Perhaps the most alarming thought for the other teams with aspirations of winning the Premier League is that Manchester City could produce this show of strength, passing the ball so elegantly and comprehensively outplaying the reigning champions, without even being able to call upon the player who is one goal short of establishing himself as their joint all-time record scorer.
It is a scary thought for the teams chasing Pep Guardiola’s side at the top of the league and if Chelsea had suspected Sergio Agüero’s absence might work in their favour they were quickly made to realise that was a mistake. The days have passed when an injury to Agüero might cause City lasting disruption. They were the better team in every department and, by the end, it was starting to feel like a trick of the imagination that they had trailed Chelsea by 15 points last season.
Chelsea might do well just to stay in touch this season bearing in mind the imbalance of talent on show here and the latest evidence that the club were far too hasty in allowing Kevin De Bruyne to leave Stamford Bridge. De Bruyne is at a level now where he can justifiably be ranked among the world’s elite footballers. He was not the only player in City’s colours to excel and an argument could legitimately be made that it was the most complete team display, from back to front, of the Guardiola era. Yet it was De Bruyne who provided the game’s decisive moment.
The winning goal was another outstanding addition to the Belgian’s portfolio, aided and abetted by David Silva’s enduring brilliance, the penetrative qualities of Leroy Sané and Raheem Sterling in the wide positions and the emergence of Gabriel Jesus as a player who can trouble the most accomplished defences. The celebrations at the end made it clear Guardiola and his players considered this more than just an ordinary victory.
They have now won eight games on the bounce in all competitions and, though it will always be their front players who attract most of the attention, it should not be overlooked that City, with Fabian Delph flourishing as a stand-in left-back, have beefed up their defence and now have a goalkeeper, Ederson, who is a clear upgrade on Claudio Bravo. Everybody knows the aesthetic qualities of Guardiola’s teams. Yet here, too, was a determination whenever they did lose the ball to get it back as quickly as possible. It was reminiscent of Barcelona’s tactics in Guardiola’s peak years – and that is the ultimate compliment, as far as his current club are concerned.
Chelsea looked sluggish in comparison. They rallied late on but a goal at that stage would have been an injustice and their disappointment was exacerbated by the hamstring injury that deprived them of Álvaro Morata for most of the match. Morata lasted only 35 minutes, leaving Antonio Conte with another opportunity to reiterate his complaints about the fatigue caused by their midweek trip to Madrid. To be fair to Chelsea’s manager, he did not make as big a deal of it as might have been anticipated.
It was true that City played with greater energy but, more than anything, they exuded the confidence of a side that had scored 16 times without reply in their last three league fixtures. They were quickly into their rhythm, using the full width of the pitch, with Sané and Sterling under instructions to cling to the touchline and push back the two Chelsea wing-backs. Silva seemed to be at the heart of everything and Fernandinho, a player who does not get a sliver of the credit he deserves, had another fine game.
There are not many teams who will back themselves here to out-pass the hosts but City defended with a high line, pressed for the ball and moved it with a speed and accuracy that was beyond their opponents. Chelsea were pinned back at times and when they did break out they did not keep the ball long enough to build up any sustained pressure. Eden Hazard, starting his first league game of the season, faded after a bright start. There was the sight of N’Golo Kanté misplacing what should have been a routine six-yard pass and putting the ball straight out for a throw-in. Willian found it difficult to make any difference after replacing Morata and there was the clear sense that Cesc Fàbregas is no longer the player he was. The passing statistics told their own story: Chelsea had only 38% of the possession.
It was rare to see Chelsea being given this treatment on their own ground and when the goal arrived from De Bruyne’s left foot, midway through the second half, it was the culmination of a ten-minute spell when City had at least four opportunities to take the lead. De Bruyne’s one-two with Jesus was quick and incisive. As soon as De Bruyne moved on to the return pass, it was clear he was going to let fly. Twenty yards out, it was a beauty and City had the goal that propelled them back to the top of the league. They are going to take some shifting.
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