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Chelsea FC had everything in their favour and should have taken all three points against the Champions but missed a big opportunity to do so.
After breezing past a Tottenham side reduced to nine men, Chelsea served a Premier League classic in the draw with Man City.
Before kickoff, Chelsea would have traded an arm and leg to take a point against the league leaders.
However, as hostilities begun, Chelsea had many great opportunities to punish Pep Guardiola's side and make a statement, but they failed to do so.
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22:25 - 12.11.2023
Reece James: Chelsea skipper pockets Man City record-breaker Jeremy Doku in 8-goal tie
Chelsea's captain Reece James spent in action for just over an hour and picked up an assist against Jeremy Doku's Manchester City.
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22:37 - 12.11.2023
Very harsh — Liverpool legend blasts VAR for not overturning Man City's penalty against Chelsea
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher believes Erling Haaland should not have been given a penalty in the Premier League clash with Chelsea.
The Blues would later settle for a share of the spoils in what was an entertaining 4-4 draw, especially for the neutrals.
Massive opportunity missed by Chelsea
Mauricio Pochettino's side in what is without doubt their best outing under the Argentine tactician, matched Man City toe to toe. But for some lapses, Chelsea would have claimed all three points at the Bridge.
Here are three mistakes that cost Chelsea all three points against Man City yesterday.
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1. Caicedo too easy to play against
The departure of Ngolo Kante and Matteo Kovacic meant that Chelsea needed cover in defensive midfield and Moises Caicedo was brought in.
The Ecuadorian cost the Blues £115m - a world record fee for a defensive midfielder. His impressive showings for the Seagulls convinced Chelsea to splash out the cash.
However, since his arrival at the London club, Caicedo hasn't hit the ground running. In his first game for Chelsea, he gave away a penalty and hasn't done much to redeem himself since then.
During yesterday's game against Man City, Moises Caicedo was nowhere near his best, he was too easy to play against.
Man City's playmaker Bernardo Silva and his teammates found joy playing against Caicedo, turning and ghosting past him as if he were nonexistent.
On many occasions, Caicedo's poor showing exposed the back four, and Chelsea had Dasasi to thank for some solid defending at the back.
Not only Caicedo, Chelsea’s entire midfield comprising Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, and Conor Gallagher were far too open, exposing the back four on multiple occasions.
2. Poor defending of setpieces
Chelsea's poor defensive shape was highlighted when Manuel Akanni stole in between Thiago Silva and Reece James to plant a header beyond Sanchez for 2-2 just before the interval.
Mauricio Pochettino and his side need to act quickly and find a way to stop conceding goals from deadball situations.
To do this, Chelsea need to stick to zonal marking or the traditional man-marking or find a perfect blend of both.
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20:48 - 12.11.2023
Loan this guy out: Chelsea fans blast Nicolas Jackson for poor performance against City
Fans of Chelsea FC have urged the club to loan out Nicolas Jackson for not living up to expectations.
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23:39 - 12.11.2023
You can go to Chelsea — Pep Guardiola tells Man City stars they're free to join rival clubs
Pep Guardiola speaks on Manchester City's stance on players leaving the club for other top Premier League clubs.
Chelsea must also avoid losing the ball in dangerous areas, especially when playing out from the back.
3. Not taking their chances
Chelsea are ranked second in the Premier League in the number of big chances missed (24); only Brentford (27) have missed more big chances than Pochettino’s men.
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With the game at 2-1, Chelsea enjoyed a good spell of possession and could have been out of sight before halftime.
However, poor finishing, especially from striker Nicolas Jackson cost Chelsea all three points against City.
Malo Gusto also had a glorious opportunity to put Chelsea 4-3 ahead on the night, but he ballooned his shot into the Matthew Harding stand, using his weaker foot, when he could have gone with his right.
Final Thoughts
You don't get many opportunities playing against the Treble winners but when they present themselves you have to take them.
Kudos to Chelsea for giving Man City a tough game but the Blues could have snatched all three points from the game if they were a lot more clinical.
The game against City could be a game changer for Chelsea's season and Pochettino says he can't wait to face his next opponent.
Chelsea will be away to Newcastle in the League on November 25 after the international break.
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