man city 2-0

Independent:


Late win lifts Chelsea into third spot

Chelsea 2 Manchester City 0

By Ben Rumsby, PA



Another virtuoso display from David Luiz helped keep Chelsea's faint Barclays Premier League title hopes alive and kill off Manchester City's in today's clash at Stamford Bridge.

Defender Luiz put a clutch of the world's most expensive strikers to shame by breaking the deadlock late on before Ramires wrapped up the points in stoppage-time.

The win lifted Chelsea above City into third place and back within nine points of Manchester United with a game in hand, while City are now 10 adrift having played the same number of matches.

Carlos Tevez's groin injury was a huge blow for the visitors and an even bigger boost for their opponents ahead of kick-off.

The Argentina striker had been the scourge of Chelsea since leaving Manchester United, scoring four times in three successive victories against them.

Mario Balotelli missed out for very different reasons, despite apologising for the moment of madness that saw him sent off against Dynamo Kiev in the Europa League on Thursday night.

Reports of a bust-up with boss Roberto Mancini may not have helped the striker's cause.

One man who had served his time was Chelsea skipper John Terry, who entered the field to chants of, "There's only one England captain!", with Fabio Capello sat in the stands.

The reinstated defender was a bit slow to close down Yaya Toure in the sixth minute, the midfielder given enough space to fire a low 20-yard drive saved well by Petr Cech.

City were on top but Chelsea looked dangerous on the break, wasting a great chance to take a 12th-minute lead when the recalled Salomon Kalou fell over team-mate Ramires as both tried to finish from 12 yards.

That was the cue for the home side to take a grip and they were denied what appeared a clear penalty in the 20th minute when Joleon Lescott handled Kalou's cross.

James Milner, starting for the first time since last month's Manchester derby, earned the game's first yellow card five minutes later after felling Florent Malouda in full flight.

Apart from the early Cech save, neither goalkeeper was being tested, hardly a surprise considering both sides' central strikers had yet to score a Premier League goal for their clubs.

Torres' drought for Chelsea was approaching eight hours and he had not had a sniff on what was his 27th birthday.

That changed in the 34th minute when Kalou presented him with a chance on his left foot from 10 yards, but the Spaniard's lack of confidence was palpable as Nigel de Jong slid in to intercept.

Vincent Kompany then put his body in the way of Frank Lampard's close-range finish.

Kalou almost broke the deadlock three minutes before the break when he brilliantly controlled Malouda's low cross before turning and shooting straight at Joe Hart.

The second half did not start promisingly but when City gifted the ball to Torres in the 51st minute, the striker set up a wonderful, flowing move that Malouda should have finished with a goal instead of sidefooting straight at Hart.

There was concern soon after when Terry stayed down after falling awkwardly.

The reinstated England captain appeared in agony as Capello looked on stony-faced but, following brief treatment, Terry was able to continue.

City came back into the game before De Jong was cautioned for a blatant body check on Essien.

Branislav Ivanovic was unlucky not to give Chelsea a 62nd-minute lead when his point-blank bullet header from Lampard's cross hit Kompany.

Edin Dzeko back-headed Milner's free-kick wide before Ramires was booked for clattering into Aleksander Kolarov.

With 20 minutes, remaining, Torres and Malouda were withdrawn for Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka.

Dzeko was booked for a foul on Luiz before Chelsea brought on Yury Zhirkov for Kalou.

A goal immediately followed as Luiz earned a 77th-minute free-kick wide on the left, Drogba whipped the ball in and the Brazilian glanced a header through the fingertips of Hart.

City sent on Adam Johnson for Milner before Barry saw yellow for a foul on Ramires.

Luiz went close to converting another free-kick from Drogba, who became the latest victim of a bookable offence when brought down by Kolarov.

City threw men forward but they were killed off in the second minute of stoppage time when Ramires danced through their defence before clipping beyond Hart.

There was still time for Luiz to blot his copybook with a late caution but the points were already secure.




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Telegraph:


Chelsea 2 Manchester City 0

By Henry Winter



All good teams boast a back-up strategy and Plan B for Brazilians certainly worked brilliantly for Chelsea at the Bridge on Sunday. Late goals from David Luiz and Ramires kept Chelsea’s title flame flickering after their initial tactical set-up failed to bring the best out of Fernando Torres, the birthday boy denied the gift of a goal he craved.

