Manchester City v Chelsea - You ALL know if anyone can beat them it's Chelsea!
What is going on? Why am I reading quite literally everywhere that Chelsea need to "park the Bus" at the Etihad tonight!? Sure...
https://www.chelseadaft.org/2014/02/manchester-city-v-chelsea-you-all-know.html
What is going on? Why am I reading quite literally everywhere that Chelsea need to "park the Bus" at the Etihad tonight!? Surely anyone who follows the Premier League knows deep down that if there is anyone that can beat Man City in their own backyard it's Chelsea!
Yes I am biased! Yes I maybe somewhat blinkered but there are so many things that people need to consider before we reach a result tonight rather than just discount Chelsea like they have!
No one can deny the attacking potency that Man City have, that is without question. No one can deny they have plenty of big name players, game changers and Chelsea will need to be at their best tonight to deal with the threat they all pose.
Chelsea are a well drilled machine at the back. We know how to defend a lead and how to remain disciplined and organised. In John Terry and Gary Cahill, City face two old-school defenders and the likes of Dzeko and Negredo will both know they have been in a game at the end of this one.
However, what about Chelsea? What about the threat WE pose? How about wondering whether or not Man City as a team and a defensive unit can cope with Chelsea's creative players. Why on earth should all the focus be on City this, City that and the amount of goals they have scored this season?
Will City's two holding midfielders remain defensively disciplined enough to sit deep and help out their back four to try and cope with Eden Hazard, Oscar and Willian?
I firmly believe that Chelsea can punish City out wide on both sides. Think how our wide players work hard without the ball, compare that City's wide men and I don't see the same work rate. If we can expose this area all night long we can win this game without question!
A key battle tonight will be Hazard up against Zabaleta. If Eden can get on top in the early stages of this one, we could really cause them a problem down that side. Hazard's pace will cause City problems and it will be interesting to see how they decide to deal with him.
Oscar will look to pull the strings, open the game up and drop into that hole between Kompany and Yaya Toure. Who will pick him up? Will they change their tactics? Will they have to adapt their shape?
Willian going up against Clichy or Kolarov is another intriguing battle. Clichy looks like getting the nod based on pace alone. Kolarov offers City plenty going forward but in my eyes is not the best defender by any stretch of the imagination!
If Willian on the right hand side can get on top of his marker he could also provide Chelsea with plenty. Does that mean that Kompany will get sucked out wide on the cover either side at times and open up space in the middle? Let's just wait and see!
There is one important player I want to talk about who could have a MASSIVE influence on the game and Chelsea's future and that is Mohamed Salah and his pace!
Salah is lightening quick and no matter what side he plays, he WILL cause anyone problems. I wouldn't be surprised if Chelsea remain tight and compact and look to hit City on the counter attack.
If that's the case, expect Salah to be introduced in the second half and turn this game into Chelsea's favour. All it takes in games like these is a single ball over the top or one single killer pass and it's game over!
Another important factor in games such as these is the Manager. Jose Mourinho up against Manuel Pellegrini. Who comes out on top? The man who has quite literally been there, seen it, done it and won it all up against Pellegrini?
NEVER underestimate the influence of Jose Mourinho!
Jose Mourinho has played down Chelsea's chances of winning the league title THIS season but I am not so sure. Look at our record against what has been perceived as our title rivals this season so far. Draws away at Arsenal, Tottenham and Man United. Home wins against City, United and Liverpool.
In recent weeks Mourinho has demonstrated just how flexible our formation can be. Whether it's a 4-2-3-1 formation, a switch to 4-3-3 or even 4-4-2, the manager can call upon changes during the game or from the bench to swing the game back into his favour. I'm sorry but I do not think that City are that flexible. They haven't needed to be so far but what happens when they need to be for once?
Some of you are reading this and are thinking that I am talking out of my arse or something. I can assure you I am 100% positive about tonight and cannot see us losing the game. If that means we take a point then so be it.
However, I believe that Pellegrini and his team although confident in their own ability, are more than concerned about our team tonight.
Man City, their fans and the rest of the Premier League approach this game tonight knowing that if there is anyone that can take them on in the backyard it's Chelsea!
Come on Chelsea, Come on Jose Mourinho, give us three points!!
Carefree & KTBFFH!
Don't recall you causing us too many problems last time we met, until Harts cock up in the 88th min.
ReplyDeleteDifference this time is that we have Kompany back. Expect to see your boys falling thicker and faster than leaves in an autumn gale.
...but admit it, out of all the teams that have come to the Ethiad, you ARE concerned that Chelsea could come there and beat you!
Deleteyou dont call yourself Chelsea daft for nothing do you, have you seen the City home form? Have you seen how many goals we score? You've got Hazard who isa great player and Willian and Oscar whoa re on their way to being great, but other than that? Eto is nothing like the player he was and you just dont have a lot of goals in you, even though we'll be without Aguero tonight (lucky you) we have goals all over the pitch, 5 different goal scorers, away from home, against a team that taken 16 points from 18 last week. You scraped a 2-1 win thanks to a goalkeeping error last time but dont be getting all giddy and thinking City fans are all worried about the mighty Chelski coming to town because City are in unstoppable form. Anyway, you'll see, enjoy the match!
DeleteWe may not have caused you too many problems but we came away with the 3 points...I'd take the same tonight.
DeleteThis is the sort of game we were made for...playing away from home, allowing the other team more possession and then hitting on the counter attack and with our quality taking the few chances we are given. We have the defence to match your attack...you may slag Eto off but he is a big game player, ask Utd...and I think you will see that tonight.
I think you are worried...your presence on a chelsea forum shows this. But I agree that its a bigger game for us than you.
