Man City edge closer to Arsenal as Chelsea’s dreams of Champions League football slip away

The game showed the gulf in squad depth between stacked City and injury-ravaged Chelsea

Chelsea's chances of qualifying for the Champions League continue to dwindle after a humiliating defeat at Stamford Bridge, but Manchester City are once again on Arsenal’s tail in the Premier League race.

Pep Guardiola must have felt like a general heading into Friday's game, which was full of surprises. His team left Chelsea and Graham Potter on edge with three separate switcheroos. Guardiola's unconventional 3-2-4-1 style caused an immediate stir when he moved his famous left-back, Cancelo, to the top of the right wing.

The formation was intended to dominate the middle and disrupt their opposition, but City ended up perplexing themselves. During the first half, the team appeared fragmented, with Foden staying at the top left and Rodri occasionally shifting back to defence. City didn't have firm footing until the 38th minute, when Haaland sprang to life after a pass from Gündogan, but ended up blazing his effort over the bar.

At the half, Guardiola made two substitutions, replacing Cancelo and Walker with Rico Lewis and Manuel Akanji. They looked more coordinated afterwards, but it was Guardiola’s next two alterations in the 59th and 60th minutes - replacing Bernardo Silva with Riyad Mahrez and Foden with Jack Grealish – that paid off. The two had barely been on for three minutes when Grealish set up Mahrez with a precise low cross, and the Algerian captain swooped in to score, putting City ahead.

Graham Potter opted for a more traditional and defensive 4-2-3-1 formation, giving his team the freedom to attack. Unfortunately for Chelsea, their star winger Raheem Sterling was injured in the second minute of the encounter against his former team. Potter replaced him with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang before replacing him with the debuting Omari Hutchinson in the 68th minute.

They had their chances though. Chelsea almost took the lead in the 17th minute as Christian Pulisic entered the box after a pass from Kai Havertz. However, Pulisic was injured by John Stones, the Man of the Match, after a fantastic and well-executed tackle. He was replaced by Carney Chukwuemeka who nearly came up with a moment of magic when he skillfully tackled Kyle Walker and Rodri to take a shot that rebounded off the post. Despite having little possession, Chelsea were far better in the first half as the midfield of Dennis Zakaria and Mateo Kovacic effectively put pressure on City while Havertz crept back and forth into perilous areas.

Following the goal, Chelsea fought valiantly. They even had two good chances, when Thiago Silva narrowly missed the goal and in added time when 18-year-old midfielder Lewis Hall nearly rushed onto a feed from Chukwuemeka only to blast it over.

Chelsea will be disappointed given the close margins in a game where the squad put in a ton of effort. City’s attack could barely move the ball out of the D-box in the first half and Cucurella, Chukwuemeka and Lewis Hall fought fiercely.

They’ve had a woeful season so far and have stumbled to tenth in the standings after winning only one of the past eight games. Their chance of finishing in the European spots is fading and their injury list – where Raheem Sterling and Christian Pulisic will join N’Golo Kante – continues to lengthen. Though the current squad deserves Potter’s attention, it is likely that the team is seeking new talent.

Before the match, Chelsea revealed they had signed Benoit Badiashile from Monaco for $33.6 million. They are also reportedly interested in Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez and Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhailo Mudryk. Given the new ownership, it might be reasonable to expect they would splash the cash, but Potter should prioritise the current squad.

City, meanwhile, gained a crucial three points in the wake of their dismal draw with Everton on New Year’s Eve to continue putting the pressure on Arsenal. The worrying thing is that the team’s goal average per game has dropped steadily since the first game. Pep will not be happy with the 1-0 given the distance between these two squads, the errors, and the lack of coordination in the first half. Despite having all the pieces, City have yet to put together one of their signature runs of extended form. Their fans will be hoping it clicks into place soon.