We Ain't Got No History - FA Cup 5th Round: Manchester City vs. ChelseaChampions of Europe!https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52884/21_SBN_002_We_Aint_Got_No_History_Favicon_32x32..png2014-02-16T23:18:35+00:00http://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/rss/stream/51619732014-02-16T23:18:35+00:002014-02-16T23:18:35+00:00Man City vs. Chelsea: Player Ratings
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<figcaption>Clive Brunskill</figcaption>
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<p>Welcome to the brush fire that is the player ratings from Chelsea's second-lowest rated performance of the season.</p> <p>
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<b>1. CESAR AZPILICUETA</b> - DL</td>
<td style="width: 50px; height: 50px; vertical-align: middle; font-size: 30px; text-align: center; color: white; background-color: black;"><i>6.0</i></td>
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<span class="statwords">Minutes played</span><span><b>90</b></span>
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<span class="statwords">Touches</span><span><b>82</b></span>
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<span class="statwords">Passes</span><span><b>37/49</b></span>
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<span class="statwords">Succ. tackles</span><span><b>4</b></span>
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<span class="statwords">Succ. clearances</span><span><b>6</b></span>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">Now, I should preface this whole deal by saying that this was the first match in a really long time that I did not get to watch. I listened on <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/">Chelsea</a> TV ("TV"), which was good at conveying the general sense of disappointment but less effective at actually telling me what was happening. I've since seen the highlights, which allows me to comment on the goals conceded, but that's about it.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">So considering that, I'm quite surprised to see Azpilicueta at the top of this crap pile. If Dave can survive a hilarious misplay like that on Jovetic<i> (oooh, shiny Milner; gotta catch 'em all!)</i> and still win your man of the match award, just how bad were the rest?</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">This is Azpilicueta's first man of the match award this season, though the 6.0 rating is the lowest for any winner yet in 2013/14.</div>
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<b>2. GARY CAHILL </b>- DC</td>
<td style="width: 50px; height: 50px; vertical-align: middle; font-size: 30px; text-align: center; color: white; background-color: black;"><i>6.0</i></td>
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<span class="statwords">Minutes played</span><span><b>90</b></span>
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<span class="statwords">Touches</span><span><b>66</b></span>
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<span class="statwords">Passes</span><span><b>45/52</b></span>
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<span class="statwords">Succ. clearances</span><span><b>7</b></span>
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<span class="statwords">Blocks</span><span><b>2</b></span>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">It's the year of the Gary, so Cahill slots into second place.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">He once again outscored <span>David Luiz</span> by a good point and a half, a sentiment that's getting funnier by the day. To be perfectly fair, David Luiz made a mistake in assuming that the offside will be called on <span>David Silva</span>, but that in itself shouldn't warrant that gap. It's not like Cahill didn't get flat-footed or anything.</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">But that's just the way it is.</div>
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<b>3. NEMANJA MATIC </b>- MC</td>
<td style="width: 50px; height: 50px; vertical-align: middle; font-size: 30px; text-align: center; color: white; background-color: black;"><i>5.6</i></td>
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<span class="statwords">Minutes played</span><span><b>90</b></span>
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<span class="statwords">Touches</span><span><b>68</b></span>
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<span class="statwords">Passes</span><span><b>40/46</b></span>
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<span class="statwords">Succ. take-ons</span><span><b>3</b></span>
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<span class="statwords">Fouls suffered</span><span><b>3</b></span>
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<span class="statwords">Interceptions</span><span><b>3</b></span>
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<span>Nemanja Matic</span> continues his streak of making your top three in every single one of his starts, although this one is his lowest rating since signing in January, including substitute appearances.</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">Emerging from this match with a lowest rating for the season is not unique to the big man. His partners in crime in that respect include David Luiz, Ramires, Willian, and Salah.</div>
