Premier League
February 27, 2010
Chelsea
2 - 4
Manchester City
Premier League
12:45 +00:00, February 27, 2010
Stamford Bridge, England
Referee: Mike Dean
Tevez's goal in first half injury time was crucial and set up this victory. Superb stuff.
Smiles from Arsenal too.
Man United will be delighted to see Chelsea lose at home, they will go to Wembley even more buoyant.
The last 50 minutes of this game were breathtaking. Six goals, two red cards, two penalties and drama aplenty.
And that's it, what a win for Man City!90 seconds to go
A bit of keep-ball from City. The oles ring out
Chelsea still probing
Four of the added five minutes to go
- Lampard sends Given the wrong way and finds the bottom corner
- GOAL!!!
Lampard to take
This is getting silly now. Barry tripped Anelka
- PENALTY TO CHELSEA!
A final change for City as the heroic Tevez is replaced by Sylvinho
Not only will United enjoy the fact that Chelsea have lost, there's a dent in the goal difference too
- Man City break, they had four men clear in attack, SWP simply fires the ball across the face of goal and Bellamy had the simple task of tapping home at the far post
- 1-4!
- GOAL!!!
Malouda and Hilario get in a right mess, SWP just cannot get hold of the ball to face an empty net
Tevez came back on, by the way
A shot from Kalou now, it goes way over
Drogba hits it, and again it's at Given
Free-kick to Chelsea, five yards outside the box. Chance.
If Chelsea get one this will be a grandstand finish, even though they have nine men
Anelka almost breaks through but Given stands firm, close call
Another shot is straight at Given, from Drogba this time
Tevez needs treatment, and will hobble off. Chelsea down to nine. Game over.
It's a terrible challenge from Ballack, taking Tevez late from behind. Ballack was booked for dissent and the second yellow sees him dismissed
- ANOTHER RED CARD - BALLACK IS OFF!
Wright-Phillips fires wide from an impossible position. Wasteful
Weak shot from Lampard, straight at Given
Man City will make a change, and it's Wayne Bridge who is withdrawn for Santa Cruz. The boos eventually change to applause. Well done to the real fans
It's a long way back for Chelsea now. And doesn't Wayne Bridge look happy, fisting the air.
- Hilario didn't know which way to go, Tevez just made sure he found the bottom left corner. He back from Argentina, and City are back on song
- GOAL!!!
Tevez to take the penalty. Drogba tries to put him off
- And it's a red card for Belletti. Barry was ready to pull the trigger, his ankle was clipped and out comes the red
- PENALTY!
Barry breaks into the box, Belletti gives chase...
Ballack shoots from 30 yards, it's a skipper but Given deals with it well
Belletti strikes one from the edge of the box but it hits a defender. Chelsea in a rush now
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Bellamy takes, Drogba heads away. And City take an age once more
Bellamy takes, and Lampard knocks it behind for a corner. Again - nice and slow
Free-kick for City on the right. They're taking their time with it
Bellamy shoots straight at Hilario
A change for Chelsea as Carvalho is replaced by Salomon Kalou. Ancelotti is going for it!
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This time it's fed back to Drogba at the far post, he controls and Given saves again. It's a certain corner but the ref gives a goal-kick! The furious Ballack is booked for dissent
Shot from Anelka, straight at Given who repels it
Richards is penalised from jumping into Hilario. Not a great deal in that, to be honest.
Superb ball from Tevez with the outside of his boot sets Bellamy in. The Welshman just cannot control it, allowing Ivanovic to poke it behind. That was a real chance for a third
Given has had nothing to do really since City equalised, let alone took the lead. They must do better
It's just a talking too for both Terry and Tevez, I wonder what Tevez said to him?
Tevez and Terry square up to each other after clashing for the ball. Terry's been booked already!
Man United fans will be delighted right now, and hoping for a trophy tomorrow too.
