Manchester City left to rue a wasted opportunity after dominating Chelsea clash

Manchester City dominated Saturday's title clash at Stamford Bridge but were left to rue a wasted opportunity to close the gap, writes Matthew Stanger...

This was exactly what was expected of Saturday’s title clash at Stamford Bridge: a tense encounter of few real chances and with a huge emphasis on defending. The sort of occasion Jose Mourinho loves to manage.

The Chelsea coach may have been disappointed by his team quickly throwing away their advantage in the first half, but this was always a must-not-lose match for the Blues, especially with both Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa absent.

Manchester City, on the other hand, arrived at the home of their rivals in search of a win that would close the gap at the top to just two points. They pushed in the second half, fresher than an opponent drained by midweek Capital One Cup exertions, but failed to find the decisive breakthrough.

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"There's no doubt that Manchester City are the better team and they're applying real pressure to Chelsea,” said Sky Sports’ Gary Neville shortly after half-time. “There are signs that Chelsea aren't shifting their legs as quickly, the defence just isn't getting out.”

That viewpoint was reinforced by the statistics. Mourinho’s side didn’t manage a single shot in the second half, ceding the lion’s share of possession and territory – 34 per cent of the game was played in Chelsea’s defensive third, compared to 21 per cent in City’s. The Blues’ total of just three attempts in 90 minutes is their lowest for over 10 years.

It was a show of respect rather than frailty, however, with any notion of weakness firmly stamped out by Mourinho’s “giant”, Nemanja Matic. The Serb made a towering full debut against City at the Etihad in February 2013, but was arguably even more impressive on this occasion, completing eight tackles – more than any other player – in an imposing performance. One block on Gael Clichy in the second half drew applause from his manager; wincing was probably a more appropriate reaction.

But Matic did his job on an evening when Chelsea played almost perfectly to the Mourinho rule book. "When you look at this Chelsea team it does seem to be set up more for the counter-attack,” said Neville. "Goals and assists are both missing, this is where others have to step up.”

Eden Hazard and Loic Remy combined brilliantly to open the scoring, but the focus remained on prevention rather than penetration. By replacing Remy with Gary Cahill as the clock ticked down, Mourinho underlined his intention: do not lose, five points could be enough with 15 matches to go.

For Manuel Pellegrini, then, this must feel like a missed opportunity. Drawing against a team happy to accept a draw is no real achievement, especially with his equivalent to Fabregas and Costa – David Silva and Sergio Aguero – fit and firing in the first XI.

Despite the duo’s role in the equaliser just before half-time, their overall impact was minimal, with both replaced for the final onslaught. Pellegrini’s decision to move Silva closer to the right flank where he could link up with Jesus Navas brought some joy in the second half, but there was not enough guile to grind down Chelsea’s grit.

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Yaya Toure’s absence proved crucial. In a game dominated by the fraught battle in the centre, the Ivorian’s power, driving runs and superb finishing could have made the difference. Toure would certainly have been the antidote to Matic’s dominant display and, on the two occasions the ball fell to Fernandinho on the edge of the box, Pellegrini must have rued the loss of last season’s top scorer to the Africa Cup of Nations.

"I think it's a better point for Chelsea than City,” said Neville before the final whistle. It echoed the judgement Mourinho must have made some time between Friday morning and Saturday afternoon, following the news of Costa’s three-match suspension and Fabregas’ failed fitness test on his hamstring injury.

Maintaining the status quo is no shame for Chelsea, though. It was City who had to find a winner at Stamford Bridge and it is City who are left to make up ground in the final 15 matches.

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