City’s idea is to channel the pain of their Champions League quarter-final defeat to Real Madrid into something more positive, something that undoubtedly speaks most strongly to their players.
The negativity was epitomized by Bernardo Silva’s horrific penalty in Wednesday’s shootout with Real Madrid, which went horribly wrong and turned the tide for his team. This is what redemption looks like.
It’s been a strange performance from Manchester City as they struggle to keep their hopes of next season alive. The double treble may be gone, but the double is not. Chelsea were dangerous, they created great chances – mainly for Nicholas Jackson – and they were the better team in the second half.
What stood out most was City’s lack of control. They were loose and tired – a legacy of more than 120 minutes and a penalty shootout against Madrid, and Guardiola expressed his post-match reaction to an unpalatable quick turnaround in an FA Cup semi-final. feelings.
Guardiola said he had no idea how City had survived; in his view, this was one of his Championship side’s best days in terms of overcoming adversity. But City survived because, unlike Chelsea, they knew how to make their punches count. When they hit the decisive goal, there were 84 minutes left.
Kevin De Bruyne is emblematic of their performance. Tried everything but haven’t seen it all work out anyway. He’s not the only City player prone to conceding goals. However, he is a repeat offender.
De Bruyne continued forward and it was his cutback from substitute Jérémy Doku’s pass to the inside left that set up Silva. The ball bounced off the legs of Chelsea goalkeeper Djordje Petrovich and Silva opened his body with help from Marc Cucurella to slot the ball into the goal.
This is the most important lesson of calmness and one that Mauricio Pochettino is desperate for his Chelsea players to learn. His side have regularly faced off against the Premier League’s top clubs, drawing twice with Manchester City and once with Arsenal and Liverpool. So they came here again and showed that they have quality. A lack of ruthlessness is what holds them back.
When one substitute, Ben Chilwell, took too long towards the end of the game, another, Raheem Sterling, screamed for a cross in front of the goal – and everyone Chelsea fans alike – this goes hand in hand with the decisive moment of the first half.
Enzo Fernández delivered a clean pass from Jackson in the 29th minute, with the striker dropping his shoulders to round Stefan Ortega and it looked like a good start for Chelsea good. But then he hesitated and didn’t fire. He checked inside and lost his chance. The pass from a teammate was never made. Fast forward to the Chilwell moment. When he finally took the shot, the ball was easily cut out.
Chelsea initially tried to attack from the back and face City’s press, but had several near misses. But they grew into the game, with Cole Palmer flashing menace in the No. 10 role and Connor Gallagher taking the hustle out of position on the left of midfield.
Jackson was outstanding until the very end, his sharp turns and lightning pace eye-catching as Chelsea made progress in the first half with some clever one-touch play. Noni Madduk’s shot was blocked by John Stones and Palmer almost worked his magic in the 37th minute. He showed off his silky skills and movement, gliding past Rodri and creating a shot. Ortega crouched down and pushed it away.
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With Erling Haaland injured, Guardiola has used Phil Foden as one of his midfielders. It was he who gave Manchester City the lead in the 15th minute after receiving a pass from De Bruyne. Foden only had Petrovich to beat, but his first touch was a bit heavy, resulting in a tight angle and the chance disappeared.
Julian Álvarez nearly created a chance in the 21st minute with a quick-footed move that saw Silva’s clearance blocked by Cucurella, despite Foden in midfield It was ruled offside. Chelsea can take heart from the statistics showing City had zero shots on target before the break.
It’s not hard to imagine what Pochettino was thinking when Gallagher released Jackson at the start of the second half but was unable to beat goalkeeper Ortega’s block. In the second stage, Palmer made a pass from the right, and Jackson headed Ortega from close range.
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Chelsea felt the game was about to begin and loudly called for a penalty when Palmer sent a free-kick into the wall that appeared to hit Jack Grealish’s hand. Palmer then turned Manuel Akanji and released Moises Caicedo. No prizes for guessing what the final product will look like.
At the other end, Foden and Doku combined with Petrovic, while De Bruyne was off target. It’s easy to think that punishment may be warranted. Silva was in no mood for this.
