Not even in his worst nightmares can Frank Lampard think so. A showdown that ended as an opportunity for Chelsea to confirm their title proofs ends in an ominous defeat after the first half of Ilkay Gündogan, Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne, while Manchester City are aware of their own quest to within striking distance of the city. top two.
To say that Chelsea were played out here is a serious understatement. Had it not been for some important interventions in the second half by their goalkeeper, Édouard Mendy, the final standings could have been much more embarrassing for Lampard, who has now seen his team score just four points from their last six matches. fifth league defeat of the season.
Although he needs to find a solution quickly as the pressure has spent more than £ 200 million on new players this summer, Pep Guardiola’s team is building impressive momentum which means they cannot be discounted after a third consecutive victory which was not achieved, despite a number of players due to Covid-19.
The inclusion of 35-year-old coach Scott Carson on the bench was an illustration of the problems City face before kick-off. Benjamin Mendy was also named one of just eight substitutes, despite the club promising to launch an internal inquiry into him on New Year’s Eve that violates Covid-19 regulations, while Sergio Agüero was not deemed fit to start again. .
Oleksandr Zinchenko and Foden were recalled and US goalkeeper Zack Steffen got his first Premier League start after it was confirmed that Ederson, Ferran Torres and Eric García also tested positive for coronavirus. Lampard, on the other hand, has not had such problems and has made five changes to the side that have been disappointing against Aston Villa, with Hakim Ziyech recovering from an injury suffered for the first time since the win over Leeds last month alongside Timo Werner and Christian Pulisic started it. reload attack.
The return of Thiago Silva and Kurt Zouma at the heart of Chelsea’s defense would normally have been a welcome sight for their manager, as he has seen his team return to former bad habits over the past few weeks, but they are torn apart. a brilliant performance of the first half by visitors. Guardiola – who turns 50 within two weeks – said this week that he was reconsidering whether he would stay in management longer than he had originally planned, as he had already committed to extending his stay in City.
They have now conceded just three times in their last 11 games in all competitions since losing to Tottenham in November, and appear to be prepared to make counter-attacks against opponents who have made it a habit not to team up in the big leagues. matches to break.
Chelsea certainly started with intent, although it was short-lived. After enduring the early storm with ease, City had to continue in the 15th minute when Foden’s exact through ball played in De Bruyne, but he dragged his shot unpredictably wide.
It nonetheless seemed to galvanize the visitors and after Raheem Sterling also tested Chelsea’s defense, Gündogan shot under no pressure in the opening goal after being set up by Foden. The English midfielder was again the thickness of the action when City doubled their lead two minutes and 37 seconds later, with De Bruyne given the chance to turn past Mendy at his nearest post.
At the bottom of the line, Guardiola could hardly contain himself – his plan was to earn plans. Chelsea desperately tried to bounce back, but after not getting a single shot on target within the first half hour, they had to pay again when De Bruyne sat down after a turn after Sterling’s breakaway attempt returned from the posts.
It was the first time they conceded three goals in the first half at Stamford Bridge against Burnley in August 2017, and Lampard left the break at half-time, as he saw a ghost. Surprisingly, he sent out the same team for the second half because Chelsea at least wanted to be proud.
Once again, however, it was City who took control. Zinchenko’s shot was well saved by Mendy and the Senegal goalkeeper had to be at his best to deny Rodri’s header from a De Bruyne free kick. Lampard finally proposed Callum Hudson-Odoi and Billy Gilmour in the dispute after 20 minutes of the second half, with the oddity of pace N’Golo Kante being one of those to make room.
But even as Werner attacked again, there was mysteriously no sign of top scorer Olivier Giroud, as Steffen was largely a spectator to Hudson-Odoi’s late consolation strike for the entire match. Steffen could hardly have wanted an easier introduction in the Premier League.