Those expecting a Roberto Mancini’s title concession speech will have to wait a while longer. Joe Hart, Yaya Toure and Carloz Tevez maintained Manchester City’s slender hopes of catching Manchester United, and - perhaps more significantly given the current state of the table - extended their cushion to Chelsea in second place.
The turning point at The Etihad was Hart’s 51st minute penalty save to deny Frank Lampard.
Hart could have found himself having to explain another error to his manager after he clumsily challenged Demba Ba in the penalty box. Instead, he offered a timely reminder why he is England premier goalkeeper.
Lampard, normally so reliable from the spot, saw his well struck kick pushed away.
City then piled on the pressure and deservedly took the lead thanks to a brilliant individual goal by Toure as he danced his way through a packed Chelsea defence and side-footed past Cech on 63 minutes. A superb second from Tevez late on completed an accomplished second half performance.
The form of Toure, Sergio Aguero and David Silva will offer Mancini hope City may at least end the campaign in form resembling that of champions.
It wasn’t so long ago Chelsea aspired to play like Barcelona. Mancini is under pressure because, it’s believed, City’s Spanish-influenced hierarchy wants the same.First you have to win. Then winning isn’t enough and you have to do so with panache.
Neither of these clubs has done enough of either recently.
The dourness of the opening stages demonstrated the current plight of two teams with seriously compromised ambitions for the rest of this campaign. When the self-preservation of the two managers is the primary focus prior to kick-off, it’s a guarantee of a no risk strategy on the park.
Rafa Benitez’s teams always play to contain and wait for mistakes and not even a fifteen-point gap to Manchester United before kick-off was going to prompt Mancini to look up the phrase ‘gung-ho’ in his coaching dossier.
Aguero began as the sole striker, midfielders invited to support and probe in support, but when Tevez arrived in the second half the game opened up and City found their form.
Jack Rodwell, one of the few City employees seen at The Etihad less than Sheikh Mansour, made his first start since October and did well. Samir Nasri - the ‘fifty percenter’ as he is now known - was on the bench until injury time.
Nasri isn’t the only scapegoat of the season, however. The preference of Kolo Toure’s bulky presence to Joleon Lescott tells the England international where he stands.
For Chelsea, Benitez maintained his policy of rotating captain John Terry, whose lack of pace he finds hard to trust every week. Terry was a sub.
All the initial appetite and ambition was shown by City, Toure’s goalbound strike blocked after just 42 seconds.
Petr Cech’s reflexes were needed to swat away Matija Nastisic’s header after 15 minutes and four minutes later, Aguero was guilty of over indulgence when sent through by Silva. The Argentine’s heavy touch ran the ball of play as he tried to dribble past Cech.
Cech remained the busier keeper before half-time, Rodwell showing plenty of glimpses of the talent that attracted Brian Marwood to his signature last summer.
Chelsea had offered little attacking threat but should have led on 51 minutes when Hart mistimed his run from goal and ran into Ba.
Referee Andre Marriner had no option but to give the penalty, but Hart’s save galvanised City. Mancini finally sent on Tevez to support Aguero on 55 minutes and opportunities began to flow, with Toure’s strike and Tevez’s unstoppable second four minutes from time punishing a limp, soulless Chelsea and ensuring United still have plenty of work to do.
