This Thursday, Chelsea and Manchester City faced off at Stamford Bridge in Premier League’s 31st Matchday. It wasn’t a mere Matchday. It could decide the Premier League title with 7 games to go! All the Blues from Stamford had to do was to avoid a Man City win and then they would consequently crowning Liverpool as Premier League Champions.
And they did so, as Frank Lampard’s side beat Manchester City 2-1, thanks to Christian Pulisic and Willian’s goals. Kevin De Bruyne scored an outstanding free-kick goal, but it wasn’t enough to postpone Liverpool’s title.
I’m pretty sure that if Chelsea had nothing to fight for in the league right now, they wouldn’t have played the way they played. Chelsea displayed a great performance, not to please Liverpool, but to stay away from the growing Manchester United, who’s becoming a true menace to Chelsea’s UEFA Champions League hopes for the next season.
In the first half-hour of the game, the game looked locked up, and Man City had a single chance on a Fernandinho header, which Kepa Arrizabalaga brilliantly palmed away to a corner.
On 35 minutes, De Bruyne had got a mini-corner like down the right, but Chelsea defenders could clear it. The ball looked like a controlled ball, but Benjamin Mendy and Ilkay Gundogan couldn’t understand each other, as Pulisic got the ball from his own half, and powered forward into Man City’s half. The Captain America dribbled past Mendy, and then slotted low at Ederson’s far corner to make it Chelsea 1-0 Man City.
After the break, Guardiola made some subs in Manchester City and introduced David Silva and Gabriel Jesus, as they had some impact on the game. The Cityzens had a free-kick on their favor, and Belgium international De Bruyne magically curled it into Kepa’s top corner, to level it up at Stamford Bridge.
The 1-1 draw was still enough to crown the Reds as Premier League Champions, but Chelsea needed the three points.
Man City’s equalizer fired up the game, and Raheem Sterling had the chance to turn it around for the visitors, but the post saved both Chelsea and Liverpool.
From there on, Chelsea dominated the game and gave Man City no chances.
Mason Mount incredibly missed a one-on-one against Ederson, and moments later, in a similar play, Man City somehow got away after a goal-mouthering chance for Chelsea, but VAR awarded Chelsea a pen as Fernandinho avoided Tammy Abraham’s goal using his hand.
The Blues got the pen, and the Brazilian was shown a straight red card.
Willian stepped up and sent his countryman Ederson to the wrong side, slotting high at the corner. Goal for Chelsea and for Liverpool.
Deserved win for the Blues who exposed Pep Guardiola’s side defensive weak-points, and handled the Premier League to its rightful owner.