Chelsea suffered a three-goal second-half blow at the hands of Premier League title challengers, Manchester City on home soil on Sunday 12 April as City looks to close the gap on league leaders Arsenal.
The game got underway seemingly in Chelsea’s favour as numerous chances presented themselves facing the Shed End.
A promising Chelsea attack led by João Pedro paid off on the 15-minute mark as Marc Cucurella rocketed a precise finish beyond a diving Gianluigi Donnarumma to hand Chelsea a deserved lead. However, Chelsea’s celebrations were cut short as the linesman raised his flag to signal offside and the game commenced on level terms.
Chelsea went into the break looking like the better side and hoped for a potential breakthrough after the interval.
However, Chelsea’s hopes certainly didn’t last long as only five minutes into the second half, Nico O’Reilly nodded a simple finish past a flailing Robert Sanchez to hand City the advantage.
With no evident response from the home side, City used this momentum to great effect as Marc Guehi and Jeremy Doku proceeded to slot a further two past Sanchez to seal a 3-0 victory.
Chelsea vs Man City Premier League action at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea struggled to contain Man City in the second half. Source: Getty Images
Unable to sustain strong performance
A strong opening first half featured a disallowed Marc Cucurella goal for a marginal offside after a VAR review, 5 shots, 3 corners and a number of promising opportunities. However, a half-time Rosenior team talk wasn’t enough to further motivate the Blues and they began the second half with a slow, complacent tempo.
City capitalised on this complacency and seized an early second-half advantage through Nico O’Reilly. Things didn’t improve on Chelsea’s front and proceeded to concede a further two goals, proof of a poor second-half performance in comparison to a strong first.
Chelsea defensive struggles against Manchester City
Chelsea conceded three goals in the second half. Source: Getty Images
Defensive struggles
Today’s defensive horrors confirmed the concession of seven goals in our last three league fixtures. Malo Gusto seemed unable to keep up with **Jeremy Doku**’s explosive speed and footwork whilst a couple of spilt Rob Sanchez saves had Chelsea fans on the edge of their seats at times.
With key defensive figures such as Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah and Levi Colwill out with injuries and Robert Sanchez looking rather out of his depth, the seemingly only solution to these troubles is to invest in new, experienced, reliable defenders to support our youthful backline.
Chelsea fans react during Premier League defeat to Man City
Frustration was evident among the Chelsea faithful. Source: Getty Images
Frustration building amidst fanbase
The Chelsea players were booed off the pitch at full time by what remained of a sparse Chelsea crowd after many had exited the Bridge on the hour mark and beyond in disappointment with their side’s second-half performance.
Sources have now confirmed that there will be a ‘Massive Protest’ next week against the Chelsea ownership and board of directors amidst the fanbase’s unrest.
Hato a spark in the darkness
Despite an overly harrowing team performance, young Blue, Jorrel Hato has appeared to find form in recent games. With an early goal in the FA Cup last Saturday, Hato once again appeared to stand out in a struggling Chelsea back line, acting as a centre back in Chalobah and Colwill’s absence.
Chelsea fans will be praying their 20-year-old defender can maintain this form that many believed he wouldn’t find in England after a slow start since his Ajax exit last summer.
Jorrel Hato in action for Chelsea against Manchester City
Jorrel Hato was a rare positive for Chelsea in the defeat. Source: Getty Images