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Graham Potter’s wobbling Chelsea took on Premier League holders Manchester City in their 17th league game of the season on Thursday night (5 January).
The Blues fought hard and true in front of their fans at Stamford Bridge but could not get the better of Manchester City. Substitute Riyad Mahrez’s second-half strike ended up being the decider as City secured a 1-0 win over the Londoners. The win saw Manchester City move back within five points of Premier League leaders Arsenal. Chelsea, on the other hand, slipped down to 10th place in the rankings.
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The Pensioners endured a disheartening start to the game, with Raheem Sterling suffering an injury in the third minute, following a tussle with John Stones in midfield. The Englishman tried to push on but his hamstring forced him to come off after only five minutes of play.
In the 15th minute, Stones popped up with a sensational tackle to stop Christian Pulisic from applying the finishing touch to Kai Havertz’s defense-splitting pass. The American initially looked fine after the tussle but eventually required treatment. The former Borussia Dortmund man suffered the same fate as Sterling and came off the field with a hamstring injury.
In the 24th minute, substitute Carney Chukwuemeka received a tasty pass from Havertz inside the box and went for goal from the penalty spot. Stones once again produced a vital block to keep the game goalless.
In the 37th minute, Premier League’s top scorer Erling Haaland had an opportunity to break the deadlock for City. The Norwegian received the ball inside the penalty area and went for goal with a powerful drive. However, his shot surprisingly lacked direction and flew well over the bar. A minute before the half-time whistle, Chukwuemeka went for goal with a curling effort. The substitute struck it well and saw it clip the outside the frame of the goal.
Having been under the cosh for the first half, City responded strongly in the second 45. Nathaniel Ake’s header struck the post in the 51st minute before Kevin De Bruyne drew a routine save out of Kepa Arrizabalaga. Having been on the ascendency since the second-half whistle, Manchester City finally broke the deadlock in the 63rd minute through substitute Mahrez.
Fellow substitute Jack Grealish drilled in a low cross across the face of the Chelsea box, making for an easy tap-in for Mahrez at the far post. In injury time, left-back Lewis Hall dashed down the left flank and went for a speculative effort at City’s goal. His strike was traveling at some speed but was not on target.
Below are the three Chelsea players who underperformed and two who impressed in their disappointing defeat at Stamford Bridge on Thursday:
Underperformed: Hakim Ziyech
Moroccan captain Hakim Ziyech was in excellent form as his country became the first-ever African World Cup semi-finalists in Qatar. Unfortunately for the Blues, he could not carry that same finesse over to the tense battle with Manchester City.
The 29-year-old worked hard but offered very little threat going forward. His crosses and long balls were too predictable and were easily cut out by an intelligent City side.
At Stamford Bridge, Ziyech misplaced six of seven attempted crosses and all three attempted long balls. He lost possession 20 times, did not create any goalscoring opportunities, and lost three ground duels.
Performed: Carney Chukwuemeka
Carney Chukwuemeka was introduced for Christian Pulisic in the 22nd minute. Playing against such a star-studded team, 19-year-old Chukwuemeka did well to hold his ground. His link-up play was spot-on, he helped out at the back, and always looked to take defenders on.
On Thursday night, Chukwuemeka played one key pass, won six ground duels, and hit the woodwork once, in the 44th minute. He also delivered an accurate cross, completed 26 passes (86.7% accuracy), made two interceptions, and attempted six tackles.
Underperformed: Marc Cucurella
The second-most expensive defender in Chelsea’s history (behind Wesley Fofana), Marc Cucurella enjoyed a strong start to the game. However, his confidence waned as the game went on. He struggled in one-on-one duels, lost possession easily, and should have done a lot better to stop Mahrez from connecting with Grealish’s delivery.
Before being hooked for Hall in the 68th minute, Cucurella was dribbled past a whopping five times. He also misplaced both his attempted long balls and cross, lost possession 12 times, and came out second-best in five ground duels.
Performed: Kai Havertz
Roaming all over the pitch, Kai Havertz emerged as Chelsea’s most effective forward on Thursday night. He linked up flawlessly with his teammates, worked hard, and created multiple goalscoring opportunities.
Over the course of the game, the Germany international played a team-high four key passes, completed 34 passes (85% accuracy), won six ground duels, and drew two fouls. He also helped out defensively, pitching in with two interceptions and two tackles.
Underperformed: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Summer signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang came off the bench in the fifth minute, replacing the injured Raheem Sterling. The former Arsenal man had the perfect opportunity to make a statement of intent but failed to capitalize on it.
He failed to get involved and never looked to be on the same wavelength as his teammates, ending the night with no goalbound efforts or key passes. He also lost two of three duels, lost possession thrice, and committed an error that led to a shot. So mediocre was his performance that he was replaced by Omari Hutchinson with more than 20 minutes left to play.
