Summary:
City were defeated by two first-half strikes from Didier Drogba, the second coming after clearly hitting the striker’s hand as the ball was crossed to him. Sylvain Distin was sent off as the teams left the field at half time for protesting about the incident.
After the break a 10-man City side kept Chelsea at bay, with Danny Mills hitting the post from a free kick.
Team news:
Circumstances have forced Stuart Pearce to name a much-changed side. Sommeil, Distin and Dunne will play three across the back, with Danny Mills and Ben Thatcher back at full back. Micah Richards plays in a holding role, and in midfield Willo Flood makes his first appearance for City since March 19th 2005. Darius Vassell plays alone up front, and on the bench Matthew Mills gets his first call-up to the senior squad. Albert Riera’s thigh injury has been shaken off enough to see him named as a substitute.
The Wright-Phillips brothers are on opposing benches.
The Match
City were wearing their ‘blaze yellow’ away kit, with the noisy travelling contingent of City fans in the corner of the old shed end.
The home side had the ball in the net in the fifth minute, when a Lampard backheel found Drogba, but the striker was flagged offside and City breathed a sigh of relief.
A minute later Gudjohnsen was through on goal in the area, but his left-footed shot was badly scuffed and the ball dribbled a long way wide of James’ left post.
Chelsea were having all the pressure, and in the 10th minute Ferreira’s whipped-in cross was touched away from Gudjohnsen’s head by James.
City were not content just to sit back, though, with Vassell working his socks off in his lone striker role, and Richards harrassing Lampard.
James was to the rescue on 22, when he stood up to Drogba then dived to his left to save from the Chelsea striker, who had had a clear run in on goal.
Danny Mills was booked on 24 minutes, when after Drogba had looked for a free kick having tangled with the City man, Mills caught Duff’s ankles and went into Styles’ book.
But the defender made amends two minutes later when his left-footed shot forced Cech to make a block.
However it was not long before Chelsea took the lead. Gudjohnsen fed Dider Drogba, who turned Sommeil and drove home past James from inside the box.
And the striker scored again three minutes later, but City could count themselves very unlucky. James made a brilliant save at a corner from a Terry header, but the ball was then crossed to Drogba, and despite it clearly hitting his arm before falling to his feet, the referee gave nothing as the striker drilled the ball home from six yards out. In the aftermath, Musampa and Distin were booked for protesting to the referee about the handball incident.
Drogba could have had a hat-trick inside the first half, but rising to a Ferreira cross on 44 minutes he could only glance a header wide.
Then, as the players walked off for half-time, Sylvain Distin was sent off. The skipper appeared to argue with Rob Styles, was shown his second yellow card and then the red to add to City’s woes.
To cope with the loss of Distin, Riera replaced Sommeil at the break as Richards moved back into defence. And the youngster covered himself in glory just into the second half, as he timed a tackle on Gudjohnsen to perfection as the striker raced goalwards.
City were up against it, but Vassell made Cech work on 52 minutes when he shot with his left from an angle, but the Chelsea keeper was able to get behind the underhit effort.
The side’s spirit could not be faulted, and shortly after they were inches from scoring. A low Danny Mills free kick from around 25 yards hit Cech’s left post, Dame Fortune was clearly not smiling on City.
James was to the rescue on the hour when he saved well from Joe Cole. A minute later, Danny Mills was fouled by Cole but despite his protestations that it was not a bookable offence the Chelsea player was shown the yellow card. Mills earned a round of applause for his efforts to not have his opponent booked.
The persistant Flood won a corner on 70 minutes, but City were pressed back and nothing came of it.
Shaun Wright-Phillips came on for Joe Cole with 18 minutes to go to a good ovation from all parts of the ground. Lee Croft replaced Stephen Ireland a minute later.
SWP nearly made an immediate impact when he got past Thatcher and Richards to cross, but the ball was just ahead of Drogba.
The hosts should have made it three with 77 on the clock, when Drogba, having been denied by James, crossed the rebound to Crespo, but his diving header in front of an empty net as James tried to get back was two yards wide.
Crespo looked to be in again seconds later, but good work by Dunne saw him nod back to James.
With five minutes left, City threw Matthew Mills on for his first senior appearance for City, the teenaged defender replacing the man with the same surname, Danny.
The youngster was called on straight away, doing well to deny Lampard and then clearing with confidence.
The only talking point as the game drew to a close was Drogba going to ground after a tangle with Dunne, the striker taking his time as the clock wound down.
