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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

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ANDY JALEEL


MANCHESTER, MAY 9


This match was being viewed as a ‘dress rehearsal’ of the Champions League final between the two sides at the end of this month. Chelsea’s 2-1 win just three weeks after defeating the same opponents in the FA Cup will be an enormous confidence booster while Manchester City must feel the enormity of their task that lay ahead in Europe’s showpiece final in three weeks’ time.


The defeat left City on 80 points with three games left, 13 ahead of Manchester United who have five to play. They could still secure the title this weekend if United lose at Aston Villa on Sunday.


Thrilling as the game was, City felt that the controversial decision on a second penalty had a bearing on the match. City claimed a late penalty when Raheem Sterling looked to have drawn a foul out of Kurt Zouma’s tackle but the referee waved play on.


City manager, Pep Guardiola, convinced it was a penalty, said: “It’s a penalty. That’s all. I saw it on TV it was a penalty. We missed the first. The second was not given. It happens, it’s football.”


Guardiola added: “Congratulations to Chelsea for the victory.”


And referring to the Champions League final he said: “We’ll see about the impact on our confidence, but we have 20 days until the final. It’s a different competition so we’ll analyse this game, and then play the game. It’s a dream come true for us. Chelsea have been there many times, but this is our first time. We are going to approach it in the best possible way.”


City took the lead on the stroke of half-time. Sergio Aguero mis-controlled the cross from Gabriel Jesus but Sterling, who was at the Argentine’s shoulder, slammed the ball into the net. Then in added time to the first half, again receiving a pass from Jesus, Aguero was pushed in the back by Billy Gilmour and was awarded a penalty. Aguero decided on a terrible shot, a Panenka-style dink, which Edouard Mendy saved with one hand.


Chelsea were brilliant in the second half and drew level in the 63rd minute when Rodri lost possession. Christian Pulisic picked up the ball and fed Cesar Azpilicueta on the right. The Chelsea captain in turn passed to Hakim Ziyech whose low finish went into the corner.


Three minutes before normal time, Zouma tried to intercept a pass to Sterling and in attempting he put so much pressure on Sterling that the City striker went tumbling and that was the controversial penalty that was not given. City thought that robbed them of a goal to the absolute fury of Guardiola who displayed his rage at the touchline.


To make matters worse for him, two minutes into added time, Timo Werner, who earlier had two disallowed goals for apparently narrowly off side, crossed into the box from the right. Callum Hudson-Odoi and Marcos Alonso both went for it with the latter getting his shot over Ederson in the goal and that was the winner.


Chelsea manager, Thomas Tuchel praised his team: “What a performance in the second half. In the last five minutes of first half, we almost gave it away. It was a tactical match, we never stopped attacking. Congratulations to the team for the second half.”


It was a tactical match, we never stopped attacking. Congratulations to the team for the second half


Thomas TuchelChelsea manager


English Premier League results on Saturday:


Leeds 3 (Dallas 13, Bamford 42, Rodrigo 84) Tottenham 1 (Son 25)


Liverpool 2 (Mane 31, Thiago 90) Southampton 0


Manchester City 1 (Sterling 44) Chelsea 2 (Ziyech 63, Alonso 90+3)


Sheffield United 0 Crystal Palace 2 (Benteke 2, Eze 88)


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