MAN CITY 2 – 0 Chelsea – PLAYER RATINGS
25 Feb
Hart - Such was Chelsea’s lack of attacking threat, he was barely called into action. Made a misjudgement for the penalty, getting his positioning wrong but Ba dangled his leg to make sure there was contact. Hart then produced a magnificent full-length diving stop to deny Lampard and set us on our way - 7.5
Zabaleta - Hazard’s bursts of pace from a standing start caused him the occasional worry but he was otherwise in command, limiting the potential danger of Ashley Cole’s forward runs. Went close with a volley but could still find that extra quality with his delivery into the box - 7
K. Touré – Deputised once again for the injured Kompany and produced a hugely impressive display which had many claiming him as the man of the match. Matched the physicality and pace of Ba and read the game well, save for the slight error leading up to the penalty. A more than able back-up - 8
Nastasic – His composure never fails to impress. A 19-year-old is expected to have a blip at some point but he keeps improving, showing a great touch in tight situations and sniffing out danger. The find of the season – 8
Clichy – An all-action, all-energy display, closing down eagerly and pinching the ball in front of Chelsea’s attacking men frequently. Mata’s touch on a couple of occasions caused him an issue but he was largely dominant - 7.5
Garcia – Needs to realise that when our centre-backs have the ball, he must offer himself as an option to receive it from them. Improved in the second half and showed signs of reading the game but he’s still far from convincing - 6
Milner – A storming first half and an important second. He was excellent before the break, tactically key in taking up different positions, whether it be covering in the heart of midfield, out wide or bombing forward. His touch was spot on and he maintained his level of performance after the interval. Since returning from injury a few weeks ago, he’s been one of our best players - 8
Rodwell – It was great to see him back and he more than justified his selection. He was the outstanding player in the first half, his energetic breaks from deep providing us with an aerial threat when crosses came into the box, and his neat interplay in crowded areas was a highlight. Withdrawn early in the second half but if he can remain injury-free, we look as if we have a player and a half on our hands. Despite playing only 50 minutes, he was my man of the match - 8
Y. Touré - A standout performer in the first half when he was liberated of the defensive duties he views with disdain and given the freedom to push forward and cause havoc in attack. Had the pace and strength to worry Chelsea’s backline and then produced a quite glorious finish to open the scoring - 7.5
Silva – We may be used to his brilliance but that shouldn’t diminish it. His final ball at times was overhit or wayward but he showed guts throughout and was at the hub of all our attacking threat. Heavily involved in both goals - 7.5
Aguero - Tried valiantly and worked the channels well but it just wasn’t his day in terms of his touch or finishing. Had a couple of decent opportunities which he wasted and his control was unusually absent - 6
Subs
Tevez – Struggled to get into the game and didn’t seem to be his normal effervescent self but then rifled a shot home to seal the victory. A wonderful strike - 6
Nasri – A very late, injury-time substitute - No time to mark
Lescott – Ditto Nasri - No time to mark
Kolo my man of the match, absolutely outstanding. Little harsh on Garcia, I think he’s continually improving.
And as for Nastasic, I hope he’s still in a City shirt in 10 years time.
Absolutely spot on.
Nastasic, Milner, Zabs, Kolo, Yaya, SIlva, Rodwell, Auguero were all outstanding.
Nastasic, has a level of composure that is hard to fathom.
I remember when the young Belgian defender, Boyata was performing really well, he made a mistake against Arsenal, and that was the end of his City career.
That is the level of pressure these players are under.
It seems to me that Barry has just found out the cost of his errors last week. He has had a very good season, but I have a feeling that he is now going to get pushed out of the side and sold in the summer along with Nasri.
I agree, Rodwell, may well be a real gem.
Barry has been outstanding through out the season. It is absolutely ridiculous to come down on him for his errors in saints game. Everybody does that, take our captain fantastic in West Brom and community shield against United, it does not mean that he has to be sold.
Better hope mancini doesnt make his usual choice by benching a player who was outstanding in the game before (rodwell) who by the way was awesome even before his injury, however two simple mistakes and everyone said he’s shit, he is amazing! He does stuff on the field that an untrained eye might not see, like sprinting 20 meters only to open up space for yaya or garcia to recieve the ball! He helps the team by his movement!! MOTM for sure! Citizen of Sweden!
I cant agree Rodwell was outstanding before he got injured, he played really well yesterday though and I hope it continues. Hes not a player i rated at Everton so he would be a real bonus for me if he came good. Combine him with nastasic and the fact Garcia is slowly getting better and all of a sudden our summer signings wont look as bad as made out
On the subject of Garcia though i still didnt think he was that special yesterday, but I havent given up hope on him, as hes certainly a bit better than a few months ago. Its just the sheer lack of pace in this league that worries me.
Augero seemed a bit off. He had to clear-cut chances to take a shot but somehow he did not feel comfortable to do that. He also should have scored when he overdid his chip. But glad others stepped up and hopefully Augero would be on his best in the next game.
I meant two clear-cut chances. I seem to be off today as well.
Garcia is relatively good in the air and a danger on set pieces…..apart from that he is a waste of space and should be got rid of in the summer (along with Nasri – I agree)
I would have Barry back in a flash in his place.
I am hoping Rodwell turns into the real deal, but I’m not sure at this point.
Wouldn’t it be nice to see Sinclair get a run out in a game from the start? I know he may be getting paid copious amounts of money but I feel a little sorry for the lad.
Finally, I wish Yaya would stop lying on the floor when he gets blown on and the pretending to limp for the next 5 minutes! He should take a leaf out of Zabba’s attitude and just get on with the bloody game!
C’mon City!
Sorry – forgot to mention……Nastasic! What a great prospect this lad is…..if he can only learn to go forward with the ball a little more….he reminds me of Franz Beckenbauer!
Respectively have to disagree re: Garcia. His job is to screen the the central defenders. When he wins the ball in the tackle, something he does well, he needs only to pass it to a teammate who is immediately open. I think YaYa, Rodwell, Clichy &Zab excelled because he tackles well & positionally reads the game better than people give him credit . I am very critical of Mancini, but RM clearly rates Garcia as he is a player who is willing to perform a task w/o question. Like Barry, he is slow of foot but quick of mind. The difference is that Garcia is not afraid to tackle hard. Bottomline, City need squad players as well as marquee players & I believe Garcia is welcome addition.
The combination of pick your Argentinean, Silva, Milner and Yaya has really impressed me. The way the work with one another unselfishly has really turned the attack to multifaceted, rather than attack through the middle. Gave my man of the match to Yaya, but he was in competition with Rodwell.