Manchester City no further behind, Chelsea no further above as a stalemate at Stamford Bridge kept both of the Premier League powerhouses in check. While this fixture was the last kicked-off in the Premier League on Saturday, it certainly had enough ammunition in its ranks to overshadow the others, however, as evident from the scoreline, it was more a battle of tactics than that of nerves.
Here are 3 things that we learned: –
Mourinho got what he wished for
No Diego Costa, No Cesc Fabregas and seeing your Ex- Lampard in a Chelsea shirt? Chelsea fans would have sensed something wrong before the match, however, give credit to their Portuguese Maestro who driven the match where he wanted: to a stalemate.
Looking at his policy over the years and contemplating it with this one, Mourinho would rather see his team win 1-0 than a thrilling last-minute winner to grab a late win. Thus, no matter how the opposition turns up against him, Mourinho had a plan today and his boys delivered to it with much effort.
Sergio Aguero’s form: a source of concern for Manuel Pellegrini
Since scoring twice at the Stadium of Light on the start of December contributing to a 4-1 win for the reigning Champions, the Argentine has now failed to find the back of the net for 4 successive matches in a row.
Even though, Costa was absent today which meant that the Argentine might reduce his gap at the goal-scoring table with the Spaniard, John Terry and co. ensured to take full advantage of his lackluster form as Aguero again had to cut a sorry figure today.
And with the lead still at 5 points for Chelsea, Manuel Pellegrini would have to find a trick to get his main man firing against if Manchester City are to remain in the title race for long.
Kurt Zouma: A breath of fresh air for Chelsea
Playing in the Capital One Cup Semi Final is one thing, earning the confidence of your manager to start against the reigning Premier League Champions takes it to an even higher level as Kurt Zouma achieved both the feats in a matter of a week with Chelsea.
At just 20 years of age and having the pedigree to limit seasoned professionals like Gary Cahill to the bench with his performances, the product of Chelsea Academy is looking more like a long-term replacement of John Terry whose contract expires next summer.
Full time: Chelsea FC 1-1 Manchester City
Barclays Premier League: Chelsea 1-1 Manchester City: 3 things we learnt
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