Key events
Tom Garry’s report from the Etihad Stadium
Righto, that’s us here, but Tom Garry’s report will be up shortly, so do check back for that, then check-in on the rugby and men’s football. Otherwise, though, peace out.
I really like what he did at Bologna but I’m not surprised it’s the end at Juve; I hope he comes again.
Lovely stuff: though we’re nearly finished here, we’re away in our men’s Nations League clocko, and will be with you for the duration.
Lille’s tie with Dortmund was the first time I saw this lad play well. I’d not thought him good enough for the top end of the Prem before that, but given his free agency i’d not be surprised to someone take a punt.
Cushing is frustrated not to have led 2-0 at half-time, noting that towards the end, he was bringing key players off while Chelsea were bringing them on.
Before the disallowed goal, he’d asked the fourth official for advantage and been advised the message would be passed on to the ref … who then failed so to do. Otherwise, he thinks his side defended well in the second half, though didn’t play their football, and he’s really chuffed with how Keating performed, saying she has more than enough to be no 1 in this team.
He thinks there’ll be large parts of Thursday’s game that look like the second half today, with City under pressure, but they’ll go looking to score with the confidence that they can play as they did in the first half.
Gosh, he’s not having a good month is he?
On the plus side, he can now spend some QT with his hairdo.
Keating, who I forgot to say is player of the match, is proud of the team and proud of her performance. Their mindset doesn’t change despite the result, they still want to make top three, but now they have to focus on the Champions League game – they’re halfway to the semis and they can do it.
Cuthbert tells BBC that they didn’t impose themselves in the first half and weren’t energetic enough. But a tactical change saw them limit the influence of Kerolin, which they had to go.
On the winner, she says she’s challenged herself to get into the box more and decided that head, shoulder, whatever, she wanted to be first and was determined to take everything into the net if necessary.
She sees herself as a box-to-box midfielder, she couldn’t have a better coach for that than Camille Abily. She also thinks Walsh has added a new dimension to them and though they’ve lacked a little fluidity in the final third, it’s coming – and in the meantime, they’re finding a way to win.
On Thursday they have to score goals and an early goal totally changes the tie. They’ll need to play a perfect game but if there’s one thing she knows about Chelsea, it’s that they can do it.
Also going on:
Back to our game, the first half was dominated by Hasegawa and Kerolin, but Chelsea were much more aggressive after half-time: Kaptein played higher so marginalised the latter and Charles got tighter to the former, which in turn allowed James to stretch the play. City will need to find an antidote to that for Thursday.
Elsewhere, West Ham beat Spurs 2-0; Leicester lead Brighton 3-0; and Villa v Man United is about to kick-off.
We wondered earlier if either Chelsea or City could beat Barca…
I’d love to know what Bompastor said at half-time, but she also deserves praise for how she husbanded her resources. Her introduction of Cuthbert made a massive difference, and the way Chelsea killed the game after taking the lead showed the confidence in the group.
FULL TIME: Manchester City 1-2 Chelsea
The champs restore their eight-point lead at the top, shading a hugely enjoyable game and reminding City that the Champions League tie is not done – by a long chalk – in the process damaging the hosts’ attempt to qualify for next season’s competition. They now sit fourth, four points behind Manchester United having played a game more.
90+5 min City just can’t get hold of the ball; Chelsea have managed the game very nicely since taking the lead.
90+3 min City will rue finishing the first half with just a 1-0 lead; the ref had a lot to do with that, effectively disallowing Park’s brilliant finish by unnecessarily blowing before it. Still, though, Chelsea dug in then started the second period with renewed intensity and zest, laying down a marker for Thursday night.
GOAL! Manchester City 1-2 Chelsea (Cuthbert 90+1)
The champions have done it! Terrific work down the right from Lawrence who, fed by James, stands up Casparaij, feints, and when the slides comes in, picks away from her, snapping over a cross … for Cuthbert, who loses her marker then dives to power home a header! That’s a fantastic winner, and what a second-half comeback this has been from the champions and league leaders!
90 min We’ll have six additional minutes.
89 min Good work from Macario who, along with Fishel, win the ball and feed James, who cuts infield on to her left foot, drills low … and again, Keating saves well. She’s had a really good game.
