Soccer

Manchester City vs Chelsea: Chelsea Capitalizes on Extra Space for Victory

Published

3 months ago

August 21, 2024

Last season, in the Manchester City vs Chelsea match, Rafa Benitez was making his debut as Chelsea’s manager. The game resulted in a dull 0-0 draw, and Benitez faced quite a bit of criticism. This time, when the teams met at Stamford Bridge, things were different. Both clubs had new managers—José Mourinho was back at Chelsea, and Manuel Pellegrini had replaced Roberto Mancini at City. The match was much more exciting and met everyone’s expectations.

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At the beginning of the season, both groups were favorites for the name. Because that they had spent plenty inside the summertime. Before the game, they were simplest one factor aside. After the fit, Joe Hart made a late mistake, which allowed Fernando Torres to rate the prevailing purpose for Chelsea. This victory moved Chelsea up to the second area and gave them a 4-point lead over City.

This season’s suit becomes a lot greater open compared to the final 12 months’s game. Last year, the sport changed into very dull due to the fact each team played very defensively. Rafa Benitez, new to his position, made certain Chelsea stayed tight and protective to keep away from dropping. Whilst Roberto Mancini’s methods have been designed to forestall Chelsea from attacking through the center.

Last year’s sport had the most effective 15 photographs on intention. And turned into pretty forgettable due to the fact both teams played defensively. This time, the match was plenty extra interesting. Chelsea’s 2-1 win featured 27 shots on goal and 3 dreams, making it a much more exciting recreation for the enthusiasts.

Looking at where players touched the ball in the Manchester City vs Chelsea games. This season’s match was much more spread out across the field. This helped Chelsea, as their wide players, Eden Hazard and Andre Schürrle, could use the space to their advantage. Even though City played David Silva and Samir Nasri, who like to move inside, the game was less crowded and more open compared to last season.

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This season, the attacking players had more space to shine, with Fernando Torres and Sergio Agüero getting the highest ratings of 9.2 and 8.0, respectively. Last year, the top-rated players were all defenders, with Matija Nastasic leading at 7.9. The extra space allowed Torres and Agüero to perform well in attack.

The open play also helped creative players show their skills. The number of key passes made increased to 19 this season, compared to 13 last year. Highlighting the more dynamic and engaging style of play.

The approach from both teams was different this time compared to last season. Manuel Pellegrini, known for his attractive style of play from his time with Villarreal, Real Madrid, and Malaga, tried to secure at least a draw. He brought on Jesús Navas for Samir Nasri with 20 minutes to go and later replaced Javi Garcia with Aleksandar Kolarov, which helped add more width to City’s play on the left side.

This change in strategy showed Pellegrini’s focus on improving City’s attack and making the game more open, contrasting with the more defensive approach seen in the previous season.

This season, Pellegrini used only one striker, Aguero, but City’s assault became plenty stronger than remaining 12 months. The way players moved and touched the ball confirmed this development. Chelsea took benefit of the more space, with Fernando Torres having a standout performance, despite the fact that he missed a threat within the first half.

Chelsea’s attacking trio of Schürrle, Oscar, and Hazard thrived within the open play, leading to greater shots and two desires. The triumphing purpose came from a mistake between City’s Joe Hart and Matija Nastasic, however, Chelsea’s typical play turned into sturdy.

Compared to last season’s forgettable game, this match was much more exciting. Both teams played better, showing their new managers’ influence, and Chelsea confirmed their status as title contenders with this win over City.