By Michael Wade
Manchester City’s unbeaten start to the Premier League season came crashing to a halt as Chelsea came from behind to beat them 2-1 at Stamford Bridge.
Frank Lampard’s penalty ten minutes from time claimed all three points for the Blues and wrestled them back into contention at the top of the league table, while underlining his own importance to the club.
Veteran midfielder Lampard has been unable to hold down a regular starting spot under new Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas, and started the game on the bench, but after keeping his cool to snatch three points from the league leaders he will surely improve his chances of a run in the side.
Chelsea got off to the worst possible start when they fell behind to a Mario Balotelli goal after less than two minutes.
And it could have been even worse as City went for the kill with Sergio Aguero shooting narrowly wide and the visitors unlucky not to earn a penalty when David Silva was tripped in the box by Jose Bosingwa.
But a close-range effort from Raul Meireles dragged Chelsea back into the game when he hammered Daniel Sturridge’s cross past Joe Hart in the 33rd minute.
The pendulum swung in the second-half and things took a turn for the worse for Roberto Mancini’s men when Gael Clichy received a second yellow card after bringing down Ramires just before the hour mark.
And although Chelsea relentlessly piled forward in search of the winner they could not find it, with Mancini introducing defenders Kolo Toure and Nigel De Jong at the expense of Aguero and Silva.
As they gambled for a victory Villas-Boas’ decision to introduce Lampard paid off as Joleon Lescott handballed Sturridge’s shot giving Chelsea a penalty in the 82nd minute.
The England midfielder coolly dispatched his spot-kick beyond international teammate Hart to move Chelsea up to third and leave City with a slender two-point advantage over Manchester United in second.
From:
Talk Sport
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