Chelsea, a galvanized force under Thomas Tuchel, traveled to Etihad this weekend in a crucial Premier League outing. These two sides have made it through to the final of the Champions League competition, whereas a resilient FA Cup semifinal victory last month depicted their ability to stun the Citizens. A win would have sealed the title for the home side, however, they failed to protect their first-half lead and a stunning comeback from the Blues resulted in an exquisite 2-1 win in their favor.
Below are the Chelsea players rated in their majestic 2-1 win against Manchester City.
Edouard Mendy: 7
Could have done little to deny Raheem Sterling from scoring but managed to stop Sergio Aguero’s Panenka that went horribly wrong.
Cesar Azpilicueta: 8
Was spot on with his tackles and succeeded to win the duels on most occasions while featuring from the right-hand side of the Blues’ ‘back three’. Also, set it up for Hakim Ziyech to find the equalizer minutes over the hour mark.
Andreas Christensen: 5.5
Was at fault in Sterling’s goal as he not only failed to clear the lines on the stretch but also injured himself in the process. Was forced to leave the pitch to make way for Kurt Zouma late in the first half.
Antonio Rudiger: 7.5
Has been a revelation under Tuchel and the German international did well to contain Ferran Torres from the left. Was rusty at times with his challenges, but his physicality inside the box helped the visitors stay in the game despite persistent pressure from the Skyblues.
Reece James: 7.5
Was lively from the right-hand flank with his pace and power while making marauding runs, whipping in crosses and shooting from distance. Made some timely recoveries while tracking back to stop the likes of Sterling and Aguero from causing menace.
N’Golo Kante: 6.5
Although he worked hard to regain possession time and again, the tackles he made or the dribbles attempted lacked accuracy before the break. Improved his display in the second half before being replaced by Jorginho minutes after Ziyech’s equalizer.
Billy Gilmour: 6.5
Played some great through balls to create chances against the run but, at the same time, committed a foul that led to City’s penalty moments before the half-time whistle. Was relieved though when Aguero missed it from the spot.
Marcos Alonso: 8.5
Tried to balance his game between attack and defence. Created a few chances with crosses and long balls and eventually made the difference with a stunning late winner to stun the potential Champions.
Christian Pulisic: 6.5
Could not offer much in terms of attacking menace in spite of his swift footwork, dribbles and mazy runs from the wide. His only attempt on goal went off target.
Hakim Ziyech: 7.5
Had a couple of attempts on target in the first half and kept on testing City’s defensive resolve with dribbles and directness using the width of the pitch. The Moroccan eventually made his contribution when his low shot ended up in the bottom corner. Made way for Callum Hudson-Odoi for the final quarter.
Timo Werner: 7.5
Saw a couple of goals ruled out for offside. Had a few half chances but the finishing was not up to the mark right until the closing moments of the game when he set it up for Alonso to grab the winner.
Chelsea Substitutes Vs Manchester City
Kurt Zouma: 6.5
Did decently except for one late occasion since replacing injured Christensen.
Jorginho: 7
Dominated the show from the centre of the pitch with his passing, holding and ball-carrying ability.
Callum Hudson-Odoi: 6
Could have hit the winner, but his goal got ruled out for offside.