Drogba is late again, he'll be booked too soon
And changes for Chelsea too as Mikel John Obi is replaced by Juliano Belletti, while former Man City man Daniel Sturridge is on for Cole
A change for City, as former Chelsea winger Shaun Wright-Phillips will replace Adam Johnson. This will give a different test for Malouda
Now Ivanovic is booked for a late challenge on Barry.
We've just been told that Zabaleta was booked earlier for waving an imaginary yellow card. Great work from Mike Dean
Now Drogba brings down De Jong
Cole brings down Barry in midfield
Lampard takes the corner, it's easy for Bridge to hook away
Drogba strikes it, the ball is deflected and goes yards wide for a corner
Richards fells Ballack just over 25 yards from goal. A chance to hit back
Drogba tries to break into the box, Lescott just stays strong and the Ivorian bounces off him
Cats and pigeons everywhere
- Bellamy runs from the half-way line with only Mikel in front of him. Mikel makes sure he has to stay left, but Bellamy break into the area and puts in across the face of goal and into the far corner
- Craig Bellamy!
- GOAL!!!
City break again
Brilliant play by Carvalho on the right flank, he feeds in Ivanovic who makes his way into the box - but his control is poor.
Bridge hits it, and it smacks into the wall. Who did it hit though?!
Wayne Bridge is eyeing it up!
Terry fells Johnson just outside the box as he cuts in from the right. Dangerous free-kick and a yellow card for Terry
Malouda again does well at right-back, winning the ball from Richards. City have not put enough down that flank
No team changes at the break
- Man City get us started again
Back in 15, I'm going to find someone to shake hands with
Chelsea really should be in front, their play deserves it, and City will surely have to improve after the break to still remain on level terms, or get a win which a few moments ago appeared impossible.
City have been woeful, but in just one moment they managed to score their first goal at the Bridge since 2000 and it's level
- And that's half-time
Bellamy takes and finds Lescott completely unmarked at the back post. It can't direct his effort on target and it drifts wide - but that was a very good chance for City go into the break in front!
Carlvalho climbs all over Tevez, free-kick. Maybe another chance to put it into the box from deep?
What did I say about Tevez?
- Terry and Carvalho are at sixes and sevens as Tevez latches on to a long punt up field. He manages to hold off Terry and get in a weak shot. Hilario gets fingertips onto it but it's not enough. The ball rolls over the line. 1-1!
- GOAL!!!
Man City break suddenly with Tevez
Cole gets space in the box and tries to prod it home, Given gets something on it then Lampard's shot is weak
Three minutes to be added on
Is Carlos Tevez actually playing?
Poor defending from Richards. He was tracking Lampard and just stopped his run, allowing the England midfielder a free run. You would not bet on City finding a leveller.
- Joe Cole spotted the run of Lampard through the centre, the pass was perfected weighted and Lampard puts it back across goal with his right foot and it goes in off the post
- Frank Lampard!
- GOAL!!!
The loose ball comes back to Malouda, but his shot is terrible and it trickles past the left post
Anleka does well again, cutting inside from the left and shooting. It looks like a good effort ... but it hits Lampard on the back and doesn't reach the goal
Mikel brings down Barry, free-kick. The game has actually flowed quite well
Anelka breaks forward through his half, cutting inside. It opens up for him and the invitation is there to shoot, instead he overhits a pass through the centre for Cole and it's a goal-kick
...Drogba fires over on the turn. It was a decent chance, gone begging
Lampard mis-hits a shot from the edge of the area, but it falls to an unmarked Drogba eight yards out...
Richards fells Anelka on the left, good chance to deliver. Malouda crosses from the left and it's woeful - right over everyone and out for a throw
Zabaleta is back on, but the bench will be keeping an eye on him
City playing with 10
Joe Cole and Bridge have a laugh and a joke. No problems between those two!
