Manchester City laid down a significant early marker in the Premier League title race with a commanding dismissal of champions Chelsea at Etihad Stadium.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho’s turbulent week – shaped by the controversy surrounding the demotion of medical staff Eva Carneiro and Jon Fearn – ended in misery as he saw his side outclassed by a resurgent City.
Sergio Aguero had been thwarted three times by Chelsea keeper Asmir Begovic before giving City a deserved lead just after the half-hour, an advantage they never looked like losing.
City’s superiority was emphasised with two more late goals as captain Vincent Kompany headed in David Silva’s corner and midfielder Fernandinho sent a thunderous finish past Begovic, whose excellent performance was just about the only positive for Chelsea.
City manager Manuel Pellegrini was left frustrated last season as his lavishly talented squad failed to live up to their potential, but all the riches were on show in front of a record crowd of 54,331 at the newly extended Etihad as they demonstrated a desire to reclaim the title Chelsea took from them last season.
So often last season, in a lame Premier League title defence, City looked like a team resting on their laurels and lacking the hunger and desire to claim the big domestic prize.
The evidence so far this season, both here and in the victory at West Bromwich Albion on Monday, suggests the fires have been rekindled – and in this mood they take some stopping.
Captain Kompany was a dominant figure, adding another goal to his first of the season at The Hawthorns and looking to have regained much of his old authority, barely giving Chelsea’s attack, led by the combustible Diego Costa, a chance.
Yaya Toure looked back to his best with Fernandinho as the perfect foil, while an attack of the world-class pair of Aguero and Silva, now augmented by £49m Raheem Sterling, looks loaded with menace.
Chelsea look a long way short of the side that controlled the Premier League title race from start to finish last season – and Mourinho surely needs to get busy in the transfer market between now and deadline day.
Aguero had a passing accuracy of 94.7 percent with just one unsuccessful pass before he was replaced by Wilfried Bony.
Everton’s John Stones has been the subject of two failed bids of £20m and £26m – and there was enough vulnerability on show here to suggest Mourinho may try to go back to the negotiating table. The problem he has is Everton have no intention of selling their elegant young England defender.
John Terry, who has been a reliable figure at the centre of the defence, was replaced at half-time, with Mourinho confirming afterwards that his captain was not carrying an injury.
The jury remains out on whether the on-loan Falcao is an able deputy or assistant to Costa, who has proved vulnerable to hamstring injuries. This is no fault of the Colombian and he was making his way on to the pitch as a substitute when Kompany doubled City’s lead.
New faces may be necessary simply to freshen the squad but at least Mourinho knows he has a fine deputy in goal as Begovic produced a superb display standing in for the suspended Thibaut Courtois.
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