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Manchester City finally managed a league victory after drawing their previous 7 games, by beating top of the table Chelsea 2-1 at the City of Manchester stadium. Chelsea had taken an early lead courtesy of an unfortunate own goal by Emmanuel Adebayor. But the ex-Arsenal forward made amends by scoring the equalizer in the 37th minute. Carlos Tevez then curled in a free kick early in the second half to give City the lead. Carlo Ancelotti's side had a great chance to salvage a point late on from the penalty spot, but, a rare miss from Frank Lampard meant that City were able to hang on for a famous win.

Mark Hu ghes selected a very attacking starting 11 with Shaun-Wright Phillips and Robinho on the wings and Emmanuel Adebayor and Carlos Tevez playing as the front pairing, in what looked freakishly like an old fashioned 4-2-4 formation. Nigel De Jong was deployed as the defensive midfielder alongside Gareth Barry. There were no surprises in defence with Richards, Toure, Lescott and Bridge making up the back four.

For Chelsea, Ancelotti picked the usual diamond formation with Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka at its head. Deco played behind the impressive strike duo with Michael Essien in his familiar holding midfield position.

Chelsea started brightly with a great chance falling Drogba's way in the 7th minute. But, the Ivorian's left footed effort from the edge of the box was palmed behind for a corner by Shay Given. That miss did not hurt the visitors as they found the back of the net from the resultant corner. Given made an excellent double save from Ivanovic and Anelka, but the rebound from Anelka's shot deflected off Adebayor into the goal.

City started dominating possession after going a goal down, but found it difficult to find a way past the well drilled Chelsea rearguard. Micah Richards almost drew City level in the 36th minute when he jumped above the advancing Petr Cech to head the ball goalwards, but, his header was acrobatically cleared off the line by Ricardo Carvalho.

City got their just rewards a minute later when Adebayor scored at the right end to equalize for Hughes' men. After Cech failed to clear the ball convincingly from a corner, Wright-Phillips hit a fierce shot from just outside the penalty box which deflected off Richards before landing at the left foot of Adebayor. The Togo international finished it with ease from close range to level proceedings and that is how the first half ended.

Carlos Tevez completed the Man City turn around when he scored from a free kick about twenty yards out in the 56th minute. Pert Cech was again partly at fault as the Czech international anticipated wrongly before Tevez even made a connection with the ball, and that made saving the eventual free kick impossible. Adebayor played his role in the goal perfectly, creating a huge hole in a poorly constructed wall allowing Teves to power the ball right through.

Chelsea enjoyed the ball for long periods in the remaining half an hour and City's bid to hang on for all 3 points was made even tougher by injuries to both their full backs, to be replaced by Nedam Onuoha and Vincent Kompany respectively. It was Onuoha's rash challenge on Drogba in the 82nd minute which gave Lampard a great opportunity to equalize for the Londoners from the spot. But Shay Given dived to his right to keep out a rather mediocre penalty and ensure City's lead remained intact.

Drogba himself had a great chance 5 minutes later after being played through by a sublime Essien pass, but failed to hit the target. Man City kept out a barrage of Chelsea attacks in the closing stages as the game deservedly finished 2-1 in favour of the 2009 spending champions.

The result has tremendous repercussions on the red side of Manchester as well, as United cut Chelsea's lead at the top of the table to just 2 points following their win earlier in the day at Upton Park. The three points for Man City reignite their ambitions for a top 4 finish as they move up the table to 6th with 25 points with a game in hand over Aston Villa in 5th. Depsite all their shortcomings in closing out games, City have proven they belong with the big boys having lost just once so far this season, that too in highly controversial circumstances at Old Trafford.

Teams:

Man City: Given, Richards, Toure, Lescott, Bridge, De Jong, Barry, Wright-Phillips, Tevez, Robinho, Adebayor.
Subs: Taylor, Onuoha, Zabaleta, Johnson, Santa Cruz, Petrov, Kompany.

Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Carvalho, Terry, Ashley Cole, Essien, Ballack, Lampard, Deco, Drogba, Anelka.
Subs: Hilario, Joe Cole, Mikel, Malouda, Zhirkov, Paulo Ferreira, Belletti.

Final Score: Manchester City 2-1 Chelsea

File Photograph Copyright: Alfonso Jimenez