Tom Garry's report from the Etihad Stadium
Righto, that’s us here, but Tom Garry’s report will be up shortly, so do check back for that, then check-in on the rugby and men’s football. Otherwise, though, peace out.
I really like what he did at Bologna but I’m not surprised it’s the end at Juve; I hope he comes again.
Lovely stuff: though we’re nearly finished here, we’re away in our men’s Nations League clocko, and will be with you for the duration.
Lille’s tie with Dortmund was the first time I saw this lad play well. I’d not thought him good enough for the top end of the Prem before that, but given his free agency i’d not be surprised to someone take a punt.
Cushing is frustrated not to have led 2-0 at half-time, noting that towards the end, he was bringing key players off while Chelsea were bringing them on.
Before the disallowed goal, he’d asked the fourth official for advantage and been advised the message would be passed on to the ref … who then failed so to do. Otherwise, he thinks his side defended well in the second half, though didn’t play their football, and he’s really chuffed with how Keating performed, saying she has more than enough to be no 1 in this team.
He thinks there’ll be large parts of Thursday’s game that look like the second half today, with City under pressure, but they’ll go looking to score with the confidence that they can play as they did in the first half.
Gosh, he’s not having a good month is he?
On the plus side, he can now spend some QT with his hairdo.
Keating, who I forgot to say is player of the match, is proud of the team and proud of her performance. Their mindset doesn’t change despite the result, they still want to make top three, but now they have to focus on the Champions League game – they’re halfway to the semis and they can do it.
Cuthbert tells BBC that they didn’t impose themselves in the first half and weren’t energetic enough. But a tactical change saw them limit the influence of Kerolin, which they had to go.
On the winner, she says she’s challenged herself to get into the box more and decided that head, shoulder, whatever, she wanted to be first and was determined to take everything into the net if necessary.
She sees herself as a box-to-box midfielder, she couldn’t have a better coach for that than Camille Abily. She also thinks Walsh has added a new dimension to them and though they’ve lacked a little fluidity in the final third, it’s coming – and in the meantime, they’re finding a way to win.
On Thursday they have to score goals and an early goal totally changes the tie. They’ll need to play a perfect game but if there’s one thing she knows about Chelsea, it’s that they can do it.
Also going on:
Back to our game, the first half was dominated by Hasegawa and Kerolin, but Chelsea were much more aggressive after half-time: Kaptein played higher so marginalised the latter and Charles got tighter to the former, which in turn allowed James to stretch the play. City will need to find an antidote to that for Thursday.
Elsewhere, West Ham beat Spurs 2-0; Leicester lead Brighton 3-0; and Villa v Man United is about to kick-off.
We wondered earlier if either Chelsea or City could beat Barca…
I’d love to know what Bompastor said at half-time, but she also deserves praise for how she husbanded her resources. Her introduction of Cuthbert made a massive difference, and the way Chelsea killed the game after taking the lead showed the confidence in the group.
FULL TIME: Manchester City 1-2 Chelsea
The champs restore their eight-point lead at the top, shading a hugely enjoyable game and reminding City that the Champions League tie is not done – by a long chalk – in the process damaging the hosts’ attempt to qualify for next season’s competition. They now sit fourth, four points behind Manchester United having played a game more.
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90+5 min City just can’t get hold of the ball; Chelsea have managed the game very nicely since taking the lead.
90+3 min City will rue finishing the first half with just a 1-0 lead; the ref had a lot to do with that, effectively disallowing Park’s brilliant finish by unnecessarily blowing before it. Still, though, Chelsea dug in then started the second period with renewed intensity and zest, laying down a marker for Thursday night.
GOAL! Manchester City 1-2 Chelsea (Cuthbert 90+1)
The champions have done it! Terrific work down the right from Lawrence who, fed by James, stands up Casparaij, feints, and when the slides comes in, picks away from her, snapping over a cross … for Cuthbert, who loses her marker then dives to power home a header! That’s a fantastic winner, and what a second-half comeback this has been from the champions and league leaders!
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90 min We’ll have six additional minutes.
89 min Good work from Macario who, along with Fishel, win the ball and feed James, who cuts infield on to her left foot, drills low … and again, Keating saves well. She’s had a really good game.
