period.
It’s fast, frenetic and end-to-end at the moment. Chelsea are pressing high and City are looking to hit them on the counter-attack. Challenges are flying in left, right and centre with Pellegrini looking slightly worried on the touchline.
Now it’s City turns to take the heat out of the game and try and wrestle the ascendancy back. The crowd are attempting to lift their side but it’s Chelsea who continue to enjoy much of the possession. A little over half an hour to go.
A noticeable difference from the first-half is Chelsea’s willingness to throw bodies forward with both full-backs galloping up the touchline at every opportunity. It does leave them vulnerable at the back but they need to find a way back into this game.
Shot! There’s been far less space for City in the final third but Yaya Toure injects a bit of pace into the attack as he finds Aguero. The pair exchange passes and Toure eventually tests the handling of Begovic but his effort is straight at the ‘keeper.
Juan Cuadrado appears to be getting ready to enter the fray on the touchline. Ramires is most likely to make way.
And here is Cuadrado as he comes on for Ramires. It’s a great chance for the Colombian to endear himself to the Chelsea fans and work his way into Mourinho’s plans after a largely unproductive few months in the Premier League.
But it’s City who are looking for the knock-out blow. Aguero has been at the heart of everything the hosts have done going forward this afternoon and he’s there again but sees his curling effort sail narrowly wide with Begovic scrambling.
Pellegrini makes his first change, meanwhile, with Samir Nasri coming on for Navas.
The momentum has just shifted back in City’s favour and they’ve taken a control of proceedings again.
54,331 inside the Ethiad Stadium today and they’re being treated to an absorbing contest. It’s still in the balance as we enter the final quarter.
Begovic is required to race off his line and do some mopping up as Aguero looked to latch onto a through ball. The ‘keeper has been outstanding all afternoon.
Chance! What an opportunity for Chelsea to draw level. Costa does brilliantly to pull it back for Hazard and after creating the space for himself, the Belgian can only fire straight at Hart from 10 yards out.
It’s ebbing and flowing now as Chelsea look to find an equaliser.
Sterling breezes past Ivanovic again but he can’t find a team-mate with the cutback and Chelsea live to fight another day. You get the feeling City may just regret all these missed opportunities.
Martín Demichelis is ready to come on.
Sterling is withdrawn and he receives a big ovation from the City faithful as he makes his way off. Demichelis comes on to bolster the hosts’ defence.
GOAL! Kompany has surely sealed the win with his second goal of the season. The City captain gets the better of Ivanovic from the corner and his header goes in off the post.
That’s surely game, set and match and Mourinho’s week goes from bad to worse. City deserve their lead having dominated in all areas for much of the game.
Falcao is on for Chelsea but it’s Begovic who has to push Yaya Toure’s long-range effort to safety.
Mourinho’s post-match comments should be interesting as his side have been completely bullied this afternoon and the Ethiad Stadium is absolutely rocking. The champions have one point from their opening two games.
For their part, City have been brilliant. From the off, they took the game to their opponents with pace and purpose and Chelsea have had no answers.
Aguero receives a standing ovation as he makes way for Bony. We’ve got seven minutes left on the clock.
GOAL! What a hit! Three goals, three points as Fernandinho seals the win with a sweet strike after Chelsea give the ball away.
Chelsea have been blown away here and there will be serious questions raised about the champions in the aftermath of this game. A reality check for Mourinho.
Gary Neville has given Sergio Aguero the man-of-the-match award. Hard to argue.
Three minutes of additional time.
Late booking for Mangala as Hart comes out to gather a cross.
Off the post! Sums up Chelsea’s day. Costa strikes the upright and Falcao is unable to finish the rebound.
And that’s full-time! Mourinho’s week goes from bad to worse as his side slump to a heavy defeat and are now five points behind City after just two games.
So City win this pivotal early-season clash between two of the favourites for the title. It’s first blood to Pellegrini.
Thanks for joining us this afternoon. Stay tuned for plenty of reaction throughout the evening on The42.
