City stumble at home in the Premier League for the first time sine Nov 2010.
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GK) Joe Hart – 7
No major alarms for the England international shot stopper, and in actual fact a number of impressive saves to keep his side in the game at just 1-0 down.
DR) Pablo Zabaleta – 6
An impressive start to the match with his constant raids down Chelsea’s left flank, however, as the visitors grew more into proceedings, so the Argentinian’s focus switch more from attack to defence, and his game became alarmingly ragged as a consequence.
DC) Vincent Kompany – 7
The Belgium international was his usual assured self for most of the match, although there were moments when even the ice-cool City skipper lost his rag as wave after wave of Chelsea’s attacks rained down on the home team’s overwhelmed back four.
DC) MatijaNastasic -5
At times the young Serbian looked out of his depth trying to keep up with the speed of the visiting team’s counterattacks, and the 20-year-old’s wobbly display at the heart of the north-west outfit’s defence was just one of a number of worries on the night for City coach Manuel Pellegrini.
DL) Aleksandar Kolarov – 7
City’s most penetrating player in the opening 20 minutes of the contest when the hosts were well on top, with the Serb creating a number of half chances with his constant over-lapping runs down the left flank and wicked delivery, although the marauding left back’s influence after the break waned.
MC) Yaya Toure – 7
City’s best player on the night, with everything good that the home produced emanating from the brilliant Ivorian’s boots, with the midfield dynamo at times unstoppable as Pellegrini’s men bossed the opening exchanges, but again like so many of his team-mates, faded as Chelsea took over control of the match.
MC:)Martin Demichelis – 5
The experienced Argentina international centre back was thrust into an unfamiliar holding midfield role after an untimely injury to Fernandinho in pre-match training, and the former Malaga and Bayern Munich defender showed exactly why he had not played the role since his time in Bavaria with a horror display in central midfield.
ML) David Silva – 7
The diminutive Spain midfielder flitted in and out of proceedings, as he so often does in matches, coming closest with City’s three best chances on the site, only to inexcusably miss the target with two of the openings, while Chelsea keeper Petr Cech kept out the third with a smart save at his near post from the playmaker’s free kick.
MR) Jesus Navas – 6
A brave display on City’s right flank by the always persevering right winger, although as has often been a criticism of the Spain international throughout his career, the wide man’s final ball was often lacking.
FC) Edin Dzeko – 6
A generally frustrating night for the big Bosnian, who was finally handed his moment in the spot light in the injury-enforced absence of first-choice striker Sergio Aguero, only for the 27-year-old to only go and then fluff his lines, with the front man miskicking horribly six yards out with City’s best opening of the second half.
FC) Alvaro Negredo – 6
The Beast had a strangely uneventful display at Eastlands, which could be the consequence of having only just returned from a shoulder injury.
Substitutes
FC) Stevan Jovetic – 6
The Serb was sent on for Negredo with more than half an hour of the contest still remaining, however, apart from an excellent fierce drive late on from the corner of the area that Cech was forced to beat clear, the forward made little impact on proceedings.