88 min It’s petered out in the last 15 but has been the best game I’ve seen in a while. These sides are so well-matched.
87 min Two further changes for Chelsea: Fishel and Macario on for Kaptein and Kaneryd.
85 min Ramirez gets away down the right but Layzell marshals her really well, refusing to dive in before blocking the cross to concede a corner; it comes to nowt.
84 min Wienroither flips in a fine cross, on the end of which Murphy can’t quite get. But City are turning it up again, Kerolin setting Casparaij for shot, blocked by Fowler, but Muprhy can’t quite collects.
82 min Chelsea getting Kaptein and Kaneryd on the ball higher up the pitch has made such a difference this half. It may well be that neither start in midweek, but both have made a case, much as it seems inconceivable the former displaces Cuthbert or Walsh.
80 min More changes for City – Cushing is thinking about Thursday now. Off go Aleixandri, his captain, and Hasegawa, his best player, with Wienroither and Murphy coming on.
78 min Can either of these beat Barcelona? It feels a long shot doesn’t it? Anyhow, ball pumped into the Chelsea box, Roord jumps with Bright and Charles, doing enough to make the clearance a problem, and when the clearing header arrives at Kerolin, on the edge, she thwacks just over the top.
76 min James out to Kaneryd, who steals a yard from Layzell with an excellent first touch then sends over a fine low cross that no one can get on the end of. Meantime, Kerolin goes down having taken a bump to the heed of some sort, but she’ll be fine.
75 min Chelsea have quietened a little, but the way they’ve performed the last 30 minutes is a proper warning for the Champions League match. City, though, know that any time they can get Kerolin running at Bright, they’re in the game.
73 min This has been and still is a really good game. And we don’t even have to worry about it finishing because we’re getting more of it on Thursday; lovely stuff.
71 min City recover high and Park has Miedema alongside, but her pass is careless and Bronze times her interception perfectly. But, as I type, Casparaij finds Kerolin, accepts a decent return, cuts back … and Fowler, then Midema, both fail to get shots away, for the former missing her connection and latter treading on the ball! Phew!
69 min This match, of course isn’t just about today or even midweek or even this season, but about next. We know Chelsea will almost definitely win the league again, but the teams behind them are improving, with next year promising to be a lot closer.
68 min Keating goes down to take treatment, but when the City players run to the touchline, the sense is that this is a tactical stoppage. They badly need some guidance because Kaptein and Kaneryd are all over them currently.
66 min And again the corner, then another after it, come to nowt.
65 min It’s all Chelsea now, Kaptein out to Kaneryd, who tucks a return back across, and though Kaptein catches up with it nicely, turning first-time towards goal, again, Keating makes an excellent save, this time at her near post.
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64 min City get the corner away but Chelsea soon win another, James’ cross cleared to Cuthbert on the edge; she measures a low shot … which Miedema kicks off the line. This has been a terrific reaction from the champs.
63 min But Chelsea are pouring it on now, Kanreyd having a cross kicked behind; before the corner is taken, Ramirez and Walsh replace Jean-Francois and Beever-Jones. What a flex that is.
61 min The corner comes to nothing.
60 min Again, Chelsea sweep forward, Beever-Jones sliding in Cuthbert outside her, who measures a really clever square-pass for Kaneryd, the defenders running past it, as the Swede steadies herself to shoot. But her touch is a little heavy and she panics under pressure, forcing a shot too close to Keating, who makes another fine save, smuggling the ball wide.
59 min But her she is now, found by Roord only to slightly misjudge her first-time pass back inside.
59 min We’ve seen nothing of Kerolin this half.
58 min Now a change for City, Fowler on for Coombs.
55 min Change for Chelsea, Cuthbert replacing Hamano. The way the game now is, that looks a clever alteration, because the champions, already on top, are now even stronger.
54 min This is a really good game now and here come Chelsea again! Kaptein finds Kaneryd at inside-right, she hares into the box, shoots … and catches the far post, the ball flying wide.
53 min Hamano for James, now out on the right, and her cut-back is met very nicely by Kaptein, who connects nicely, but Keating, flying right, pushes away for a corner … that comes to nothing.
