This is a syndication of the article originally published for the BBC, here.
Amid the chaos at Chelsea following the removal of yet another manager, with discontent from the fans aimed at the owners and sporting directors growing to new level, there was a football match to be played over the weekend.
You’d have been forgiven for thinking it was a foregone conclusion, given it was a managerless Blues team playing away, up against Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering Man City. But as is so often the case in football, things didn’t go as everyone expected.
Chelsea did well to defend and slow the game down in the first half, and while conceding just before half time is usually a dagger in the ribs for a team just looking for a point against superior opposition, it actually proved to be just what they needed in this case.
Santos takes centre stage after midfield changes
Andrey Santos against Man City.
Andrey Santos against Man City. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
It forced a half-time rethink and a more aggressive attitude in the second period. A change of shape and mentality suddenly saw interim manager Calum McFarlane’s team creating more chances and putting City under pressure. This in turn led Guardiola’s team to play more cautiously, leaving them exposed to the late equaliser that eventually cost them.
A key man in the change of the game’s direction was Andrey Santos, brought on at the break to strengthen the midfield. He never earned Enzo Maresca’s trust, and must be one of the players most excited by the prospect of the new era under Liam Rosenior, given their success together at Strasbourg last season.
For Chelsea fans the late draw gave an injection of joy after a miserable week. For Santos, that 45 minutes could prove even more of a significant moment in his season, and perhaps in his career at Stamford Bridge.
Will Faulks @willfaulks