Chelsea 2-0 Manchester City: Match Review

Key Takeaways from the match:

#1 The race to the premier league

Liverpool now sit top of the league albeit with a point advantage over Manchester City

The weekend also saw Liverpool cruising to a 4-0 victory at Bournemouth courtesy of a Mohammad Salah hattrick. The Reds are now sitting top of the table with a point advantage over the defending champions Manchester City. It was widely predicted that the two teams would go head to head in the race for the premier league this season and so far that has been the case.

The margin for error for both the team is now as thin as it has ever been and with Chelsea, Arsenal, and Tottenham lurking behind, the race to the Premier League title and top four positions is getting tighter. Add to the fact that the busy Christmas period is just around the corner and it's likely that the teams may drop some points largely due to the squad rotation due to fatigue. Come January, we could either get a clearer picture with regard to the most likely title contender or some further chaos at the top of the table. The fun has just started.

#2 Chelsea desperately need attacking options

Chelsea FC v Manchester City - Premier League

Chelsea currently have two starting wingers who are 30 (Willian) and 31 (Pedro) years of age. There are no ready-made replacements for the pair. Callum Hudson-Odoi is immensely talented but there is little evidence that Maurizio Sarri trusts him with a regular squad role as of now. As of now, the Blues may need to splurge in the transfer market to get additional options for the wings as even Eden Hazard has not committed his long-term future for Chelsea yet.

Add to the fact that the two strikers Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud were not trusted by Sarri in the crunch match against Manchester City shows their less than impressive form shown in the season so far. The club's complete forward line barring Eden Hazard is replaceable as things stand. The club needs to solve this muddle as soon as possible in order to avoid a possible crisis.

#3 David Luiz

David Luiz celebrates after scoring his side's second goal

The Brazilian centre-back's career has been a rollercoaster ride, to say the least. From winning the ultimate prize in club football (The Uefa Champions League-2012) to the heartbreaking in 2014 world cup semi-final where he was ridiculed in the embarrassing 7-1 loss against Germany the 31-year-old has seen it all.

After returning to Chelsea in 2016 and being the lynchpin of Chelsea's 2016-17 title win, he lost his place in the subsequent season. He returned to the starting lineup under Maurizio Sarri yet again and with Antonio Rudiger, he has formed a formidable partnership at the heart of Chelsea's defense this season. He has somewhat redeemed himself after his performance against Tottenham but even then the whole team was shambolic that evening. Nobody is immune to errors and the former PSG star still remains one of the best ball-playing defenders in Europe.

David Luiz is also a fan favorite and a popular presence in the dressing room. Fans should pray that he extends his stay with the Blues sooner rather than later as he gives much needed veteran leadership to the young Chelsea squad. The man truly deserves all the plaudits he's getting after his performance against the defending champions.