Man City Shock 9-man Chelsea

By NBF News

nerPostTitle">MAN CITY SHOCK 9-MAN CHELSEA Written by Prince Sports http://www.nigerianbestforum.com/blog/?author=1 http://www.nigerianbestforum.com/blog/?cat=134 Feb 28, 2010

Chelsea   2 - 4   Man City
http://www.nigerianbestforum.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/g_47385290_008855239-1.jpg Bellamy finished a blistering run at goal with a strike from a tight angle

By Paul Fletcher
Manchester City inflicted Chelsea's first home Premier League defeat this season in a game which began with Wayne Bridge refusing John Terry's handshake.

Frank Lampard's low strike put Chelsea ahead but Carlos Tevez equalised after a long ball was not dealt with, before Craig Bellamy shot beyond Hilario.

Tevez scored a penalty after Juliano Belletti saw red for a trip on Gareth Barry before a Bellamy tap-in.

Michael Ballack also saw red and Lampard scored a consolation penalty.

City had failed to score in their previous seven visits to Stamford Bridge, while Chelsea had only conceded eight at home in the Premier League all season.

But those statistics were rendered meaningless on an afternoon of triumph for City coach and former Inter Milan boss Roberto Mancini, who pitted his wits in the Premier League for the first time against ex-AC Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti.

City saw their hopes of silverware this season ended by their FA Cup defeat at Stoke in midweek but they boosted their prospects of a top-four finish by completing the double over Chelsea for the first time since 1957.

With Manchester United not in league action this weekend, victory would have taken Chelsea four points clear at the top of the Premier League.

But it was a disastrous afternoon for Ancelotti, whose side had only dropped points in one previous home game this season, a 3-3 draw with Everton.

What's more, his team lacked discipline after the break and were vulnerable in defence, with Hilario looking particularly suspect.

All eyes before kick-off were focused on Terry and Bridge, who came face-to-face for the first time since allegations about the former's relationship with the latter's ex-partner.

As it turned out, Bridge – who this week ruled out playing for England at the World Cup – shunned Terry's outstretched hand.

There was an anti-climatic feel to the start of the game, which was low on excitement but, on a heavy Stamford Bridge surface, high in mis-placed passes and stodgy midfield play.

Both sides set up with three across midfield operating behind three more attack-orientated players but Chelsea were the superior team and enjoyed the better of precious few early openings.

Florent Malouda drilled a thunderous long-range strike narrowly over the crossbar, Shay Given palmed clear from Joe Cole, Didier Drogba headed over and Vincent Kompany almost sliced an attempted clearance into his own net.

City seemed content to surrender territory and invite pressure – and Chelsea gradually forced some clear chances.

Drogba shot disappointingly over with a shot on the turn but Lampard made no mistake after running into space and collecting a precise pass from Cole before drilling the ball low across goal from 16 yards.

All City had mustered was a tame Adam Johnson free-kick but Tevez, on his return to the side after compassionate leave in Argentina, equalised with a smash and grab effort on the stroke of half-time that epitomised all the Argentine's tenacious qualities.

Chelsea were partial architects of their own downfall as Jon Obi Mikel headed a long Bridge clearance towards his own goal but Tevez then repeatedly managed to hold off both Terry and Ricardo Carvalho before shooting limply beyond the outstretched but ultimately futile dive of Hilario.

City might even have led at the break after a Bellamy free-kick deep in injury time was met by an unmarked Joleon Lescott but the defender headed wide.

Bellamy, anonymous in the opening half, stunned the home crowd with his goal minutes after the restart.

A Chelsea attack broke down and Mikel found himself isolated against Bellamy marauding down the left flank.

It was an unfair contest and Bellamy burst into the box before shooting into the bottom corner from a very tight angle for another goal that was, at least in part, goalkeeping error.

There was little sign of an equaliser for the home side and it took a last-gasp clearance from Branislav Ivanovic to prevent Bellamy extending City's lead.

