by Lewis Jones
​Manchester City earned first blood in the title race after beating Chelsea 3-0 in a heavyweight Super Sunday clash.
With just two games on the board, City are already five points clear of the current champions.
Sergio Aguero opened the scoring on 31 minutes – finally converting one of five presentable chances in a one-sided opening to the match.
John Terry was substituted at half-time by Jose Mourinho in attempt to tighten things up but City kept the pressure on and Vincent Kompany doubled the lead on 79 minutes.
Fernandinho, who could have been sent off for an elbow on Diego Costa in the first half, struck a late third.
City started fast at the Etihad Stadium and could have been ahead within 30 seconds but stand-in Chelsea goalkeeper Asmir Begovic, who replaced the suspended Thibaut Courtois, denied the striker from close range.
The battle between the striker and the ‘keeper continued with Begovic denying Aguero three more times in the opening 30 minutes, the pick of which was a one-handed save from a fierce drive from City’s top goalscorer from last season.
Chelsea were being outplayed in every department and City finally got their noses in front just after the half-hour mark.
Aguero and Yaya Toure linked up to bamboozle a flat-footed John Terry and Gary Cahill on the edge of the area before the striker steadied himself to skilfully roll the ball into the corner of the net.
Chelsea’s service towards Eden Hazard and Diego Costa was non-existent in the first half and the striker cut a frustrated figure. His mood was angered further on 42 minutes when he was cracked in the head by a Fernandinho elbow that drew blood on Costa’s brow and just a yellow card from referee Martin Atkinson.
Terry was the fall guy for Chelsea’s dismal opening 45 minutes, being replaced by Kurt Zouma at the break – the first time Mourinho has substituted Terry in the Premier League.
The visitors did improve after the break with Hazard seeing more of the ball and City being forced deeper into their own half. However, when Chelsea’s chance came on 70 minutes, they didn’t take it.
Hazard was found inside the box by Costa and although he beat Kompany with a clever shimmy, his shot from 12 yards was too close to Joe Hart, who pushed the ball to safety.
Kompany showed Hazard how it should be done with 11 minutes remaining.
He showed a greater desire than Branislav Ivanovic to meet a David Silva corner at the near post and flicked a well-judged header into the far corner.
The Etihad, with its new third tier added to the south stand, was now rocking and Fernandinho answered the crowd’s demands for more goals with five minutes remaining.
Ivanovic’s sloppy clearance was seized upon by the rampaging City attack and the ball was worked to the midfielder, who spanked a first-time effort into the far corner.
Costa hit the post for Chelsea in stoppage time but this was to be City’s day. The champions have work to do.
Player Ratings
Man City: Hart (7), Sagna (7), Kompany (8), Mangala (7), Kolarov (8), Yaya Toure (7), Fernandinho (7), Navas (6), Silva (7), Sterling (7), Aguero (8).
Subs: Nasri (7), Demichelis (6), Bony (6)
Chelsea: Begovic (7), Ivanovic (5), Cahill (6), Terry (5), Azpilicueta (6), Ramires (6), Matic (7), Willian (6), Fabregas (6), Hazard (6), Diego Costa (6).
Subs: Cuadrado (6), Zouma (6), Falcao (6)
Man of the match: Sergio Aguero
Source: SkySports – www.skysports.com