In leapfrogging City into third, the champions now lie within four points of Arsenal and nine of Manchester United. Chelsea, who have a game in hand over the leaders, must still travel to Old Trafford.

If Sir Alex Ferguson’s famously resilient side rightly remain favourites, nervy Arsenal certainly look vulnerable to a late Chelsea charge, particularly with Luiz and Ramires playing as vibrantly like this.

Luiz has quickly become a darling of the Bridge. The centre-half’s willingness to take risks in possession may haunt the sleep of his manager, Carlo Ancelotti, but the fans love it. The man who seems to use the same hairdresser as Carlos Valderrama certainly makes things happen.

Life’s not boring with Luiz about. At one point in the second half, Luiz tangled for possession with Edin Dzeko and his shorts came down.

It was not the full Sammy Nelson, not even a half-Nelson, but it provided more entertainment. He also scored a vital goal, heading home after City had resisted Chelsea for 78 minutes. His fellow-Brazilian, and former Benfica team-mate, added the second.

Ramires’ goal was a gem, weaving through City’s defence, and a slight surprise as the No 7 shirt had been deemed jinxed here in recent years; previous incumbents included Adrian Mutu, Winston Bogarde, Bernard Lamborde and Andrei Shevchenko. When he arrived for £18m, Ramires resembled a little boy lost in the big, bad playground of English football, a paper aeroplane in the wind-tunnel of the physical, pacy Premier League. Ramires settled in, put in some big tackles, and looks increasingly integral to Chelsea’s future.

As should Carlo Ancelotti be. The day began with Chelsea’s chief executive, Ron Gourlay, making some unnecessary comments on radio about the Italian’s future, saying that judgement would be made this summer. Ancelotti, one of the game’s good guys and an excellent manager, deserves an extension to a contract that expires in 2012, not the lukewarm words of his employer. At least, Roman Abramovich was here on Sunday and appeared to be enjoying it.

While Chelsea should rightly celebrate victory, the Torres conundrum persists. Abramovich’s £50m signing had the starting XI seemingly shaped to his design; Nicolas Anelka and Didier Drogba both began sitting behind Ancelotti, although they arrived midway through the second half and helped turn the game.

On being removed, Torres cut a disconsolate figure sitting, hunched, on the bench but he should look across town for inspiration. At Arsenal, Dennis Bergkamp took eight games to score, and Thierry Henry another game, and they became prolific idols. Torres will come good.

City will hope Edin Dzeko also begins delivering, although he was an isolated figure for much of this game as Chelsea dominated. City were missing Carlos Tévez, suffering with a slight groin problem, so blunting their cutting edge, seeing only a Yaya Touré shot in the first half. but they lacked none of their usual defensive resilience.

Vincent Kompany was terrific again. Defenders are rarely celebrated in the end-of-season individual awards but the Belgian deserves a mention alongside the likes of Nemanja Vidic.

Kompany had to be on his guard as Micah Richards ventured forth frequently, and Ashley Cole was quick to target the area vacated by the marauding City right-back.

Chelsea had their chances and Torres never stopped showing for the ball. He needs to regain that burning acceleration that saw off opponents. In a listless first period, Torres was caught by Nigel de Jong in a sprint over 15 yards.

Alongside Torres in their 4-4-2 was Kalou, getting into good positions but failing to hit the target. He could have earned a penalty, his cross hitting Joleon Lescott’s left arm, but Chris Foy waved play on. When Kompany then slipped, Kalou swivelled and shot straight at Joe Hart.

The game continued to meander through the second half, the song remaining the same, of Chelsea control and City blockade. Torres was working hard but the eye kept being drawn back to Luiz. He linked with Lampard, creating a chance for Branislav Ivanovic, who headed straight at Kompany. Abramovich swung a fist through the air in frustration.

City’s industry was immense, Aleksandar Kolarov and Nigel De Jong both throwing themselves in the way of Michael Essien’s attempted pass. City’s attacks were limited, although Dzeko flicked a header just wide.

