A Carlos Tevez goal handed champions Chelsea their first defeat of the Premier League season yesterday as Manchester City scored a 1-0 victory at Eastlands.
Just one day after City manager Roberto Mancini decreed that Carlo Ancelotti’s team would repeat as champions, he saw his own club halt the progress of the London club, comfortable winners of their opening five games.
Mancini’s pre-match assertion, whether intended as an exercise in “mind games” or not, certainly created a stir, with the City manager claiming that the visitors would defend their Premier League title “easily.”
PHOTO: REUTERS
The cautious attitude also extended to Mancini’s team selection, with Tevez as the solitary striker, and it came as no surprise that the few first half chances that were created predominantly fell to the visitors.
After 20 minutes, Yaya Toure lost the ball in midfield and presented Michael Essien with the chance for the game’s first shot, which he sent skidding well wide of the City goal.
Only the woodwork and Joe Hart’s customary excellence in goal rescued City after 27 minutes, when Florent Malouda’s cross was headed back across goal by Alex and Branislav Ivanovic saw his own header strike the bar.
The Chelsea fullback responded well and followed up, only to be denied by the England goalkeeper.
The visitors enjoyed a glut of possession thereafter, but failed to seriously test Hart again, the best chance falling to Essien just before the interval, but at the end of a promising attack, his shot was woeful and wide.
The second half, however, opened with the promise of more attacking play from both sides and, before the hour was reached, City were in front.
The goal came from a counterattack and was sprung from a short pass from Yaya Toure that found Tevez on the halfway line. The Argentine sped through Chelsea territory — Chelsea defender Ashley Cole backing away furiously — before beating Peter Cech with a superb strike that flew in off the inside of the left-hand post.
Ancelotti was clearly stunned by the Tevez goal, coming as it had largely against the run of play, but if he was expecting a committed response from the champions, there was none forthcoming.
In fact, Yaya Toure might have doubled the lead as he weaved his way into the Chelsea area, just losing his balance before he could get off a close-range shot, and the visitors were limited by dogged defending to long-range shots.
Essien tried his hand with a couple of pitiful efforts from distance, while defender Alex rose well to meet a Malouda corner, but his strong header flashed harmlessly across the face of the City goal.
Chelsea substitute Daniel Sturridge, booed by City fans for having left their club for a better contract with the London club, appeared as a substitute and might have slid in to claim a late equalizer, but it would have been more than the reigning champions deserved.
LEAGUE CUP
AFP, LONDON
Newcastle United’s reward for their dramatic League Cup victory over English champions Chelsea is a home tie against Arsenal in the fourth round.
Chris Hughton’s side snatched a stunning 4-3 win at Chelsea in midweek thanks to Shola Ameobi’s last-minute winner to earn a shot at the Gunners, who beat north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 at White Hart Lane.
League Two club Northampton Town, who shocked Liverpool with a penalty shoot-out triumph at Anfield, were drawn to play Championship team Ipswich Town at Portman Road.
Holders Manchester United were handed a home game against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
League One team Brentford, who defeated Everton on penalties in the third round, travel to Birmingham City looking for another Premier League scalp.
Wigan Athletic boss Roberto Martinez welcomes former club Swansea City to the DW Stadium.
The other three ties see Aston Villa host Burnley, Championship club Leicester City take on West Bromwich Albion and Stoke City travel to fellow Premier League strugglers West Ham United.
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