Both physios are making sure that Zabaleta is okay. he's being helped up now but still looks unsure
Drogba and Richards are fine. Zabaleta is still down and is very groggy
The corner comes in but there's nothing donig for Chelsea - then Drogna, Richards and Zabaleta all go up for a header and clash heads. Play will have to stop for treble treatment
Drogba plays a dangerous ball into the box, Kompany stretches out a boot and almost scores an own goal. Ooooh! Corner.
A tame shot from Ankela is deflected into the arms of Given
Ivanovic comes forward and City's defenders are drawn towards goal. Ivanovic looks for Cole coming in late but he plays it in front of the England man and City clear
Terry guards the ball out very well under pressure from Zabaleta. Still no sign of a spark from City
City do not look like scoring in their tenth year without a goal at the Bridge
Drogba heads over, half a chance
Drogba gets his feet in a mess as it looks like he could shoot or feed in Lampard
The pitch is not great at Stamford Bridge. But it surely will never be as bad as the beach with Charlton faced some years ago
Chelsea have been the dominant force here, but have yet to truly open up Mancini's men.
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Joe Cole comes into the game for the first time, cutting inside to hit it with his right. Given palms away with the shot straight at him
Looks like it will be Johnson himself to hit it, but it's not great and Hilario claims on the bounce
Malouda fells Johnson, it's about 25 yards from goal on the right and a chance for someone to have a hit
It comes back in to Drogba, his control is not great which enables Richards to get back at him. Still Drogba can chip one up to the back stick - but there's no-one there
Poor header from Lescott gifts the ball to Anelka, but Lescott gets back well to recover
Drogba, as he does now, is the man to take it. He fools everyone, including Lampard, by playing it square for the England man who was not expecting it. He has to stretch and the shot is blocked
Richards goes in hard on Drogba just outside the box on the left. Great chance here
To emphasise Man City's record at Stamford Bridge since they returned to the top flight in 2000, it's as follows. Played 8 - Won 0 - Drawn 1 - Lost 7 - Goals for 1 - Goals against 20. Awful
Superb hit by Malouda from 30 yards out, hit with real power and it goes just over
Man City have not scored at Chelsea since December 2000. That goal was scored by Paul Dickov in a 2-1 defeat. Dickov is now trying to get an MLS deal.
Fabio Capello is watching on in the stands. He must wonder what on earth this is all about
The booing of Bridge continues. A man who has done nothing wrong and won two league titles at Chelsea
Malouda does well against the talented Johnson, only to then give the ball away as the former Boro man tracks back
Drogba almost feeds in Lampard on the reverse pass, it's intercepted
Speculative effort from Lampard, and it's always rising over the bar
Terry tackles Tevez.... and gets a huge cheer from the crowd
A Chelsea fan clearly shouts obscenities at Bridge. Of course, he's the guilty party in all this....
Bridge is on the ball for the first time, and is, predictably, roundly booed by the home fans. So clever
Given almost gets a long ball from Malouda wrong, but recovers
Chelsea take the kick-off, and we have some football
Terry had his hand held out, and Bridge too... Bridge decided not to shake hands. And Terry was gutted. It was a top moment!
Great stuff! All the Man City players shake hands with John Terry... and Bridge leaves him hanging!
Here we go!
Out come the teams. We're on tenterhooks!
The teams are in the tunnel. Terry at the front, Bridge at the back.
Now how long until the handshakes.....
Florent Malouda again plays at left-back, as he did in Milan, with Cole and Zuirkhov out injured. Paulo Ferreira is only on the bench. Joe Cole comes in for Salomon Kalou
On other matters, Carlos Tevez is back in City's starting line-up after jetting in from Argentina. He replaced the suspended Emmanuel Adebayor
Wayne Bridge and John Terry both start as Manchester City meet Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Will John Terry and Wayne Bridge shake hands? It's the moment everyone is talking about.
Join us for live commentary for live commentary of the big one at the Bridge. And we'll have the match too.
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