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<p><i>OTHERS:</i><br>Cech (<b>4.8</b>), David Luiz (<b>4.4</b>), Ivanovic (<b>5.4</b>), Mikel (<b>4.7</b>), Ramires (<b>3.7</b>), Willian (<b>4.8</b>), Hazard (<b>5.0</b>), Eto'o (<b>4.3</b>)</p>
<p><i>SUBS:</i><br>Salah (<b>4.3</b>), Torres (<b>4.4</b>) Oscar (<b>4.9</b>)</p>
https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/2014/2/16/5417450/manchester-city-chelsea-fa-cup-player-ratings-man-of-the-matchDavid Pasztor2014-02-16T05:16:42+00:002014-02-16T05:16:42+00:00Dear Jose: Fatigue is no excuse for bad selections
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<figcaption>Clive Brunskill</figcaption>
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<p>Having previously owned up to bad team selections, Jose's taken to blaming fatigue lately instead. This is an unwelcome development.</p> <p>Tepid. Timid. Turgid. Tired. Saturday was a good day for page T of the thesaurus. It was less good for <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/">Chelsea</a>.</p>
<p>Post-match, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/jose-mourinho">Jose Mourinho's</a> word were familiar. No, not the words about character. The ones about fatigue:</p>
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<p>"Today was also clear there was a different freshness between the teams, one team played a few days ago and another team played last week and had one week without competitive football. It was easy to see the difference."</p>
<p style="text-align: right;"><i>-Jose Mourinho; source: <a href="http://www.chelseafc.com/news-article/article/3671363/title/final-whistle-verdict-the-right-result">Chelsea FC</a></i></p>
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<p>So that's all well and good. Except, well, umm, you know Jose, YOU'RE the one picking the team. YOU'RE the one picking essentially the same lineup for the third match in eight days. YOU'RE the one insisting on the same selection which produced a flat performance just a few days ago.</p>
<p>What were you honestly expecting? We all knew what to expect. Blaming fatigue afterwards is disingenuous at best, and makes you look like a silly fool at worst when you have a full squad (outside of <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/players/110210/john-terry">John Terry</a> and Marco van Ginkel) available to you, many of whom have been sitting on their hands just waiting for an opportunity to prove themselves in a match situation.</p>
<p>Dear Jose: meet <span>Andre Schurrle</span>. And Mohamed Salah. And Tomas Kalas. And Nathan Ake. Remember Ashley Cole? Remember Frank Lampard? Yes, we know they're not your first choice. But the FA Cup isn't and shouldn't be our first priority at this point.</p>
<p>This isn't the first time Mourinho's made a selection mistake. It probably won't be the last, though it may be hard to supersede this one in terms of obvious predictability. Previously, he's owned up to selection mistakes (see <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://7500toholte.sbnation.com/">Aston Villa</a> (H), <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/">Newcastle</a> (A) for two examples), but lately his public response has been more on Interim excuse than Special magician level.</p>
<p>I'm sure some will chime in with talk of favorites at this point, though I think it has far more to do with stubbornness or perhaps even impossibly high expectations of a few players. Regardless, figure it out. Please. For after a week's rest, we have a tough home match, and even tougher away Champions League match, and a local derby away at <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/">Fulham</a> in the space of eight days. Knowingly rolling with a fatigued team and then using that as an excuse for a bad performance simply won't do.</p>
https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/2014/2/16/5415340/manchester-city-chelsea-fa-cup-mourinho-reactionDavid Pasztor2014-02-15T22:00:07+00:002014-02-15T22:00:07+00:00Match analysis: City 2-0 Chelsea
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<p>Your word of the day is 'tepid'.</p> <p>This was the second time <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/">Chelsea</a> faced <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://bitterandblue.sbnation.com/">Manchester City</a> in the space of fifteen days, which made the preceding Premier League fixture an instructive marker of how this FA Cup tie would unfold. With both sides making few changes to their approaches from the first clash, it was a similar tactical battle - City’s 4-4-2 (this time with Javi Garcia in place of the disastrous Martin Demichells, <span>Joleon Lescott</span> and <span>Gael Clichy</span> instead of Matija Nastasic and Alexander Kolarov at the back, <span>James Milner</span> replacing Jesus Navas out wide and Steven Jovetic starting ahead of Alvaro Negredo) up against <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/jose-mourinho">Jose Mourinho</a>’s 4-2-3-1 with Ramires tucking in on the right, although this time <span>David Luiz</span> was required in defence, which brought <span>John Obi Mikel</span> into the centre.</p>
