closed Chelsea 0-1 Manchester City

[Blue Armour 4,168]

3 minutes ago, Muzchap said:

Our aim is still Top 4 - we are at least 3 players off challenging for the title. 

Don't agree with that. Barring injuries, we can definitely challenge for the title this season. Its not going to be one of those seasons where 2nd or 3rd placed teams finish far from the first.

This match just handed the reality check that was coming. We are just not outright favorites.

Edited September 25, 2021 by Blue Armour

[Blue Armour 4,168]

DP

Edited September 25, 2021 by Blue Armour

[NikkiCFC 7,597]

Easy schedule now. 15 points in next 5 must. 

We would be top of the table again. 

Juventus next. When was the last time we played in Italy? 

[chelsea_4_eva 1,144]

They were more up for it than we were, given that we won 3x in a row against them it was always going to be hard to make it 4. For that reason it seem to push city more.

May not be a popular opinion but I would drop Lukaku in big games where we wont have much possession, our game against these teams are always to counter them, worked so well before.

Overall dissapointed that we lost at SB, but hopefully the lads can take that reality check, learn from it and kick on.

 

[milka 3,308]

Managers make mistakes, defeats happen. No point pointing fingers at who’s at fault the games done.

we'll catch up next games :

Southamton (H)

Brentford (A)

Norwich ( H)

Newcastle( A) 

[Blue Armour 4,168]

7 minutes ago, DDA said:

Lukaku coming into this team has completely upset the rhythm of our attacking play. 

Our players look clueless going forward.

Very worrying when our best passing player in Kova can't put a through ball into 40 yards of space.

 

Lukaku could have done better on a couple of occasions, but it was negative ultra defensive setup in midfield that cost us this game. Just woeful until Kante was swapped for Havertz

[cosmicway 1,261]

The Pep team is strong, they dominated the game and they were luckier this time.
They had chances for the 2-0 as we changed to offensive formation but they got tired the last half hour and we could n't capitalize.

Edited September 25, 2021 by cosmicway

[cosmicway 1,261]

5 minutes ago, chelsea_4_eva said:

They were more up for it than we were, given that we won 3x in a row against them it was always going to be hard to make it 4. For that reason it seem to push city more.

May not be a popular opinion but I would drop Lukaku in big games where we wont have much possession, our game against these teams are always to counter them, worked so well before.

Overall dissapointed that we lost at SB, but hopefully the lads can take that reality check, learn from it and kick on.

 

Lukaku looked a constant threat. Who do you think might have scored ? Ziyetch ?

[OneMoSalah 8,616]

16 minutes ago, Pizy said:

Massive wake up call. As a pure footballing side we are miles behind City. The passing and moving, the triangles, the extreme comfort on the ball. They’re miles ahead in those departments.

All well and good saying that but I mean, who aren’t? City are the best team at that in Europe and have had 5 seasons working on it with Pep.
 

Anyway, jesus, overreaction from some on here. It is one game against the reigning champions. All I am seeing is this is a reality check/embarrassing performance/whatever else which is ironic. I mean obviously the goal is to compete and be much closer this year for the title, 100% but how is today a reality check? Did anyone think we would blow City away and win 8-0 or something? 

The positives is from the first 6 games it is so clear we are comfortably better already than we were last season at the beginning of the season, mentally, physically, tactically and as a group.

Are people also forgetting we have played 6 games so far - won 4, drew 1 (10 men v Liverpool) and lost 1 (against reigning PL champions). I mean you would think its the end of the world losing today. Or that the league was done.

Considering we have played Spurs, Arsenal, City and Liverpool in our first 6 to have 13 points out of these 6 games that is a pretty good start. And better than what we would of gotten at the beginning of past season in those same fixtures. So we will clearly be up there towards the end of the season, I dont think anyone can doubt this. This reality check bullshit, give me a break. One game. 

Edited September 25, 2021 by OneMoSalah

[Clockwork 1,768]

Players like Alonso and Azpi are just completely outclassed, with the slightest pressure they can’t maintain the ball resorting to long balls to the opposition. Cancelo absolutely tear us a new one.

[ZAPHOD2319 3,889]

We were just too defensive for far too long. Lukaku and Werner were isolated up front with the midfield not able to transition the ball forward. We are going to lose games, hopefully that game plan gets buried. Lukaku is still a great acquisition. Our run is going to be determined by the wins against mid table and lower table teams that we had far too many draws and loses against last year. 

