- Chelsea are now five points behind fourth placed Tottenham Hotspur after the defeat
- The Blues created little as Man City broke the deadlock a minute into the second half
- READ MORE: Bernardo Silva gives Manchester City the lead inside the opening minutes of the second half
Chelsea succumbed to yet another defeat in Manchester at the hands of league leaders City at the Etihad Stadium.
It was a lacklustre performance from the Blues against the dominant home side in which Antonio Conte’s men couldn’t get a sniff at earning what would have been a crucial win.
The first half set the pattern of what would be an infuriating match. Thanks to Cesar Azpilicueta’s efforts on the line, Leroy Sane was denied the go-ahead goal before the break.
City may have been fortunate to have kept 10 men on the pitch when Oleksandr Zinchenko flew into a challenge on Victor Moses which only merited a booking.
However, it’s no excuse for a game in which the champions created little. The soon to be winners of this seasons Premier League found a way through just 45 seconds into the second half when David Silva’s teasing cross was put on a plate for Bernardo Silva to strike past Thibaut Courtois.
The hosts looked like they weren’t going to give away anything from then on in as Conte resisted the temptation to bring on another striker with Eden Hazard looking helpless upfront.
Even when Oliver Giroud came on in the 75th minute, the Frenchman had little effect on the events as City cruised closer to sealing the title.
Chelsea have to secure a win against Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge next Saturday with fourth place Tottenham five points clear in the table as it stands.
Here are our player ratings from another disappointing result:
Courtois 5, Azpilicueta 6, Christensen 5, Rudiger 4, Moses 3, Drinkwater 5, Fabregas 4, Alonso 4, Pedro 2, Hazard 5, Willian 4. Subs: Giroud 5, Emerson 5, Morata 5.