<p>First, it’s worth considering whether this fixture was more winnable from a City point of view because of how they lost the first round. That might sound stupid, but in many ways, it was easier for them to address what went wrong (rather than say, improve something that doesn’t obviously need to be fixed) with manager Manuel Pellegrini able to address his side’s shortcomings in the build-up and with his team selection. Mourinho, on the other hand, would’ve appeared silly had he drastically changed the successful game plan from their last meeting at the Etihad.</p>
<p>In that sense, Pellegrini’s four changes from the match proved decisive. In a broader view, the decision to sit slightly deeper and commit less numbers in attack was an obvious alteration, giving City more cover at the back, preventing Chelsea from being able to press in midfield so readily and not leaving the back four so exposed to the counter-attack.</p>
<p>The five individual changes were all particularly key. Firstly, City were markedly better for simply not having Demichells on the field, the Argentine representing such a liability it is laughable he even features for a side with a serious claim to the Premier League title. His replacement in midfield here, Garcia, was barely involved, because his role was about sitting slightly deeper of the midfield two, allowing Toure to push forward into aggressive attacking and defensive positions - the Ivorian enjoyed the freedom to play more proactively against <span>Nemanja Matic</span>, who was forced backwards far more than he had been in the tie two weeks ago. Toure also had some opportunities to shoot from range, moving forward to get on the end of attacks as City built moves in the final third.</p>
<p>Garcia might not have been involved much, and his individual quality can certainly be questioned, but he had an important, intangible role off the ball here.</p>
<p>Secondly, the change of centre-back partner liberated Vincent Kompany. In what may have been a matter of increased confidence in his teammates, the Belgian was far more confident darting off his defensive line to aggressively challenge Chelsea’s attackers high up the pitch, the style he usually practices but one that was noticeably absent against Chelsea last time round. This meant rather than the likes of <span>Eden Hazard</span> and Willian being able to turn on the ball and face the play, they were shepherded back towards their own goal when in possession and struggled to attack with their usual purpose. Garcia, too, in his holding position, also provided an extra wall of defence.</p>
<p>The reshuffle at left-back had flow-on effects higher up the pitch, as Kolarov’s inswinging crosses had been City’s most dangerous source of attacks in the EPL fixture (with both Toure and <span>David Silva</span> squandering good chances in front of goal). They lacked that sort of incision here with Clichy - however, the Frenchman was his typically aggressive self defensively, always looking to nip in front of Ramires and Ivanovic to win the ball and doing so on a number of occasions, benefitting also from Ramires’ lack of form. City may have lost a bit of width down the left, but benefitted more in a defensive sense.</p>
<p>As it were fifteen days ago, Ivanovic was the freest Chelsea player in attack, because of the way David Silva narrowed inside from the left. He had that cross from the by-line Costel Pantimillion fumbled at the feet of <span>Pablo Zabaleta</span> (perhaps Chelsea’s best chance of the match), as well as the cut-back for Willian the Brazilian skied high over the bar. Ivanovic was also free throughout for cross-field balls, but he didn’t have anywhere near the same impact as he did when he scored the winner previously - mainly because of his own poor form.</p>
<p>Defensively, City also benefitted from the introduction of Milner into the side, as the Englishman worked hard to get back and protect Zabaleta from Hazard. The angles of support he provided in attack, too, proved useful, complementing Silva’s wandering with clever overlapping runs as well as providing width out on the right as is Jesus Navas’s usual brief.</p>
<p>Finally, having provided clever link-up play between the lines off the bench fifteen days ago, Stefan Jovetic was entrusted with that role from the start, giving City an extra dimension in the final third. He was smart in drifting to the outside of Chelsea’s midfield two to find space, in that zone between the wide and central players to connect the strikers to midfield. That in turn allowed <span>Edin Dzeko</span> to play higher up against the centre-backs, that being a key tenet of City’s play this season and being much more difficult to defend against than two static strikers.</p>
<p>By contrast, Chelsea’s lack of changes also seemed crucial, if only because of how little it meant the side had been rotated in the fixtures in between. The attackers seemed particularly fatigued in the midweek match against West Brom and the lack of rest they’ve had between these two clashes with City surely had an impact upon their ability to implement the high-tempo game plan that was so decisive in the Premier League.</p>
<p>Pellegrini took advantage of the lead, too, to introduce fresh players into the fray, using the bench to rest key players for Tuesday’s Champions League tie but also to rectify the defensive issue down his left-hand side by bringing Milner across to that flank (when bringing on Navas), who duly closed down the space available to Ivanovic going forward.</p>