We are fooling ourselves if we thought we were favorites to win the league going into this game. Our team still has growth to move forward, growth I can see this squad making. It was nice to see RLC moving well on the pitch with and without the ball.

Our best is still ahead of us this season.

 

 

[MrExcalibur100 7,124]

Our play was very predictable and painful to watch to play. Zero interplay in between the lines in the half spaces, no triangles, little clever buildup. Just huffing and puffing around the place and launching hopeless crosses into the ball for Lukaku.

That aint gonna cut it against a super technical team like City. We need to realize right now we don't have a lot of players with world class technique and ball skills in our strongest teams. We needed to have a more direct approach today and reduced the amount of passing out from the back against an opponent like City. We needed to take advantage of our superior physicality. 

We also didn't press them from the back anywhere near as we should have. They did to us and killed us in that department. 

Edited September 25, 2021 by MrExcalibur100

[Blue Armour 4,168]

1 minute ago, OneMoSalah said:

All well and good saying that but I mean, who aren’t? City are the best team at that in Europe and have had 5 seasons working on it with Pep.
 

Anyway, jesus, overreaction from some on here. It is one game against the reigning champions. All I am seeing is this is a reality check/embarrassing performance/whatever else which is ironic. I mean obviously the goal is to compete and be much closer this year for the title, 100% but how is today a reality check? Did anyone think we would blow City away and win 8-0 or something? 

The positives is from the first 6 games it is so clear we are comfortably better already than we were last season at the beginning of the season, mentally, physically, tactically and as a group.

Are people also forgetting we have played 6 games so far - won 4, drew 1 (10 men v Liverpool) and lost 1 (against reigning PL champions). I mean you would think its the end of the world losing today. Or that the league was done.

Considering we have played Spurs, Arsenal, City and Liverpool in our first 6 to have 13 points out of these 6 games that is a pretty good start. And better than what we would of gotten at the beginning of past season in those same fixtures. So we will clearly be up there towards the end of the season, I dont think anyone can doubt this. This reality check bullshit, give me a break. One game. 

Don't think anyone is saying its the end of the world. 

It was always bound to happen. We've had difficult fixtures one after another, and Tuchel got it right in all of them bar this one.

And on the topic of this one, he got it woefully wrong. Negative setup and didn't correct it at halftime despite that terrible 1st half.

But yes, I agree the goal is to compete and be closer to the title. I don't agree with the notion that we're only fighting for top 4. This team, barring injuries, is much better than that.

[NikkiCFC 7,597]

3 minutes ago, OneMoSalah said:

Did anyone think we would blow City away and win 8-0 or something? 

We just wanted shot on target. 

[Johnnyeye 7,415]

19 minutes ago, Patrick Bamford said:

yup, fuck City

[DDA 9,570]

As somebody has already mentioned.. given the tricky fixture list to start this season we have come out the otherside with 13 points. We have lost to one of the best teams in Europe.. no shame in that.. so all in all, its been a good start. Let's just hope we can improve our attacking plays because we could could won vs Liverpool and even though we were dreadful today, if we picked the final pass on a few counters then we could have nicked a draw.

[Blue Armour 4,168]

Also slightly off-topic from the match itself, looks like RLC is moving ahead of Saul Niguez in the pecking order. Not that it wasn't obvious from the last two matches.

Seems to have got some of his swagger back.

Edited September 25, 2021 by Blue Armour

[OneMoSalah 8,616]

3 minutes ago, Blue Armour said:

Don't think anyone is saying its the end of the world. 

It was always bound to happen. We've had difficult fixtures one after another, and Tuchel got it right in all of them bar this one.

And on the topic of this one, he got it woefully wrong. Negative setup and didn't correct it at halftime despite that terrible 1st half.

But yes, I agree the goal is to compete and be closer to the title. I don't agree with the notion that we're only fighting for top 4. This team, barring injuries, is much better than that.

Exactly and managers are the same as players, capable of getting it wrong/making a mistake but ultimately the first 45 minutes as negative as it was, still was 0-0. Barring a deflection probably remained 0-0. So did he really get it woefully wrong? Similar to Contes approach v City in his second season, again lost 1-0 but was same argument. 

Maybe a bit wrong but woefully wrong? You’d think we got skelped 5 or 6-0. 

End of the day 3 points lost on game week 6 wont decide anything.

Edited September 25, 2021 by OneMoSalah