88 min It’s petered out in the last 15 but has been the best game I’ve seen in a while. These sides are so well-matched.
87 min Two further changes for Chelsea: Fishel and Macario on for Kaptein and Kaneryd.
85 min Ramirez gets away down the right but Layzell marshals her really well, refusing to dive in before blocking the cross to concede a corner; it comes to nowt.
84 min Wienroither flips in a fine cross, on the end of which Murphy can’t quite get. But City are turning it up again, Kerolin setting Casparaij for shot, blocked by Fowler, but Muprhy can’t quite collects.
82 min Chelsea getting Kaptein and Kaneryd on the ball higher up the pitch has made such a difference this half. It may well be that neither start in midweek, but both have made a case, much as it seems inconceivable the former displaces Cuthbert or Walsh.
80 min More changes for City – Cushing is thinking about Thursday now. Off go Aleixandri, his captain, and Hasegawa, his best player, with Wienroither and Murphy coming on.
78 min Can either of these beat Barcelona? It feels a long shot doesn’t it? Anyhow, ball pumped into the Chelsea box, Roord jumps with Bright and Charles, doing enough to make the clearance a problem, and when the clearing header arrives at Kerolin, on the edge, she thwacks just over the top.
76 min James out to Kaneryd, who steals a yard from Layzell with an excellent first touch then sends over a fine low cross that no one can get on the end of. Meantime, Kerolin goes down having taken a bump to the heed of some sort, but she’ll be fine.
75 min Chelsea have quietened a little, but the way they’ve performed the last 30 minutes is a proper warning for the Champions League match. City, though, know that any time they can get Kerolin running at Bright, they’re in the game.
73 min This has been and still is a really good game. And we don’t even have to worry about it finishing because we’re getting more of it on Thursday; lovely stuff.
71 min City recover high and Park has Miedema alongside, but her pass is careless and Bronze times her interception perfectly. But, as I type, Casparaij finds Kerolin, accepts a decent return, cuts back … and Fowler, then Midema, both fail to get shots away, for the former missing her connection and latter treading on the ball! Phew!
69 min This match, of course isn’t just about today or even midweek or even this season, but about next. We know Chelsea will almost definitely win the league again, but the teams behind them are improving, with next year promising to be a lot closer.
68 min Keating goes down to take treatment, but when the City players run to the touchline, the sense is that this is a tactical stoppage. They badly need some guidance because Kaptein and Kaneryd are all over them currently.
66 min And again the corner, then another after it, come to nowt.
65 min It’s all Chelsea now, Kaptein out to Kaneryd, who tucks a return back across, and though Kaptein catches up with it nicely, turning first-time towards goal, again, Keating makes an excellent save, this time at her near post.
64 min City get the corner away but Chelsea soon win another, James’ cross cleared to Cuthbert on the edge; she measures a low shot … which Miedema kicks off the line. This has been a terrific reaction from the champs.
63 min But Chelsea are pouring it on now, Kanreyd having a cross kicked behind; before the corner is taken, Ramirez and Walsh replace Jean-Francois and Beever-Jones. What a flex that is.
61 min The corner comes to nothing.
60 min Again, Chelsea sweep forward, Beever-Jones sliding in Cuthbert outside her, who measures a really clever square-pass for Kaneryd, the defenders running past it, as the Swede steadies herself to shoot. But her touch is a little heavy and she panics under pressure, forcing a shot too close to Keating, who makes another fine save, smuggling the ball wide.
59 min But her she is now, found by Roord only to slightly misjudge her first-time pass back inside.
59 min We’ve seen nothing of Kerolin this half.
58 min Now a change for City, Fowler on for Coombs.
55 min Change for Chelsea, Cuthbert replacing Hamano. The way the game now is, that looks a clever alteration, because the champions, already on top, are now even stronger.
54 min This is a really good game now and here come Chelsea again! Kaptein finds Kaneryd at inside-right, she hares into the box, shoots … and catches the far post, the ball flying wide.
53 min Hamano for James, now out on the right, and her cut-back is met very nicely by Kaptein, who connects nicely, but Keating, flying right, pushes away for a corner … that comes to nothing.
53 min Better from City, Casparaij doing well to win the ball on the right touchline, which she slides inside to Miedema, running at Bright before shooting straight at Hampton.
