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Manchester City won the first domestic trophy of the 2018-19 English football season Sunday as they beat Chelsea 4-3 on penalties after a 0-0 draw at Wembley.
Chelsea were much more competitive in this contest than the 6-0 shellacking at the hands of City a fortnight ago, and while Pep Guardiola’s side dominated the ball in the first period, the Blues’ defence was up to the challenge.
The second period saw Chelsea offer more of an attacking threat, with Eden Hazard always dangerous on the counter-attack. N’Golo Kante and Pedro spurned excellent opportunities for the Blues.
At the end of an uninspired extra time, there were extraordinary scenes when Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga refused to be substituted despite his manager’s wishes.
Eventually, he stayed on, and despite making a smart stop from Leroy Sane in the shootout, he was unable to do enough, with Raheem Sterling scoring the decisive penalty for City.
Here’s the remarkable dispute between Kepa and Sarri:
Sky Sports Football @SkyFootball
Maurizio Sarri tries to substitute Kepa Arrizabalaga for Willy Caballero, but Kepa refuses to come off and Sarri is absolutely FURIOUS!
Sarri Must Continue to Adapt Style to Save Blues Job
Chelsea’s performance was far from perfect Sunday, although supporters will at least be encouraged by the manner in which Sarri seemed to learn from the 6-0 loss the Blues suffered to City.
While they pressed high and left spaces for City to exploit at the Etihad Stadium, there was cohesion and caution about the way in which Chelsea approached the match here. As a result, the game was a lot more competitive.
At half-time, ESPN FC’s Liam Twomey commented on how different the approach had been from Sarri’s side:
Liam Twomey @liam_twomey
HT Chelsea 0-0 Man City. If this isn’t a ‘Plan B’ from Sarri, I don’t know what is. They’ve successfully stifled the champions & withstood plenty of pressure. Passing too sloppy on the counter, but an encouraging half #cfc #mcfc
In order to keep his job, you sense the Chelsea manager will need to continue showing he can be flexible in his approach.
Clearly, it’s important to have an identity, but at times this season, Sarri has been too strongly welded to his renowned style. On occasions, especially against teams as good as City, some concessions need to be made.
If Sarri can continue to show a little more pragmatism in the coming weeks, then perhaps there is a way back for him yet.
De Bruyne, Silva Must Improve After Fernandinho Injury
Fernandinho was forced off late in the game for City, and that will be a worry for Guardiola given the team’s involvement in three more competitions.
With the Brazilian potentially set for a spell on the sidelines, the City boss will need to find someone to plug the gap at the base of the team’s midfield. In addition, he will want to see more from Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva in their more advanced positions.
The former has yet to hit his best form following a couple of injury layoffs this season, while the latter has been below his usual high standards over the last few weeks.
Kieran Canning of Agence France-Presse noted how much the duo struggled against Chelsea:
Kieran Canning @KieranCanning
De Bruyne and David Silva well off it so far. Gundogan and Sane surely a must again for Pep off the bench
Jack Gaughan of MailOnline said De Bruyne has been trying a little too hard to make things happen:
Arguably City’s best two central midfielders this season have been Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan. The latter appears the most likely man to drop into a deeper berth should Fernandinho spend some time in the treatment room.
At this key point in the campaign, Guardiola will be looking to experienced figures like De Bruyne and Silva to shine in big games. After both were hauled off here after poor performances, it’s imperative they improve with the UEFA Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup still to challenge for.
What’s Next?
Both sides are back in action in the Premier League on Wednesday. City, who trail leaders Liverpool by a point, will host West Ham United, while Chelsea welcome London rivals Tottenham Hotspur to Stamford Bridge.
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