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53 min Better from City, Casparaij doing well to win the ball on the right touchline, which she slides inside to Miedema, running at Bright before shooting straight at Hampton.
52 min Chelsea win a corner down the left, Hamano to take, and a flick causes mild panic in the City box before the ball is wellied clear.
GOAL! Manchester City 1-1 Chelsea (Beever-Jones 50)
This is beautifully done! Beever-Jones drops, spins and feeds outside to Kapstein, who slides into the box for Kanreyd. She dips inside Prior, left charging off somewhere towards Longsight,finds Beever-Jones on the burst, and she takes a touch that takes her away from her marker but keeps the ball close to her, ands fires low into the far corner.
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48 min But here comes James, moving in off the left and curling from 20 yards … straight at Keating.
47 min And Hasegawa, by the way: what a player. She’s been by far the best midfielder on display, not jut today but also in midweek.
46 min Chelsea need to play a lot better than they did in the first half. Hoping James does something is not going to be enough, and I wonder if they might swap Bronze and Bright, so that when Kerolin cuts infield, she’s going at the former, because the latter is really struggling to cope.
46 min We go again!
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HALF-TIME: Manchester City 1-0 Chelsea
City have been by far the better team and should be more than 1-0 up. Hasegawa and Kerolin are currently too good for Chelsea.
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45 min We’ll have one additional minute.
44 min Bright, who was booked for the foul on Kerolin, just doesn’t know how to defend her; the Brazilian keeps the ball so close to her body and her body so close to the ground that trying to take it off her is more likely to see her dash off than cede possession.
42 min good ball out from Keating, Roord and Kerolin almost combine to create something, and then Hasegawa, who’s been fantastic, slides a gorgeous, disguised reverse-pass in behind for Kerolin, whose cut-back is flicked wide by Coombs, running across towards the front post. City are by far the better side now and should be further in front than they are.
42 min Hasegawa will shoot … she bends over the near side of the wall … and on to the bar and behind! That was a fantastic effort!
40 min OH REFEREE! Kerolin again gets Bright one-on-one and her combination of stepovers and swerves is too much, Bright backpeddling before lunging into a foul and, when the ball breaks to Park, she curls first-time and superbly into the net from the edge … but a split-second after she shoots, the ref blows for a foul. That’s very poor officiating; it was so obvious where the ball was going. But it’s a free-kick from the right edge of the D...
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40 min It’s a nice problem to have, but what does Cushing do when Shaw is back? Kerolin is making herself undroppable, but Miedema also demands inclusion…
38 min Chelsea win a corner down the right … and Aleixandri, who’s been excellent so far, heads clear, then after Miedema, of all people, wins an important defensive header, Kerolin looks to have got away but James chases back after her and does the necessary.
37 min Ah, just after the goal, Jean-Francois was booked for a late challenge on Roord.
36 min Kanreyd does well down the right, dipping away from Casparaij, but her cross is cleared well by Aleixandri.
35 min City go at Chelsea again, a cross from the left deflected to the edge, where Park hits straight at Hampton.
34 min I said it was a lovely finish and it was, but Bright will be very disappointed with he reactivity there.
GOAL! Manchester City 1-0 Chelsea (Kerolin 32)
Hasegawa slides into a clearance and this time Kerolin, com,ing in off the line, is one-on-one with Bright, who doesn’t want to commit, knowing she’s not got the pace to get back if the ball is taken away. But she also back off, allowing Kerolin into the box, a few stepovers and shuffles incite Bright to open her legs, and that’s exactly where the finish goes, passed through them and into the far corner with Hampton unsighted. Lovely finish, and that’s Kerolin’s first goal in the WSL!
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31 min Kaptein into Hamano, who crosses, and Layzell clears.
30 min I daresay if Miedema had been put away as Kerolin has been twice, City would be a goal up.
28 min Terrific work from Hasegawa, who tenaciously wins the ball and finds Roord, who slides Kerolin in behind. And again, the Brazilian drives for goal, but this time, rather than shoot – and she really, really should – she looks to flip into the middle for Miedema, but Bronze dashes in to block with her swede.
26 min James is starting to influence the game; she’s so natural on the ball, he first touch always so well considered and taking her into space.
