Chelsea 2 Manchester City 1
Fernando Torres netted a last-minute winner as Chelsea moved up to second in the Premier League with a dramatic victory at Stamford Bridge.
Torres was able to score into an empty net after a mix-up between Manchester City defender Matija Nastasic and keeper Joe Hart, giving Jose Mourinho’s men all three points.
Andre Schurrle’s first goal for the Blues put them ahead on 33 minutes and Torres hit the woodwork before City fought back after the interval.
Sergio Aguero’s equaliser looked like securing a point for the visitors but they were undone when Nastasic, with Torres giving chase, inadvertently headed past Hart to gift the striker the easiest of goals.
City did well to recover after a blistering Torres-inspired spell in the first half put Chelsea in the driving seat.
He created the opener by skipping past Gael Clichy and sending in a low cross from the right for Schurrle to tap in from four yards.
It was an emphatic response by Torres to a terrible earlier miss.
With only Hart to beat, he inexplicably lifted the ball over the bar after being found unmarked by Ramires.
But the Spaniard atoned by setting up Schurrle and almost doubled Chelsea’s eight minutes before half-time when he beat Martin Demichelis near the left-hand edge of the penalty area and sent a fierce drive against the angle of post and bar.
When the always dangerous Aguero cleverly got himself into a similar position three minutes after the break, he brilliantly hauled the visitors level.
Aguero sneaked between centre-backs John Terry and Gary Cahill to collect Samir Nasri’s pass and surprised Petr Cech with a ferocious shot that beat the Chelsea keeper at his near post.
After the home side appealed in vain for a penalty following a challenge on Eden Hazard by Pablo Zabaleta, they had to withstand sustained City pressure and Cech saved with his legs to deny David Silva.
It prompted Mourinho to make a double change, replacing Schurrle and Frank Lampard with Willian and John Obi Mikel.
Mikel helped to shore up the midfield and Chelsea looked much more solid before the decisive late twist.
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Cole; Ramires, Lampard (Mikel 66); Hazard (Eto’o 84), Oscar, Schurrle (Willian 66); Torres.
Subs not used: Schwarzer, Azpilicueta, Luiz, Mata.
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This post was last modified on 28/10/2013
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Torres the tormentor, he is now doing what makes Chelsea pay up to €50m for his service. I kudos to the entire players and the Special One. My Man of the Match is TORRES!