<p>Pointing to the changes in team selection might seem an easy and obvious way of explaining why City won this fixture and lost the last, but it certainly serves as a pertinent explanation here.</p>
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https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/2014/2/15/5414814/match-analysis-manchester-city-vs-chelsea-fa-cupTim Palmer2014-02-15T20:20:03+00:002014-02-15T20:20:03+00:00Tired, timid Chelsea knocked out of FA Cup
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<figcaption>Clive Brunskill</figcaption>
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<p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/west-bromwich-albion" class="sbn-auto-link">West Bromwich Albion</a> Away Part II: This Time The Opposition Is Kind Of Good, Yo, is apparently a bad title for SEO purposes, but it's a pretty decent way of describing what happened to <a href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Chelsea</a> today. The team was flat at the Hawthorns midweek, and they were also flat against <a href="https://bitterandblue.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Manchester City</a>, who are markedly better at punishing their guests than the Baggies are. And so we're out of the FA Cup at the third hurdle.</p>
<p>Not that that's necessarily a bad thing -- fixture congestion is already problem enough without having to do battle on three fronts, and by the time we got to the hour mark I was dreading a Chelsea goal and a potential replay more than the prospect of losing outright -- but we're in these tournaments to win them, and the FA Cup has always been an important competition for this club. So yeah, it kind of sucks that City dumped us out this easily.</p>
<p>Losing this match was nowhere near as damaging for the season as a corresponding league defeat might have been, but that's not an excuse for what happened out there. On Wednesday, Chelsea played as though they were barely alive, and rather than opt to go with his depth for a 'lesser' fixture, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/jose-mourinho" class="sbn-auto-link">Jose Mourinho</a> ran out most of his tried and true* starting lineup once again. The result was... well, it was ugly.</p>
<p><i>*Tired and true?</i></p>
<p><strike>Alvin</strike> <strike>Simon</strike> <strike>Theodore</strike> Stevan Jovetic gave City the lead in the 16th minute, taking advantage of a <span>Cesar Azpilicueta</span> positioning error to sneak onto []'s pass and guide a shot past <span>Petr Cech</span> and in off the post, and the hosts never looked like giving up their lead. Neither Eden Hazard nor Willian provided enough of a spark to get Chelsea going, and most of the the rest of the players barely showed up. Our most dangerous attacking option might have been <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/players/110687/branislav-ivanovic" class="sbn-auto-link">Branislav Ivanovic</a>, and although the right back did have two in three going into this game, that's still a rather worrying sign.</p>
<p>We got into the second half without further damage, but bar a fifteen minute spell which saw <span>Mohamed Salah</span> play at no-that's-not-a-false-nine-you-daft-buggers Chelsea did absolutely nothing of interest before <span>Samir Nasri</span> put the game out of reach. The linesman helped -- <span>David Silva</span> was definitely offside just before he passed to Nasri -- but the scoreline was more than deserved, and it was a little bit surprising that we got to full time without conceding again.</p>
<p>In all honesty, a 2-0 loss at the Etihad is a pretty ok way to go out of the FA Cup. We've seen what happens to most teams who go there, and if you'd given me the choice between three points or a quarterfinal berth before these two games, I'd have taken the points every time. But the performance is frustrating. There was no life in the team, and the reason that's so annoying is because it was completely predictable. The players are exhausted.</p>
<p>We have a nice long week off to get back on our feet, but after that the games come thick and fast. We're going to have to learn to play well on short rest soon, or we're in rather a lot of trouble.</p>
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https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/2014/2/15/5414602/chelsea-vs-manchester-city-fa-cupGraham MacAree2014-02-15T19:07:27+00:002014-02-15T19:07:27+00:00Manchester City 2 - Chelsea 0: Initial Reaction
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<figcaption>Clive Brunskill</figcaption>
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<p>Jose Mourinho might need to give Arsene Wenger a call tonight, asking how to deal with coming up short</p> <p>The fixture list just got a bit less congested, as <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/">Chelsea's</a> run in the FA Cup has ended in the fifth round. It's hard to find too much to argue with after that performance, as Chelsea were mostly poor while <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://bitterandblue.sbnation.com/">Manchester City</a> played relatively well.</p>
