Manchester City 6-0 Chelsea, Premier League: Post-match reaction

Chelsea started the match at the Etihad lively, pressing high and forcing Manchester City into mistakes. Their attacking forays, if calibrated, could have turned into proper goalscoring opportunities.

However, it was City who got the kick-start. Complete lack of attention by the entire Chelsea defence on a free kick from midfield had Kevin de Bruyne setting up Bernardo Silva on the right flank with all the room in the world to cross into our box. The ball deflected on David Luiz and fell to Raheem Sterling, also running freely from the opposite side, to convert the chance.

The Blues went from confident to stunned. So much so that Sergio Agüero almost scored a second goal for his side four minutes after the first. Although he missed what was a clear-cut chance, he did not miss the second one with a shot from outside the box that Kepa Arrizabalaga could not defend as it slotted into the corner of his net.

Little did we know, we were in for another absolute thrashing. With an ease to cut through Chelsea’s defence reminiscent of Germany’s time when facing Brazil at the 2014 World Cup semifinal, City scored two-fold with Agüero again and Ilkay Gündogan to take their lead to an insurmountable 4-0 scoreline 25 minutes into the first half of the match.

With the score already set well in their favour, City needed only to set up shop in front of their box, conserving energy and letting Chelsea agonise in their unsuccessful attempts to bring any heat to Ederson’s goal in the first half. And in the second one, there was space for them to pile further on our misery, with Agüero completing a hat-trick and Sterling reaching a brace in the second half.

Shambles.

• Gonzalo Higuaín gets his third start in the Premier League since arriving. Eden Hazard sits on the left, with Ross Barkley and Marcos Alonso right behind the Belgian attacker. Pedro is the chosen one on the right side of our attack.
• Kovacic in for Barkley, RLC for Pedro and Emerson for Alonso.
• Less than two weeks after their disastrous 4-0 loss to Bournemouth, Chelsea break the negative record today with their 6-0 defeat to City. Their worst result ever in Premier League history.
• Next up: Malmö away for the first leg of Europa League’s round of 32.
• And remember: be civil.

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