Chelsea beat title rivals Manchester City after Jose Mourinho gets tactics spot on

Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic, right, celebrates his goal

Chelsea executed Jose Mourinho’s perfect tactics to clinical effect as they outfought and outplayed Manchester City in a 1-0 win at the Etihad Stadium.


Branislav Ivanovic’s stunning 32nd-minute strike from the edge of the area earned the visitors the three points as Mourinho’s decision to play the more defensively minded midfielder Nemanja Matic at the expense of playmaker Oscar proved a masterstroke.

It was Matic’s first Premier League start after he resigned for the Stamford Bridge club last month, however he looked instantly at home in a midfield that brilliantly stifled the usually free-flowing and free-scoring City. Indeed, Chelsea become the first team to stop City scoring at home since Birmingham City in November 2010.

City still eked out a number of good chances to score – with David Silva seeing opportunities go wide in either half.

However, Chelsea were not merely defensively superb and, with Eden Hazard toying with City on the counter-attack, Mourinho’s well-oiled unit could have and should have won by more.

Branislav Ivanovic fires Chelsea in front

Chelsea hit the woodwork on three occasions - Samuel Eto’o struck a post after Ivanovic’s opener, and after the break a 30-yard Matic screamer hit Joe Hart’s bar before a Gary Cahill header also came off the upright from a corner.

City striker Edin Dzeko should have hit the target but mishit from close quarters while Silva, under pressure from Cesar Azpilicueta, also should have done better when connecting with an Aleksandar Kolarov cross.

There was another nervous moment for Chelsea when a Stevan Jovetic potshot was pushed away by Petr Cech late on but Chelsea held firm to deservedly earn the spoils and move level on points with City, who remain second due to their superior goal difference.

And despite Arsenal leading the title race by two points, the mannerr of tonight’s triumph must surely make Chelsea favourites to lift the Premier League trophy in May.