<p>The first half was a fairly dull affair, with Chelsea continuing to look overworked and under-rotated. City missed a fantastic chance to go 1-0 after <span>Petr Cech</span> fumbled Yaya Toure's shot early on, but made up for the mistake minutes later when Stevan Jovetic placed a shot perfectly into the left corner.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/jose-mourinho">Jose Mourinho</a> started the second half with a fairly surprising move, pulling <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/players/110144/samuel-eto-o">Samuel Eto'o</a> off and replacing him with Mohamed Salah. While most fans were likely expecting a change of some sort, I doubt too many thought that one would be the one we ended up seeing. Fifteen minutes later, Chelsea were still struggling to create any chances, and brought <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/players/110873/fernando-torres">Fernando Torres</a> on for Ramires.</p>
<p>City would double the lead within ten minutes, as a nice combination between <span>David Silva</span> and <span>Samir Nasri</span> ended up with the ball in the back of the net. Silva appeared to be offside when the first ball was played, but it was close enough that Chelsea fans really shouldn't feel too hard done by.</p>
<p>City held on for the win, but at no point did this game look like it was ever in danger of becoming a rout. That said, improvement will be required if Chelsea want to finish above City at the end of the season.</p>
<p>Thoughts:</p>
<ul>
<li><span>It's nice to see that <span>Gary Cahill</span> was fit enough to play, even if he didn't appear to be 100% today. Getting Cahill and Terry in the center of the defense again will be a big boost to our title hopes.</span></li>
<li><span>Speaking of center backs, this was one of those games where <span>David Luiz</span> didn't inspire much confidence. If he's going to continue being very aggressive when going after the ball, he has to be considerably better at winning his challenges. Also, let's not stop and ask (rightfully) for an offside call and allow players to run into the space you should be filling anymore, ok?</span></li>
<li><span>While Chelsea looked poor again, the talent on the pitch for City today likely amplified this a bit. That's a very good squad, and many of their players played very well today. There's no shame in being outplayed by City once in three meetings.</span></li>
<li><span>Mourinho really needs to work with the squad on their throws.</span></li>
<li><span>Thankfully, Chelsea now have a full week to rest before taking on <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton</a> next weekend. The squad really looks like they could use the time off. It's probably time to cross our fingers for a draw between <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/">Arsenal</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a>, just for the replay.</span></li>
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https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/2014/2/15/5414264/manchester-city-chelsea-fa-cup-final-score-initial-reaction-community-rating-formStephen Schmidt2014-02-15T18:02:57+00:002014-02-15T18:02:57+00:00Man City v. Chelsea, FA Cup: 2nd Half Thread
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<figcaption>Laurence Griffiths</figcaption>
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<p>Not the best of starts for <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/">Chelsea</a>. While they were able to keep the ball more-than-occasionally, that possession was still the minority, and was pretty ineffective early on. Unlike the League match at the Etihad, City were able to put more pressure of <span>Petr Cech's</span> goal. Moments after nearly capitalising on a near-howler by Petr Cech, Stevan Jovetic got on the end of a lovely City attack to poke through the legs of a diving <span>Cesar Azpilicueta</span> and past Cech for the opener.</p>
<p>After the goal, Chelsea opened up a bit more, and got forward more-dangerously. As a result, both sides got more chances as the second half went on. Chelsea arguably got the better of the chances, but neither side came particularly close in the time remaining.City captain <span>Vincent Kompany</span> was booked for a challenge on Hazard, which could prove important for the rest of the match.</p>
<p>Chelsea haven't looked their best, and have looked fairly tired, as one might expect after a long stretch with minimal squad rotation. Also worrying was the nervousness from Big Pete in the first half, which is unusual for the big Czech. Look for <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/jose-mourinho">Jose Mourinho</a> to work things out at the half and drive Chelsea to a win in the second half. Or maybe just more of the same lack of pressing, poor touches and passes, and general willingness to let City do their thing. Who knows? Chelsea can only really get better. SECOND HALF WOO!</p>
https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/2014/2/15/5414412/manchester-city-v-chelsea-fa-cup-second-half-threadKevin Kostka2014-02-15T16:29:11+00:002014-02-15T16:29:11+00:00Man City v. Chelsea, FA Cup: Lineups & Thread
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<figcaption>Laurence Griffiths</figcaption>
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<p>Manchester City. Chelsea. The FA Cup. It's business time.</p> <blockquote>
<p>'If <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/">Chelsea</a> win today then Man City can't win four trophies, like their manager said is their target for the season. But if you cannot win four but you can win three, that is a lot.</p>
