Goals from Stevan Jovetic and Samir Nasri sent below-par Chelsea out of the FA Cup. Here’s how we rated the Blues players in their 2-0 defeat at the Etihad Stadium.
Petr Cech: 6
Looked uncertain at times but was blameless for both goals.
Branislav Ivanovic: 5
Got into some decent positions on the right but his delivery was generally poor.
Gary Cahill: 7
Had a good game at the back, saving the day with a number of blocks and interceptions.
David Luiz: 5
Often unfairly criticised because of his adventurous style, but he was very poor in this game. All over the place at times and was badly at fault for the second goal, when he pushed up for offside but not decisively enough and then appealed for the decision rather than track Nasri.
Cesar Azpilicueta: 5
Was given plenty of problems by City and was sluggish in the build-up to the first goal.
John Mikel Obi: 5
Simply didn’t do the things that Mikel usually does well. He was slow to pick up runners and too often drawn out of position, enabling City players to break beyond him towards the Chelsea box.
Nemanja Matic: 6
Fared better than Mikel but was second best to the excellent Yaya Toure. A far cry from Matic’s brilliant display in the recent league win at City.
Ramires: 5
A poor display on the right, where he offered very little going forward or as defensive cover.
Willian: 5
Very quiet. Usually when not much comes off for Willian his sheer persistence and work ethic shines through, but in this match he looked jaded and could perhaps have done with a rest.
Eden Hazard: 6
Did nothing wrong as such but James Milner, who had an excellent game, managed to control him.
Samuel Eto’o: 5
Ineffective before being taken off at half-time.
Mohamed Salah: 6
Looked lively up front after being brought on but lacked support.
Fernando Torres: 6
Showed good movement after coming off the bench but City scored soon afterwards and the game was beyond Chelsea’s reach.
Oscar: 6
A final throw of the dice by Blues boss Jose Mourinho but was unable to change things.
Manchester City
Had a point to prove after two league defeats against Chelsea and their intensity was too much for the visitors. Toure dominated in midfield and as well as scoring the all-important opening goal, Jovetic caused the Chelsea defence all sorts of problems.
Man of the match: Toure
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This post was last modified on 16/02/2014