Bernardo Silva downs unambitious Chelsea as Manchester City move within four wins of Premier League title
Manchester City 1 Chelsea 0: Pep Guardiola’s side controlled the game from start to finish and extended their lead at the top of the league to 18 points
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Your support makes all the difference.This was a match between the current champions of England and the next champions of England, but it simply never felt a game of such status because the latter made it such a procession.
Just like the title race and all the intrigue around Chelsea and Antonio Conte’s situation, everything about it felt so predictable, as Bernardo Silva eventually got the goal that appropriately reflected Manchester City’s dominance for a 1-0 win.
Pep Guardiola’s side and their crowd celebrated as if they knew this was a clinching win, and the only incongruity about that was the revelation that there was any kind of doubt about it. One of the few questions left in this league campaign is when they will win the title, and by how much. They now need to claim just four wins from their remaining nine, and there is still the possibility that they could mathematically clinch it at this stadium against Manchester United.
Beyond the noise that would produce, that’s what this is coming down to now, the numbers – and in more than one sense. Can Manchester City break the points record, break 100 points, and break Chelsea’s own 2009-10 record of 103 goals in a Premier League season?
The threat of such feats, and the supremely-funded divine football that may produce them, was acknowledged in Conte’s deeply defensive approach to this game.
Another question from the afternoon is to what extent this was actually intentional from the Italian. Did he really want to play this deep, or did City just force them back that far because they were that good?
It is very relevant to the Champions League that Guardiola’s side seemed to give the English champions so many more problems than Barcelona. They seemed to so often have them on edge, or hanging right over it, and at times in the first half it felt a miracle that the Chelsea goal was not breached.
Some of that might be down to the fact Conte’s side just weren’t as pumped as they were for a big Champions League match, but that is odd given that they so badly needed the points to get back into the competition next season.
It was instead an oddly low-key ‘big six’ game – the words actually quote-marked on one of the advertising hoardings at the stadium – of the sort that happens when one side is so far ahead. There was just felt an inevitability to it all, that City would eventually show their superiority, that this Chelsea – and their manager – are resigned to what feels likely to happen at the end of the season: a change. It was deeply underwhelming from a manager and side previously so charged. Certainly not the performance of champions.
In contrast to last season’s brilliantly cutting counter-attacking victory, there felt no grand plan from Conte here, it was just short-term cut-to-fit. How else to explain some of his selections, other than the fact he clearly remains unenthused by some of the club’s transfer policy. Over £70m worth of strikers were left on the bench.
It was thereby just as inevitable that City would score in the short term, as Bernardo Silva gave them the lead just after half-time. The manner of the goal reflected the pattern of the game, City just eventually forcing it over the line. SIlva’s shot was not the cleanest but there was enough on it.
If the finish was scruffy, however, the move leading up to it was not. This one thing about the procession, the inevitability of it all.
You can’t say it’s not entertaining, even if it is devoid of competitive tension. City are often just joyous to watch, weaving such glorious patterns. Leroy Sane has arguably come to display this more than anyone of late with the way he glides across the pitch. He so lusciously turned Thibaut Courtois in the Chelsea box, before having a shot cleared off the line by Cesar Azpilicueta.
There might be one element of tension remaining in City’s league campaign, though. That is whether they can break those records. They need eight wins from their remaining games for 100 points, but just 21 strikes for the goals margin.
There were occasions in this game when it looked that would be very easy for them to manage both, and it was frankly amazing that they had only scored once.
It will almost be as amazing if Conte is still in the Chelsea job next season. There are many reasons and arguments as regards that, but the fundamental point is that City have left everyone in the dust.
They celebrated with that knowledge in the rain.
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