No excuses for Chelsea's bad day – Ancelotti
Ancelotti's desperation was reflected in the fact that Drogba, Nicolas Anelka, Daniel Sturridge and Salomon Kalou were all on the field for the final 20 minutes.

But Tevez made it 3-1 for City with a powerful penalty into the corner after Barry had got the wrong side of Belletti, who tripped his opponent.

Ballack was dismissed after picking up a second yellow for a lunge on Tevez before Bellamy tapped home unmarked at the far post after 87 minutes following a low pass across goal from Shaun Wright-Phillips.

There was still more drama as Given saved from Anelka, who was later brought down in the box by Barry. That allowed Lampard to end the game with a consolation penalty.

Live text and stats
 
Saturday, 27 February 2010
Premier League
Home Team Score Away Team Time
Chelsea 2-4 Man City R
(HT 1-1)

Lampard 42
Lampard (pen) 90+1
Tevez 45+1
Bellamy 51
Tevez (pen) 76
Bellamy 87 Hide team line-ups and match stats http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/8530847.stm#

Chelsea
40  Hilario http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/h/hilario_183816.stm

02  Ivanovic http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/i/ivanovic_304752.stm yellow card

06  Carvalho ( Kalou http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/c/carvalho_229385.stm 69) http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/k/kalou_284892.stm

26  Terry http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/t/terry_38930.stm yellow card

08  Lampard http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/l/lampard_23277.stm

10  J Cole ( Sturridge http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/c/cole_43188.stm 60) http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/s/sturridge_317578.stm

12  Mikel ( Belletti http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/m/mikel_317560.stm 60 red card) http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/b/belletti_247731.stm

13  Ballack http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/b/ballack_44937.stm yellow card, red card

15  Malouda http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/m/malouda_203978.stm

11  Drogba http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/d/drogba_201686.stm

39  Anelka http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/a/anelka_31888.stm Substitutes

22  Turnbull http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/t/turnbull_243962.stm ,

19  Ferreira http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/f/ferreira_197542.stm ,

33  Alex http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/a/alex_252174.stm ,

35  Belletti http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/b/belletti_247731.stm ,

24  Matic http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/m/matic_376340.stm ,

21  Kalou http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/k/kalou_284892.stm ,

23  Sturridge http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/s/sturridge_317578.stm

Man City
01  Given http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/g/given_20000.stm

02  Richards http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/r/richards_305535.stm

03  Bridge ( Santa Cruz http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/b/bridge_152983.stm 78) http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/s/santa_cruz_183651.stm

05  Zabaleta http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/z/zabaleta_276042.stm yellow card

19  Lescott http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/l/lescott_195093.stm

33  Kompany http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/k/kompany_275555.stm

11  A Johnson ( Wright-Phillips http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/j/johnson_269098.stm 60) http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/w/wright-phillips_154949.stm

18  Barry http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/b/barry_37796.stm

34  De Jong http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/d/de_jong_255061.stm

32  Tevez ( Sylvinho http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/t/tevez_246035.stm 90) http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/s/sylvinho_20781.stm

39  Bellamy http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/b/bellamy_31474.stm Substitutes

12  Taylor http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/t/taylor_41168.stm ,

04  Onuoha http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/o/onuoha_299568.stm ,

16  Sylvinho http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/s/sylvinho_20781.stm ,

28  Toure http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/t/toure_249719.stm ,

08  Wright-Phillips http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/w/wright-phillips_154949.stm ,

14  Santa Cruz http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/s/santa_cruz_183651.stm ,

48  Ibrahim http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/i/ibrahim_420804.stm

Ref: DeanAtt: 41,814
CHELSEA
MAN CITY
Possession
Chelsea 51%
Man City 49%
Attempts on target
Chelsea 13
Man City 6
Attempts off target
Chelsea 10
Man City 2
Corners
Chelsea 3
Man City 2
Fouls
Chelsea 21
Man City 13
Show all live text http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/8530847.stm#

Final Result
Full Time
90:00+5:06 The referee brings the game to a close.

90:00+4:48 The offside flag is raised against Roque Santa Cruz. Free kick taken by Florent Malouda.