On Sunday, Manchester City beat Chelsea by a close call to win the Carabao Cup, the first trophy this season. The whole game was lacking in goals from either side, but Chelsea fell short during penalties as Raheem Sterling scored the finishing goal to take the cup home.
Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling were a crucial element of offense during the game and overwhelming Chelsea. However, the Blues’ defense did not get intimidated and kept on guard which resulted in the lack of goals. Nonetheless, pushing forward to keep any offensive outbursts in check let a lot of holes in Chelsea's formation, especially with Hazard and Kante constantly playing aggressively to get more opportunities for a goal.
Even the penalties were a narrow escape for City. After Chelsea saved Sane’s penalty, the tension went up a notch. However, Sterling’s was able to score the last one to win the Caraboa Cup resulting in their 4-3 penalty win.
Although a trophy was on the line for Manchester City, this game meant more to the blues than anyone else. After a 6-0 humiliating defeat at the hands of City earlier this month, a change in Chelsea’s performance was a must. If the blues were able to win, not only would they bring home a trophy, but it would also show the improvement in their performance and prove that their previous loss meant that they could bounce back. Even though Chelsea did not come out triumphant, they were able to display the difference in their plays.
However, Chelsea lost for obvious reasons and had some significant faults. Like mentioned before, their tactics resulted in a lot of holes in their formation. Moreover, Chelsea Manager, Maurizio Sarri showed that the squad’s playstyles and thoughts and his were not on the same wavelength. One instance of this happened during the intense extra time. As the game moved further into extra time, it became more apparent that the game would proceed to the penalties. Sarri was infuriated as the Chelsea goalkeeper, Kepa Arrizabalaga, refused to be substituted out as they had a brief quarrel from the Chelsea goal and the benches. Sarri tried to acknowledge what looked like a cramp in the goalkeeper’s foot, which was probably the right move to do. Who would want an injured player on the field? However, Sarri did so in a rather forceful way while not taking the player’s thoughts and feelings into consideration. Furthermore, Kepa’s refusal further proved the extent of Sarri’s authority, which is a serious problem
With their situation with the transfer ban, Chelsea is in dire need of improvement in the next year. Nevertheless, one thing Chelsea did not fail to display is their potential to do better. If Chelsea were to improve their plays, and the players and manager worked out their differences, Chelsea could become a force to reckon with. The intense rivalry brewing up between Manchester City and Chelsea could result in some really interesting games in the future.
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