25 min The corner swings out, Keating flies into a palm away, and Jean-Francois hammers high and wide.
23 min Chlesea knock it back and forth from defence to midfield, looking to bait City into committing; when they find a route out, Jones reaches the ball before Kapstein, lovely feet taking her away, then she gets around the outside, crosses, and wins a corner.
22 min Park looks to curl in a cross from the left, but her effort is claimed by Hampton easily enough.
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21 min We’ve seen almost nothing of Miedema so far. City need her to drop off or attack the channels, because currently she seems caught between the two.
19 min Chelsea are growing into this, James turning up in the 10 and again prompting – City need to work out what should happen when she does this; does Casparij follow or pass her on? – before Lawrence’s cross is cleared.
18 min Both sides will be relatively happy with what we’ve seen so far. City are controlling the game, while Chelsea are limiting them to little that’s dangerous while hinting an ability to strike on the counter.
16 min Aleixandri gives it away and Hamano looks to capitalise, but the City captain quickly redeems her own error, moving over to challenge at cost of a throw … which comes to nowt.
15 min Bright brings it out and Hasegawa recovers well; can City attack the space she’s left? No, Chelsea close it down well with Bronze moving across to cover.
14 min This is what Chelsea want, James on the ball in centrefield with runners ahead, but she can’t slides her pass in behind, Aleixandri intercepting; City then clear and begin passing once more.
13 min Lawrence concedes an unnecessary free-kick out on the left and Hasegawa pumps to the back post, but there’s too much on the ball for Prior, who can’t redirect back across the face.
11 min As we expected, it’s City dominating possession here; Chelsea are, I think, relying on moments to get a result here.
9 min Lovely from City! Kerolin tucks back to Casparaij, who feeds her a delicious return into space and she’s away! Bursting into the box, Hampton moves off her line, and when a slightly heavy touch takes the ball a little close, Kerolin doesn’t alter her finish – it now needs a dink – instead hitting low and hard into the sprawling keeper’s legs. Good save, but she oughtn’t have got near it.
8 min A nice touch from James allows Hamano to send Jean-Francois into space down the right, but Layzell does well to challenge and even better to earn a goalkick rather than cede a corner.
7 min It’s been a fairly sedate start, but so far City look the likelier – they’re passing more positively through the lines.
5 min Miedema drops but gives it away and Chelsea spring, Kaneryd crossing from the right and Keating doing well to collect under pressure.
3 min First City attack, Kerolin and Casparij moving the ball nicely down the right, but they can’t find a gap to pick out Miedema.
2 min “Arsenal fans are no less prone to what if-ery than the next lot of vaguely unfulfilled partisan supporters,” admits Charles Antaki, so the question always hangs in the air as to what would have happened if the club had been willing to stump up the money to keep Miedema while also getting in Mariona Caldentey. It’s not clear whether that would have been enough to break Chelsea’s hegemony, but it would certainly have helped. Also it would have denied Man City a top player, which is just good in its own terms.”
It was one of those things you could see coming for quite some time before it did; I was a little surprised the club allowed it when it looked like they’d soon have to sack Eidevall, after which things were likely to change. But what a goal Caldentey scored yesterday.
1 min The players take the knee and off we go!
Aaaarrrrgggghhhh, in a moment of classic ADHD, of course I forgot to embed the interview.
Our teams are tunnelled … and here they come!
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As per the below, I’m biased, and this probably won’t resonate with everyone like it resonated with me, but I can’t pretend my eyeballs aren’t sweating after watching it.
He’ll be delighted to know I agree with him on Miedema. Sometimes, it really is as simple as getting your best player in the middle of the pitch and as close to the goal as possible – like when Guardiola moved Messi from right-wing to centre-forward.
Cushing tells BBC beating Chelsea starts with belief, and you have to be dangerous with and without the ball.
Everyone’s aware Cityy have some key injuries and they’ve also got a bit of tiredness but he thinks his team today can get a result. He believes Miedema is best as a 9 and he’s set the team up to get the most from her.
