City mauls Chelsea to throw open race
Source: Agencies |
February 28, 2010, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
MANCHESTER City sent Chelsea crashing to a 4-2 defeat yesterday to end its 37-match unbeaten record at Stamford Bridge and dent its English Premier League title hopes.
The leader, beaten at home for the first time in all competitions since November 2008, finished with nine men after having Juliano Belletti and Michael Ballack sent off late in the second half.
By completing its first league double over Chelsea since 1957, City moved back into fourth place and relieved the pressure on manager Roberto Mancini, who had won just four of his last 11 games before prevailing in west London.
City climbed above Tottenham Hotspur following two goals from Carlos Tevez, one from the penalty spot, and two from Craig Bellamy after Frank Lampard opened the scoring for Chelsea.
Lampard scored a second for the hosts from a penalty as the match moved into stoppage time.
Chelsea still tops with 61 points from 28 matches, one point ahead of Manchester United, which is without a league game as it plays Aston Villa in the League Cup final at Wembley in London today.
The pre-match build-up was dominated by the first meeting between former Chelsea teammates John Terry and City's Wayne Bridge, since they became the focus of media attention following allegations that Terry had an extra-marital affair with Bridge's former girlfriend.
Bridge refused to shake Terry's hand in the customary pre-match greeting ritual between the two teams, but had a hand in creating Tevez's first goal and ended the afternoon by far the happier of the two men.
Four other matches were being played yesterday including third-placed Arsenal's visit to Stoke City.
In Germany, Schalke 04 came from behind to snatch a late 2-1 win over derby rival Borussia Dortmund on Friday to climb within a point of the Bundesliga leaders.
Schalke's victory moved it one point behind Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich and gave it a double over Dortmund following a 1-0 away win earlier this season.
The win in the 135th Ruhr Valley derby left Schalke with 48 points from 24 games, putting it nine ahead of fifth-placed Dortmund whose chances of a Champions League place next season are now remote.
The leader, beaten at home for the first time in all competitions since November 2008, finished with nine men after having Juliano Belletti and Michael Ballack sent off late in the second half.
By completing its first league double over Chelsea since 1957, City moved back into fourth place and relieved the pressure on manager Roberto Mancini, who had won just four of his last 11 games before prevailing in west London.
City climbed above Tottenham Hotspur following two goals from Carlos Tevez, one from the penalty spot, and two from Craig Bellamy after Frank Lampard opened the scoring for Chelsea.
Lampard scored a second for the hosts from a penalty as the match moved into stoppage time.
Chelsea still tops with 61 points from 28 matches, one point ahead of Manchester United, which is without a league game as it plays Aston Villa in the League Cup final at Wembley in London today.
The pre-match build-up was dominated by the first meeting between former Chelsea teammates John Terry and City's Wayne Bridge, since they became the focus of media attention following allegations that Terry had an extra-marital affair with Bridge's former girlfriend.
Bridge refused to shake Terry's hand in the customary pre-match greeting ritual between the two teams, but had a hand in creating Tevez's first goal and ended the afternoon by far the happier of the two men.
Four other matches were being played yesterday including third-placed Arsenal's visit to Stoke City.
In Germany, Schalke 04 came from behind to snatch a late 2-1 win over derby rival Borussia Dortmund on Friday to climb within a point of the Bundesliga leaders.
Schalke's victory moved it one point behind Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich and gave it a double over Dortmund following a 1-0 away win earlier this season.
The win in the 135th Ruhr Valley derby left Schalke with 48 points from 24 games, putting it nine ahead of fifth-placed Dortmund whose chances of a Champions League place next season are now remote.
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