IF THERE is any honour in defeat, Chelsea certainly deserved it at The Etihad.
That will be no consolation to a winner like Frank Lampard.
Chelsea put up a valiant fight at The Etihad and had plenty of reasons to be positive despite the resultCredit: Getty – Contributor
But, how his team contributed to an absolute thriller.
Few teams, if indeed any, have dared to come to here in the last two years and take on Pep Guardiola’s back-to-back champions in such a way.
In the first half hour they were absolutely brilliant.
By the break the stats told you they had more possession than City at 55-45 per cent and their passing accuracy was better at 90 per cent.
Crucially, however, they were 2-1 down and it stayed that way.
If Liverpool did not have their best team in 30 years then this Chelsea side would be a serious title threat.
As it is they remain the real deal even if their impressive recent run came to an end here.
A run in the Premier League that saw them win six on the trot as well as five straight wins away from home.
They scored 18 in those five and added another away from home at The Etihad.
N’GO-ING FORWARD
There is an energy in this side that had City seriously struggling early on in this game as Chelsea took a 21st-minute lead.
Hear the name N’Golo Kante and most would immediately think of one of the most impressive defensive midfielders in Premier League history.
He could still do that job, but he does a very different one for Chelsea nowadays equally as effectively.
Now he creates problems for opponents higher up the pitch rather than solving ones at the back.
He was the quickest and most alert to Mateo Kovacic’s through ball outrunning Benjamin Mendy before clipping the ball past the advancing Ederson to give Chelsea that lead.
They should really have given themselves a cushion in this period with shots raining in from all angles and all players.
Full-back Emerson Palmieri and centre-back Fikayo Tomori both had decent efforts.
That emphasised what this Chelsea team is about under Frank Lampard with attacking intent all over the pitch.
Their transition from defence to attack in serious numbers makes them such a threat.
The flair and positivity can be at the expense of what happens at the back.
But it’s a risk you take and Chelsea’s young players are not afraid to take them which makes them so watchable.
N’Golo Kante got forward really well and beat Benjamin Mendy to the ball to put Chelsea in frontCredit: Reuters
Chelsea boss Frank Lampard admits that he could never go and manage Tottenham
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
