After arguably the most hyped and biggest game of the EPL 2014-15 season to-date, Manchester City’s draw at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea show that the City-zens aren’t out of the hunt for the title just yet.
It was dubbed the Super Bowl of the EPL. #1 vs. #2. Chelsea vs. Manchester City, the two top scoring teams in the league. We were set up for a shoot-out at Stamford Bridge.
And we got a 1-1 draw. Ugh.
To be fair, Chelsea was coming off 120 minutes against Liverpool during the week in the Capital One Cup, and Manchester City were without star midfielder Yaya Toure and new signee Wilfred Bony, both still at the African Cup of Nations.
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Nonetheless, aside from roughly the final five minutes of the first half, the game was a quite anti-climactic, Chelsea conceding to a draw in the second half and City unable to find the final ball to pull ahead in the fixture. As a result, the gap between first-place Chelsea and second-place Manchester City stays the same as when they came into today, five points separating the two.
There are positives to be taken away from this match for City. After a lackluster effort against Arsenal in their last Premier League fixture, City looked far more dominant in this one, winning the possession battle and firing away 10 shots to Chelsea’s three. For the majority of the second half, City seemed the more likely side to nab the go-ahead goal, although it was all for naught at the end.
After closing down Chelsea in the month of December to head into 2015 dead-locked, Manchester City have seen a slip in form coinciding with the absence of Toure. Fortunately for them, both Toure and Bony could be back in time for the match-up against Hull City next weekend, with the worst-case scenario seeing them return in time for the next fixture at Stoke.
As it sits, City have a relatively easy schedule to finish the season, with only three matches remaining against teams in the top seven. Coincidentally, all three of those matches come on the road, with trips to Liverpool, Manchester United, and Tottenham on the books before season’s end. Still, with City seemingly rounding back into form and reinforcements joining soon, Manchester City are primed for a run. And with only the Champions League and Premier League to worry about, City can keep a relatively fit squad throughout the rest of the year,
Chasing the leaders is a familiar position for Man City. In fact, it’s one they have succeeded from in their last two title runs. In their title run in 2011-12, City were seven points back with six games remaining before chasing down Manchester United in their dramatic title win. Last season, they stood seven points behind Liverpool after losing at Anfield before, again, chasing them down and coming away with a title.
Right now, they have 15 games to make up five points. Is anyone counting them out just yet? Chelsea might have dodged the bullet today, but the final three and a half months of this season are primed for suspense.
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