Manchester City 2 - 0 Chelsea

Manchester City v Chelsea
Sunday February 24th 2013
13:30
Premier League
The Etihad

          Manchester City 2  0 Chelsea

                       Toure '63

                       Tevez '85

Picture: BBC Sport

The title race is surely over. Manchester United have dropped just four points in 14 games. City have dropped 17 in that time. However, the reigning champions must now be looking over their shoulder, with today's opponents Chelsea breathing down their neck, and Spurs not far behind.

City were without Vincent Kompany, who is still out with a calf injury, so Kolo Toure replaced him. Tevez dropped to the bench to make way for a first Premier League start for Jack Rodwell since September 1st. The youngster will have been given instructions to be the enforcer in the midfield in order to free up the crucial Yaya Toure, much in the way De Jong did last season.

Chelsea went with Demba Ba ahead of Torres to lead the line. Only 48 hours after their progression in the Europa League, Lampard came into the starting line up, on the hunt for his 200th Chelsea goal. John Terry was on the bench.

It was a bright start from City as Yaya Toure drew an early routine save from Cech. Chelsea looked like a team that had only had two days rest.

There were moderate appeals from the City fans behind the goal when a Milner cross lead to Aguero going to ground  under pressure from Gary Cahill, but it wasn't a penalty. Aguero felt wronged moments later, a firm tackle from Mikel which probably was a foul brought him down on halfway, but he was instead penalised himself moments later, leading with an elbow for an aerial ball out of frustration.

Nastasic almost got his first City goal, attacking a corner and heading into the ground, but Petr Cech was equal to it and forced the rising ball away well. The 19 year old centre back really should have scored.

Jack Rodwell looked the type of player City have been missing, adding bite to the midfield and really allowing Yaya Toure to operate in the area he is most dangerous. Rowell brilliantly intercepted in the final third and  made way for Aguero to get in on goal but his touch took him too far and out for a goal kick.

20 minutes in and City looked most likely to break the deadlock, and there was an intensity to their play that has been lacking in recent weeks.

Zabaleta was leading by example as usual, the difference being that his team mates were matching his desire. Though they were conceding a few innocuous free kicks, Mancini will have been pleased to see his side fighting for him and really disrupting Chelsea's passing game.

However, they became over zealous, and in the next ten minutes gave away almost as many fouls, eventually resulting in a booking for Rodwell, probably for cumulative reasons. The young former Everton man got his head to a decent cross soon after, but was unable to direct it under the bar.

Ramires caught Yaya Toure right on the knee, the referee played an advantage, but the ball was put out of play as Toure stayed down, and the diminutive Brazilian was booked retrospectively.

City almost opened up the Chelsea defence, the ball set up across the box by Aguero for Zabaleta to attempt a similar strike to that which fellow right back Rafael had done yesterday. Cahill did exceptionally well to block the chance with his head. In the absence of Terry, the apprentice was keeping Chelsea in the game with bravery befitting the master.

Rodwell had looked the most dangerous man on the pitch first half. A solid strike from 35 yards forced Cech to tip over, and the resulting corner was met by Rodwell again, his header down and into the keeper's arms.

Zabaleta got his yellow card and gave Chelsea a chance just before the half with a free kick in a dangerous position on the left, but Hazards's delivery frustratingly failed to beat the first man.

0-0 at the break, but it had still been a fascinating half, with City shading it.

The second half picked up where the first left off, Aguero almost producing a moment of magic at the end at which he won the title last year, his acrobatic attempt flying wide.

Hazard tried a speculative effort  from the edge of the box, but was never going to beat England's number one at his near post.

Minutes later Hart came to chase a ball down with Ba and was beaten to it, conceding a needless penalty. Frank Lampard stepped up for his 200th goal, but the keeper made amends with a stunning strong right hand to deny him. A mention should go to Andre Mariner for exemplary refereeing not ruining the game by producing a red card, as some referees might have done.

Tevez as brought on at 55 minutes for the excellent Rodwell. The game had sparked into life.

Silva found Aguero in the box who incredibly controlled with his head, but was given no time by Gary Cahill, the Englishman again saving Chelsea with an excellently timed challenge in the 6 yard box.

Aguero was again threaded in by Javi Garcia, he dinked over the advancing Cech but also over his bar. Surely this game couldn't stay goalless for much longer, both sides now beginning to go gung-ho.

As the game became stretched on the hour mark, either side looked likely to score on the break and football tennis ensued. On one such Chelsea counter attack Ivanovic exposed Kolo Toure's lack of pace but Ramires was not clinical enough to finish.

Immediately after at the other end, Toure's younger brother Yaya placed inside Cech's post with a wonderfully cool finish in the box to give the home side the lead. Mikel's challenge was far too soft, and Cahill made his first mistake of the afternoon by not closing him down quickly enough, but take nothing away from Yaya Toure, who's compusure was world class. How glad City must be to have him back.

Hazard produced a lovely cross for Ba, but Zabaleta headed behind sensibly for a corner. It wasn't to be the fairytale day for Lampard, himself and Hazard replaced by Oscar and Moses. Benitez needed a moment of magic, and in recent weeks the fresh-faced Brazilian Oscar has shown his ability to produce this.

With 15 minutes to go, City inevitable began to be pushed back, with both Chelsea full backs now the starting points for launching attacks, but ultimately a lack of quality in the  box was keeping City their lead.  Mata uncharacteristically squandered a real goalscoring opportunity when he

played a heavy ball for Oscar which went out for a goal kick.

With 10 minutes to go, Benitez withdrew Mikel in order to ask the usual question; 'Can you hear the drums Fernando?' Torres now on the pitch with Demba Ba and Chelsea desperate for an equaliser.

That was not to be, as Carlos Tevez stuck from the edge of the D h aplomb, beating Cech comfortably. It was a moment of sheer brilliance from the Argentine, and the scoreline was a fair reflection on the game. City had been the better side all afternoon and though Chelsea had probed well at times, they really were lacking the quality to take anything away from Manchester.

Frank Lampard will be feeling the burden of guilt after his penalty miss, and who knows what might have been had he converted it, but ultimately City were good value for the 3 points. Title Race over? As Maximus the Gladiator's mate who survives at the end says; 'Not Yet. Not Yet.'