City 2 Chelsea 0: A Silver Lining

Article by e-Chelsea Correspondent Lee Beevor

I had a bad feeling about this match. Having played Manchester City off the park in our league encounter twelve days before, I expected them to strike back. Coupled with the fact that City’s more experienced players had time off, whilst ours were in battle against West Brom, the omens were not good. The team sheets gave me hope, as City left the same hole down the right hand side, plus appeared weaker due to rested personnel. Chelsea by contrast, seemed very strong, with only JT’s absence a blow.

In practice, the weakness was never exploited, as Ramires, Willian and Ivanovic did little with this space, making me long for Andre Schurrle. For the Citizens, Jovetic slotting into the midfield changed the dynamics from our last encounter, as did the workmanlike Milner who started for Navas. Finally, the hopeless Demichelis was omitted, with another grafter in Javi Garcia preferred. With this added steel, City bossed the midfield and controlled the game. Jovetic was busy and industrious, as well as bursting forward to join Dzeco at every available opportunity.

Chelsea by contrast were flat. Whether this was solely the result of the midweek fixture is difficult to say. Possibly it is a combination of this and a recent lack of rotation. Jose has clearly decided on his untouchables, with the core seldom changing from game to game. However, with so many young players integral, the full utilisation of the squad is essential to keep them sharp. The mental drain of a title charge is not something they will have previously encountered. In other leagues, you can be well below par and still secure three points. This is not the case in England, as was perfectly illustrated in our second half lapse at the Hawthorns.

When they need a rest, I would rather Jose allow them this luxury, especially when an alternative of quality exists. Schurrle has performed well when selected, working hard and creating opportunities for himself and others. Had he been utilised on the right hand side, I am sure he would have made better use of the space, with his superior distribution. His under-use is perplexing to me, as I thought he would have a greater role to play in our run-in. Managers will elect to double up on Eden Hazard to restrict his influence, making the option of switching play to the right imperative. The delivery from this side is often from Branislav, a man whose skill set does not include precision passing.

Other than overplaying his untouchables, the other element of concern to me was the performance of Mikel. He is a shadow of the man who inspired Nigeria to the African Cup of Nations and put in another inept display for his club. If his brief is to sit and hold, I can understand him doing little to influence our attacks. However, he must at least release the ball quickly, not wait until the opponents are nicely set in two lines! In addition, by virtue of this limited role, it should not be too much to ask for him to track runners from midfield. This is something he consistently fails to do and he was complicit for City’s opening goal. I hope not to see him start another match for Chelsea against top level opposition.

Anyone that has patiently read to this point in the hope of finding the silver lining is about to be rewarded! For despite the disappointment of exiting the FA Cup, it could be that this is the moment we secure the Premier League title. By progressing, City will be unable to fulfil their league fixture on March 8 against Aston Villa. The week prior, they travel to Wembley for the Capital One cup final and last week, their match was cancelled due to adverse weather. The net result is three extra fixtures to be fulfilled in what is an already congested schedule. These will be shoe horned into the remaining weeks of the season in a similar way to that we endured at the close of last year’s campaign.

If Chelsea can pick themselves up, regroup, recuperate and beat Everton at Stamford Bridge, things may yet be rosy in our garden. For City are to embark on a three month grind that could either make history with a quadruple or crumble into dust as fatigued players fail to sparkle. For Chelsea, a far less demanding twin pronged assault could just see us lifting silverware before May is out; the ultimate silver lining!

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