Manchester City 0 Chelsea 1: Team Chelsea outwit City with Jose Mourinho exacting perfect game plan

Masterclass from Mourinho, whose perfect game plan allows his side to storm the Etihad and seal famous 1-0 victory

From left: Chelsea’s Nemanja Matic, goalscorer Branislav Ivanovic and David Luiz show the collective spirit that led their side to victory over Manchester City last night (Reuters)

John Terry hailed his manager Jose Mourinho after a tactical masterclass from Chelsea earned a 1-0 win at Manchester City on Monday night that keeps the Premier League title race wide open.

Chelsea out-thought and outplayed City and won through Branislav Ivanovic’s first-half strike, leaving Arsenal top of the league with City and Chelsea both two points behind them. It was City’s first home league defeat of the season, the first time they had failed to score at home in the league since November 2010, and Terry said that it could be an “eye-opener” to other sides.

Terry put the win down to the managerial brilliance of Mourinho. When asked post-match whether it was “vintage Jose”, Terry agreed. “Very much so,” the captain said. “We spent a couple of days on it and this is where he comes into his own, working on their strengths and weaknesses. They were long sessions for us but very worthwhile.

“In the first 15 minutes they were very good, and they made it very difficult for us, but we showed a lot of character. We created a lot of chances in the first and second half, we were very solid and we are very happy with the win.

“It was very important, coming here where they have been phenomenal, scoring goals and rolling teams over. It was important not just for us – getting the three points – but for other teams to see that they can be beaten. That is an eye-opener for everyone.

“After the disappointment against West Ham United [when Chelsea were held to a 0-0 home draw last week], to come here and bounce back is the first thing. Now we have to kick on and hope that teams around us drop points. We have got a couple of games that we must win.”

Chelsea had by far the better chances, hit the woodwork three times and even though City dominated possession Chelsea always looked in control.

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