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Two games from the halfway point of the season, the gap at the top of the Premier League is down to five points, and Manchester City is once more looking ominous. The timing of the World Cup perhaps has skewed perceptions, but there is still an awful long way to go. What Thursday’s 1–0 win at Chelsea showed above all else is just how deep City’s squad is. And that is not something the league leader Arsenal can say.
City’s draw against Everton last weekend had allowed Arsenal to pull seven points clear, but when Mikel Arteta’s side was held at home to Newcastle on Tuesday, the opportunity was there for City to reduce its lead to the margin it had held going in to the World Cup. For Arsenal there were two real worries that came out of Tuesday: the way it became so agitated by Newcastle’s spoiling, and the lack of creativity from the bench when a spark was needed late on. City, though, has plenty of spark to bring on and made the most of those resources after a disappointing first half.
City had started with an unusual formation reminiscent of the shape it deployed when losing at Anfield on Oct. 16. There was a back three with João Cancelo used as a right wingback and Phil Foden in a corresponding, if more attacking, position on the left with Rodri sitting deep in midfield, dropping into the back line when City lost possession. But as against Liverpool, Cancelo seemed uncomfortable away from his more familiar left back slot, and Foden, by starting deeper, found it harder to trouble the opposing right back.
The logic against Liverpool, which has caused City more problems than any other team, was at least obvious: Guardiola had been stung before by Jurgen Klopp’s side in transition. But this is a Chelsea side struggling for form, in 10th in the table. Trying to create a four vs. three overload in midfield seemed a needless complication. It didn’t work, either going forward or defensively.
City seemed ponderous with the ball, as players unfamiliar with their roles struggled to generate any fluency. Chelsea, falling back into a 4-4-2 out of possession, managed to keep Erling Haaland so quiet he didn’t touch the ball until the 21st minute. The glut of midfielders seemed to get in each other’s way while not really checking Chelsea, whose counters became increasingly threatening as the half went on. It took a supremely well-timed block by John Stones to deny Christian Pulisic, while Carney Chukwuemeka hit the post with a deflected shot just before the break. Guardiola as good as admitted the problem by bringing on Rico Lewis and Manuel Akanji for Cancelo and Walker at half-time.
The impact was immediate. As City began to dominate and the chances began to flow, Nathan Aké headed a Kevin De Bruyne cross against the bar. In the end, it was two further substitutes who made the difference, Jack Grealish crossing low for Riyad Mahrez to tap in. The goal was largely the result of excellent approach play, switching the ball from right to left, but Marc Cucurella, who had had a miserable time trying to defend against Bernardo Silva, mystifyingly lost his man. The fullback proved at Brighton he is a decent player but he has looked bafflingly out of his depth at Chelsea.
But he is not the only one struggling. Chelsea has now won just one of its last eight Premier league games and the grumbling about new manager Graham Potter is beginning to get louder. The circumstances are not easy. Already without Reece James, Ben Chilwell, N’Golo Kante and Wesley Fofana, he lost Mason Mount just before this match and Raheem Sterling and Pulisic within the first half of the first half. That would be tricky enough without the shambles of recruitment left by the past year, partly by the sanctions imposed when Roman Abramovich was still the owner and partly by the $300 million splurge on transfers in the summer, overseen by Thomas Tuchel, who was then sacked within a week of the transfer window closing. This is a squad packed with good players who don’t really fit together, and the result is spiraling form. And because Potter is inexperienced at this level, there are understandable doubts, however impressive his past record at smaller clubs, as to whether he can arrest the slide.
Perhaps there was even encouragement to be drawn for Chelsea in how often it threatened City, which was far from secure. But that’s the advantage of huge resources and smart recruitment bring: City had the bench to get it out of trouble while Chelsea’s hopes in the end rested on the valiant efforts of a clutch of extremely inexperienced subs.
