Manchester City’s unbeaten run in the Premier League came to an end after they suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Chelsea.
The defending champions started the game on a positive note but a late first-half goal from N’Golo Kante and an improved second-half display from the Blues allowed Liverpool to move to the top of the league table.
Here are the Manchester City players rated in their disappointing loss to Chelsea.
Ederson Moraes (6.5/10): A disappointing display from the Brazilian, who conceded two goals on the night. Not much he could have done differently.
Kyle Walker (6.5/10): Started the game on a positive note, hurrying the Chelsea attackers on the far side with some excellent pressing. But, a sloppy second half performance allowed the Blues to spite forward in numbers.
John Stones (6.5/10): A decent first-half performance was shattered by a Kante goal in the 45th minute. The English international never really managed to assert his dominance after the restart, often being overwhelmed by Chelsea’s speedy attacking movements.
Aymeric Laporte (6.5/10): Played a key role in the build-up as usual. But, the Frenchman offered very little solidity at the back, especially when dealing with the couple of attacking moments that led to Chelsea breaching the Man City backline.
Fabian Delph (5.5/10): Pep Guardiola will once again rue the absence of Benjamin Mendy as Fabian Delph was completely outclassed in the left-back role this evening.
Bernardo Silva (6.5/10): Tried to provide the creative spark going forward, notably finding a couple of key passes. But, he lacked the drive to breach a well-organised Chelsea backline and an anonymous second display certainly didn’t help either.
Fernandinho (6/10): The Brazilian enjoyed an impressive first-half, where he made a couple of excellent challenges. However, his form began to deteriorate soon after Chelsea’s opener in the 45th minute. So much so, that the former Shakhtar midfielder ended up as one of the most fragile players in the second half.
David Silva (6/10): Surprisingly, David Silva failed to influence the game in any way this season as the Spanish international was often denied by some diligent defending from the Chelsea players.
He was also offered very little time on the ball, thanks to Maurizio Sarri’s cautious approach to the game, which sabotaged most of City’s creative influence.
Riyad Mahrez (6.5/10): He provided some flair going forward, making a host of dribbles in the far side but lacked the desired end product. He certainly needs to be more direct in his approach.
Raheem Sterling (6.5/10): Deployed Sterling as a false nine certainly didn’t work out as planned for Guardiola in this game as the former Liverpool man was often isolated in the final third. Although 73 touches seem rather impressive for a forward, Sterling was barely influential and should have started out wide.
Leroy Sane (6/10): A frustrating display from the German international, who was often denied by the solid Azpilicueta until he got dismissed in the second half. He also missed a clear-cut opportunity in the first half, where he should have done a lot better.
Substitutes
Gabriel Jesus (7/10): Replaced Leroy Sane in the 53rd minute but looked rather confused about his role in attack. However, his tenacity and aggression allowed City to put pressure on the Chelsea backline.
Ilkay Gundogan (6.5/10): Came on for David Silva and his agility in midfield did help his side push on for a late comeback.
Phil Foden (NA)
Stat courtesy: Whoscored