<p>'Big teams know they can lose against other big teams.'</p>
<p>-<i><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/jose-mourinho">Jose Mourinho</a></i>, source: <i><a target="_blank" href="http://www.chelseafc.com/news-article/article/3670408/title/mourinho-big-game-big-teams">Chelsea FC</a></i></p>
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<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://bitterandblue.sbnation.com/">Manchester City</a> Starting XI (4-2-3-1): <span>Costel Pantilimon</span>, <span>Pablo Zabaleta</span>, <span>Vincent Kompany</span> (C), <span>Joleon Lescott</span>, <span>Gael Clichy</span>, Javi Garcia, <span>Yaya Toure</span>, <span>James Milner</span>, <span>David Silva</span>, Stevan Jovetic, <span>Edin Dzeko</span></p>
<p>Chelsea Starting XI (4-2-3-1): <span>Petr Cech</span>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/players/110687/branislav-ivanovic">Branislav Ivanovic</a>, <span>Gary Cahill</span>, <span>David Luiz</span>, <span>Cesar Azpilicueta</span>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/players/110533/john-mikel-obi">John Mikel Obi</a>, <span>Nemanja Matic</span>, Ramires, <span>Eden Hazard</span>, Willian, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/players/110144/samuel-eto-o">Samuel Eto'o</a></p>
<p>Manchester City Substitutes: <span>Joe Hart</span>, <span>Micah Richards</span>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/players/110049/martin-demichelis">Martin Demichelis</a>, <span>Aleksandar Kolarov</span>, Jesus Navas, Alvaro Negredo, <span>Samir Nasri</span></p>
<p>Chelsea Substitutes: <span>Mark Schwarzer</span>, <span>Ashley Cole</span>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/players/110218/frank-lampard">Frank Lampard</a>, Oscar, André Schürrle, <span>Mohamed Salah</span>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/players/110873/fernando-torres">Fernando Torres</a>.</p>
<p>Strongish lineups from both sides, despite rumours earlier this week of weakened sides. Should be a fantastic and exciting match yet again between these two sides. COME ON YOU BLUES!</p>
https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/2014/2/15/5414196/manchester-city-v-chelsea-fa-cup-lineups-match-threadKevin Kostka2014-02-14T21:25:04+00:002014-02-14T21:25:04+00:00Manchester City vs. Chelsea: Preview
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<figcaption>Laurence Griffiths</figcaption>
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<p>Everything you need to know ahead of Chelsea's clash with Manchester City</p> <p>When <a href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Chelsea</a> drew <a href="https://bitterandblue.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Manchester City</a> away in the fifth round of the FA Cup, it was difficult not to be a little bit frustrated. The trip to the Etihad is the most difficult in English football, and when we were assigned it no domestic team had gone there and come away with so much as a draw. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/players/110687/branislav-ivanovic" class="sbn-auto-link">Branislav Ivanovic</a> destroyed their perfect record a week later, but the fact remains that this is a very, very tough match.</p>
<p>Then again, if we want to win this cup, we'd have to go up against City at some point anyway, so maybe it's better to get the hard matches out of the way early on. There'd be no shame in crashing out at this stage, and the fact that we're in first place in the league in mid-February while still in Champions League contention means that our priorities might in fact lie elsewhere. Nobody will be that fussed with a battling loss.</p>
<p>Which is good, because although City are suffering from a bit of an injury crisis -- losing <span>Sergio Aguero</span> has left them looking far less incisive than their usual selves -- we are too, and it's likely that we'll be fielding a markedly weakened back line, one which you wouldn't expect to keep the hosts out for another ninety minutes.</p>
<p>This is probably going to be one of those really annoying games, in other words. But it's the sort of annoying game which I'm fine with -- although I don't expect us to win, the consequences for losing aren't so bad that my heart's lying heavy with dread or anything. It's the FA Cup, and we have bigger fish to fry.</p>
<h5>Manchester City vs. Chelsea, FA Cup 5th Round</h5>
<p><b>Date/Time:</b> February 15th, 2014. 5:15 pm GMT (12:15pm EST; 10:45pm IST)</p>
<p><b>Venue:</b> Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England.</p>
<p><b>TV: </b>ITV 1 (UK), Fox Sports 2 (USA), Star Sports HD 2 (India).</p>
<p><b>Watch Online: </b>Fox Soccer 2 Go (USA).</p>
<p><b>SB Nation blog:</b> <a target="_blank" href="http://bitterandblue.sbnation.com">Bitter and Blue</a>.</p>
<h5>Team News</h5>
<p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/players/110210/john-terry" class="sbn-auto-link">John Terry</a>? Out. Gary Cahill? Probably out. Ruh rohs. On the other side of the aisle, Manuel Pellegrini will be without Sergio Aguero, Fernandinho, and Matija Nastasic. Javi Garcia and <span>Samir Nasri</span> return from injuries, which ok then.</p>
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https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/2014/2/14/5411844/manchester-city-chelsea--fa-cup-preview-squad-news-television-streamingGraham MacAree