City 1 Chelsea 0 - Stats Link & Post Match Reaction & Debate Thread | Vital Football

City 1 Chelsea 0 - Stats Link & Post Match Reaction & Debate Thread

Johnny Baguette

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A GIGANTIC WIN.

Pep openly thrilled.

Match Stats Link:

http://www.manchestercity.vitalfootball.co.uk/stats.asp?a=590645
 
He knew what that meant. Massive victory.

Tyler and Neville incredibly soft on Chelsea’s gutless lack of ambition, courage and intent. They and Conte should be excoriated for playing like that - they are the reigning Premier League Champions, have spent many, many £ on quality players and were playing like Newcastle did at St James’s Park.

Woeful
 
Chelsea were a bit spineless, and Neville scathing again about the attitude.

Bernardo's goal.

https://twitter.com/MCFCLens/status/970345902878707713
 
Pass masters

Man City 1-0 Chelsea

Manchester City today completed 902 passes - more than any other team has managed in a single Premier League game since 2003-04.
 
Do not underestimate how hard it is to concentrate on your game when the opposition are so passive - couple of careless moments from Walker in particular but everyone was determined not to let this chance slip. Scoring the first goal was always going to be critical but to take the lead when we did was brutal and massive.

Jamie Redknapp calling out Chelsea fo playing ‘anti football’
 
Spineless from Chelsea who got precisely what they deserved. We were so professional and what can you say unless you are a shockingly biased Sky agenda Tyler or Neville about the way City have responded to the injustice of that Wigan defeat? Massive pressure piles on to the Stretfords again who surely will soon crack under the hope of failing to catch us. Final word: City clocked up 902 passes today. That's a record for within one Premier League game since 2003. Considering the strength of sides now that is phenomenal.

At what point do the rags give up on the league?
 
Pep Guardiola, speaking to BBC Sport:

"It was so important, a win today is another step closer. We need four victories to be champions, it is in our hands and if our behavior is like today we will be champions.

"Against a strong team like Chelsea, who are still the champions, and beat them in the way we did today, that is why it is so good.

"I never judge what the other guy does. Who can forget the same manager and almost same players were champions last year.

"Our performance today was so good in terms of control and attacking at the right moment. Everybody was good."
 
Neville again laying into our opponents - hard to believe Chelsea are the reigning champions. About as one sided a single goal victory as can be imagined. Can they be discounted as PL rivals this season?

 
Antonio Conte, speaking to BBC Sport:

"The effort was an important effort by the players but despite this we conceded a goal after 30 seconds in the second half and after that it was difficult to come back.

"We played against a team with fantastic quality. They have a great mentality and we must give the best compliment for manchesyter City.

"When you play against City you have to try not to concede space between the lines and space on the pitch because they are incredible on the ball. If we did not concede a goal after 30 seconds maybe it could have been more simple.

Tactics? "We tried to have patience. When you are 1-0 down you can always have the possibility to score. When you concede the space to Manchester City there is the risk for the game to finish 3 or 4-0.

"When you play against a team that has shown to be stronger than you for a lot - because 25 points is a big difference - you have to think with your brain and not your head because otherwise you finish with a bad loss and that's not good for the players."
 
Up to United to get the result tomorrow against Palace.
On the evidence of their last game against Spurs, you'd think the Rags will win, as it's likely to be a repeat at Selhurst Park.
Next Saturday lunchtime will be a crunch.

For all us resting players when the title is secured, Pep may not - a lot of our fixtures towards the end of the season are against sides in the relegation struggle - for the integrity of the league? :048:
 
Pep Guardiola speaking to Sky Sports:

"Chelsea are still champions. They played with 10 players behind the ball but we didn't concede one chance. We created enough to win the game, score more goals. Our high pressing was outstanding so we are so happy because it's another step forward to be champions. We have 78 points.

"We had to be careful against the counter attacks, Hazard, Willian and Pedro are all quick players but we controlled it and we were quick with the ball, nobody was making extra passes or extra touches. It's not easy when they defend with nine players in their box.

"We are close but it is not already done. It's in our hands. Now we start again, we have to try to stay calm. We have Basel and Stoke City and we will see after Stoke what our position is and how many points we need from the games left to be champions."
 
Selhurst Park of an evening inside the final third of the season. The graveyard of title chasers with Palace desperate to stay up....
 
Johnny Baguette - 4/3/2018 18:46

Selhurst Park of an evening inside the final third of the season. The graveyard of title chasers with Palace desperate to stay up....

I would be more hopeful if CP weren't devastated by injuries. Because of this, sadly, I don't envisage the rags having too much trouble.



 
If anyone needed convincing of Pep Guardiola’s influence & abilities as a coach, then the way in which his side have recovered from what could have been a season wrecking loss against Wigan should be evidence of the highest order. He has made them mentally resilient and ensured that they remained confident to continue playing the same way.

A cup won, an emphatic double completed over Arsenal at a ground which has rarely been successful for City, the reigning champions out passed and forced into shell to secure another double......

An extraordinarily resilient turnaround and another nail in the coffin of the idea that his footballing methods and philosophy would not work in the Premier League.

:021: :021: :021:
 
I'm not sure we really need to rely on Palace to do us any favours. Always nice to see the rags drop points but really the title is ours to lose.

As regards playing weakened sides once glory and immortality has been secured for another year then I wouldn't be surprised if players were given appearances so they qualify for a gong at end of season prize giving. Have Mendy (assuming he gains fitness in time), Foden, Diaz, Kipling, Zinchenko got five league apps in their credit columns?