You've just listed our front 3 playmakers as danger men...we'll also cause problems from set pieces, I think this is the game for Matic to shine and get a hold of the midfield battle...I'd play Luiz in the middle with him tbh.
The only reason Im here is because it was in the Man City section of 'newsnow' and I had to see what the giddy Chelsea fans were saying. Im not suggesting for one minute Chelski cant win this game, Mourinho has shown his teams can beat anyone with the anti-football you've suggested, and one of our weakenesses is definitely set pieces. With all the diving your lot do I wouldnt be at all surprised to see you score from a set piece, as I say though, I think we will win and this is a far bigger game for Chelsea. I just hope and pray that we get out of the game without Ramires crippling one of our best players, as for my money, he's the dirtiest player in the league.
DeleteI dont buy into all this right and wrong way to play football, its just snobbery started by the tika takka brigade. I love our backs to the wall style,football is football. The easy retort is that your buying your success even more so than we were accused of...but I suppose its different for your team!! City fans have become very arrogant very quickly!
DeleteAs for Ramires...thats laughable considering you had De Jong in your team not that long ago!
BTW its not us thats giddy...we'e won two european trophies in the last 2 years and the prem a few times...we're used to success...your the ones getting giddy and over excited.
your not singing, your not singing, your not singing anymore!!!!!!!!
Delete92nd minute.. half empty stadium.. that says it all .. chelsea too good.. out played out classed.. enjoy the walk back to your forums with your tale between your legs... hahahahahahahah
How do you like those apples John?
DeleteMuch much bigger game for Chelsea than City, we'd still be two points off the top with a defeat whereas Chelsea will be 6 points off with a loss, we all know full well the Mourinho tactics of ten men behind the ball and try to pop one goal in. For him to slag Allardyce off for it was hilariously ironic. look what he did against United, he's anti-football at its very worst, there really was no glory in the way he won that Champions league final with a ten man defence and diving left right and centre. Win at any cost is the Mourinho motto, even if its at the cost of entertainment.
ReplyDeleteWould you have taken that as a City fan to win the Champions League? You should know (Mancini) that now more than ever, football is a results business. Jose Mourinho knows how to win the big games and titles!
DeleteI'd have been embarrassed that we had to reosrt to diving and time wasting to win the CL, of course, I'd have celebrated it but theres no glory in what Chelsea did against Barca, it was pathetic. I'm not just saying this because I'm on this site but watching Drogba roll around on the floor and the sheer amount of time wasting taking place because Mourinho and his team knew they could never win fairly was the most cringeworthy 90 minutes I think I've ever seen. As I say, some fans are happy with a win at any cost, others would rather watch an entertaining football match. Clearly you're the former.
DeleteEasy to say when your playing the football your playing and winning. BTW we didnt win the CL with Jose so your criticism of him there isnt warranted.
DeleteBut looking back theres no shame beating one of the best Barcelona and Bayern teams theres ever been.
Im sure when you play them in the CL you'll be throwing 10 men forward eh?
Let's also not forget that in the Super Cup against Bayern Munich this season, despite being down to 10 men, we still attacked them and scored to go 2-1 up but to be denied by the last kick of the game in extra time!
DeleteIf you knew anything, you'd know that it wasn't Mourinho's team that beat Barca by parking the bus.
DeleteI realise it wasn't mourinho but it was the Chelsea philosophy put in place by him and which has been so successful for them over the years, are you all going to deny that Chelsea main strategy against the best teams is utterly defensive? And as for Anonymous, I have no doubts whatsoever when we play Barcelona we will be throwing everything at them, we certainly wont be playeing ten behind the ball and falling over every two minutes. Maybe its a strategy that will come back to bite us and we'll get battered, but it'll be a hell of a game.
DeleteYou really are up your own arse...!
DeleteSo then....I think our team made the point for us last night. Im not going to gloat as I was always confident we'd win....we have players that have won all the domestic and european trophies on offer...your mistake was to underestimated us.
DeleteAs for the jibes about Jose...well there was no diving and no parking the bus...we won in style and deserved more goals.
We cut off the supply to your front men and just let Hazard off the reigns.
Its just one game, theres still plenty to play for...but at least its brought your team and fans back down to earth.
BTW play like that against Barca and you wont need to turn up for the 2nd leg!
I dont buy into all this right and wrong way to play football, its just snobbery started by the tika takka brigade. I love our backs to the wall style,football is football. The easy retort is that your buying your success even more so than we were accused of...but I suppose its different for your team!! City fans have become very arrogant very quickly!
ReplyDeleteAs for Ramires...thats laughable considering you had De Jong in your team not that long ago!
BTW its not us thats giddy...we'e won two european trophies in the last 2 years and the prem a few times...we're used to success...your the ones getting giddy and over excited.
This game would be won or lost in the midfield for both teams.
ReplyDeleteIt remains 2 b seen if city can keep up with their winning streak @ d etihad.
But i also agree with chelsea daft that if there is any team dat is capable of outdoing city @ their fortress then that one team is chelsea.
If chelsea players play an A game tonite then i see us smiling home with d 3 points.
Keep The Blue Flag Flying High
EASY EASY EASYYYY
ReplyDeleteRealMancsAreBlue - Thanks for the perfect reminder of why you should never mouth off prior to the game, you can make yourself look a prize prat.
ReplyDeleteCare free!!
ReplyDeleteThat RealMancsAreBlue must be really sad person right now. In my country, getting beaten by 1 to nill is hotter than 6-0. Chelsea proved your wrong on all levels.
ReplyDeleteYesterday night will be one of the best night of my life as a Chelseafc fan. God bless Jose for giving me a wonderful match. I wish we can beat them in their own home once again in the FA cup match.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry we'll put our first team out for that one.
Delete