Gosh, Lucy Bronze is talking to Alex Scott about her autism and ADHD diagnoses, explaining a brain that constantly races, rushing through processes before others so she came seem a know-all, and saying she’s not passionate about football, she’s obsessed. It’s a really lovely interview and though only I’m the latter with maybe a bit of the former, I can’t even begin to tell you how much of it rings true.
Where is the game? I think Miedema will fancy herself to be too agile for Bright, while Kerolin, excellent in midweek, will look to dart between the lines and play her in. I also fancy City’s midfield three to be too mobile and clever for Chelsea’s, and expect them to dominate the ball trying to pull their opposite numbers out of position.
Chelsea, meanwhile, will hope that James, Hamano and Kaneryd can find pockets behind the City midfield – expect them to spring quickly when they recover possession and flood the box.
Bompastor tells BBC that she’s not really had to lift the players as they were frustrated but it’s her job to make sure it’s only for one day. She still trusts her players and knows they’ve the quality to bounce back,
She wants to see intensity and desire from the off, but they want to win the game, and it’s important to bring in fresh legs. She’s lucky enough to have a big squad with the opportunity to rotate, which you have to do with games every three days.
Millie Bright says Chelsea didn’t turn up in that and they were really disappointed by their performance. But they’ll be ready to express themselves today.
Here’s Suzanne Wrack on the second game in the quadrilogy.
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This match reminds me a little of the triple-header between Manchester United and Leeds in 91-92. The league game was a draw, United won the two Cup encounters … but it was Leeds who ended the season champions.
I wondered if City would rest Miedema today, just to be certain she’d be fit for Thursday night. But I’m selfishly glad they haven’t, and it makes sense to get another 60-90 into her legs, hoping her decisive form continues.
As for Chelsea, Bjorn and Baltimore are replaced in defence by Lawrence and Charles, which I think means Bronze moves inside to centre-back; at the base of midfield, it’s Jean-Francois and Kaptein, not Walsh and Cuthbert; at in attack, Hamana and Kaneryd come in for Macario and Ramirez. Or, in other words, Bompastor is prioritising midweek.
City are without Yamashita today, so Hampton replaces her in net; otherwise, Ouhabi, Fowler and Murphy drop to the bench, with Layzell, Park and Miedema coming in; Blindkilde-Brown is out of the squad entirely, likewise Bunny Shaw, who’s still absent.
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I’ll write these down, then will think about how things might go.
Manchester City (4-3-3): Keating; Casparij, Prior, Aleixandri, Layzell; Hasegawa, Roord, Coombs; Kerolin, Miedema. Park. Subs: Annets, Startup, Ouahabi, Fowler, Wienroither, Oyama, Murphy, Davies.
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Hampton; Lawrence, Bright, Bronze, Charles; Jean-Francois, Kaptein; James, Hamano, Kaneryd; Beever-Jones. Subs: Spencer, Bjorn, Baltimore, Walsh, Cuthbert, Macario, Nushken, Fishel, Ramirez.
Elsewhere, West Ham, eighth in the table, lead Spurs, ninth, 1-0 thanks to Josefine Rybrink’s own goal.
Preamble
In a sense, this is the one that doesn’t matter. Last Saturday, Chelsea beat Manchester City 2-1 to win the League Cup; last Wednesday, Manchester City beat Chelsea 2-0 in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final; and on Thursday, the clubs reconvene to decide the tie.
Today, though, is a mere league game, and Chelsea lead the table by five points with a game in hand – from Arsenal, with City trailing by 12. Every game, though, contains within it the seeds of the next, and another positive result for Nick Cushing’s side will make them strong favourites to progress when the sides reconvene.
More than that, though, there’s just a chance that when we look back in years to come, this set of four games will mark something more significant than the games themselves. Emma Hayes left Chelsea in such a strong position that, so far, her absence has barely registered. But rarely in football history has an epochal icon departed to no change and, good though Sonia Bompastor is, we might now be witnessing the end of an aura.
On top of which and talking of epochal icons, City – who changed managers more recently – have Vivianne Miedema. Goodness knows how Arsenal feel about letting Jonas Eidevall force her out only to resign himself a few month later. Fit, happy and at her peak, Miedema has the ability and personality to elevate any team; if she has another good day, this one will matter very deeply.
Kick-off: 2.30pm
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