Luiz was more and more visible, joining in the widespread sympathetic applause as Torres was substituted in the 70th minute. The Brazilian moved across to shake hands with the departing Spaniard.

Still Chelsea pressed. Still Kompany stood firm, heading away a Lampard free-kick. Luiz was making more frequent visits to Hart’s area, even geeing up the Matthew Harding end to crank up the volume.

He soon sent the noise off the dial. When Drogba swerved in a free-kick from the left, Luiz darted in between Kompany and Kolarov. The header still needed to be directed superbly, angled down past Hart.

As Chelsea celebrated, Mancini was forced to change course. He had planned to park the bus with two more defenders, Dedryck Boyata and Jerome Boateng, but had to release the handbrake. Mario Balotelli and Adam Johnson came on but the most dangerous wave flooding across the pitch was pure royal blue.

Ashley Cole had an effort blocked before Ramires struck an elegant second in stoppage time. Gliding past Lescott and Kolarov, Ramires swept the ball past Hart. Brazil 2, City 0.




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Guardian:


David Luiz's goal helps Chelsea to third in the table above Manchester City

Kevin McCarra at Stamford Bridge



The persistence of Chelsea was outdone only by the patience of the crowd. This was one of those occasions when expensive sides seem intent on producing shoddy football. The victors can be faulted only slightly. Even when they were caught up in the dreariness, Chelsea still had a desire to attack and deserved the late goals. Manchester City did not change their conservative stance until it was too late. The injured Carlos Tevez was badly missed but a club with City's funds is supposed to have redoubtable alternatives.

In a sense they do. Edin Dzeko cost £27m when bought from Wolfsburg in January but is yet to score in the League. It might be of help to him and any other attacker if there was more freedom and attacking intent from City. It is Chelsea who have at least the potential to dominate. Fernando Torres is still to score since the £50m move from Liverpool but there was enough flair around him to deter the crowd from brooding about his work.

The scorer of the opening goal, for instance, must reinforce the belief that Chelsea can be rejuvenated so that they stay to the fore even during a time of partial reconstruction. David Luiz is an inspired recruit. He cost some £21m from Benfica and the purchasers are right to think they have pulled off a coup even at that substantial price.

The Brazilian looks capable of everything, whether it is trenchant defending, skilful bursts into midfield or, in this case, the scoring of an opening goal. With 79 minutes gone he headed home a free-kick delivered by the substitute Didier Drogba. It will not come easy for the Ivorian to accept that, at 32, he must spend more time on the bench but it may be that he can be an asset even if there is limited time at his disposal. Drogba, of course, might feel he can displace Torres, although there is no indication that the manager, Carlo Ancelotti, has lost even the merest trace of his faith in the striker.

The equanimity comes more readily when results are pleasing. Chelsea may be revitalising themselves and, as if David Luiz's impact did not suffice, the value of Ramires is gradually being disclosed. He has seemed diligent, with a bad habit of collecting yellow cards that gives him seven following the caution here, but there was a dazzling glimpse of other attributes in stoppage time. The midfielder beat both Joleon Lescott and Aleksandr Kolarov before putting a stylish shot past the goalkeeper Joe Hart.

Beyond the outcome itself the atmosphere around Chelsea was bright. Irrespective of who identifies and signs players, recruitment is going well at present. Ancelotti, in any case, looks like a person who had never supposed he would wield absolute power. After all, he used to work for Silvio Berlusconi's Milan. At City, on the other hand, the issue of squad-building is liable to be a topic of recrimination.

The quality of the displays is far from a fair reflection of the sums committed to the project. After the epic fees it is disconcerting to watch what again appeared to be a run-of-the-mill team. Roberto Mancini is probably determined to keep vanity at bay but there is a fear that he has gone too far with this puritanism. City, for instance, mustered one goal in two matches as Dynamo Kyiv eliminated them from the Europa League.

Dashing football is not necessarily a luxury or proof of naivety. City, with their conservative manner, have scored markedly fewer Premier League goals than any of the other sides in the top four. Yaya Touré is an impressive all-round footballer but one has to wonder if City meant to buy a gifted holding player and turn him into an attacking midfielder. At Stamford Bridge the role seemed not to suit the Ivorian and it may be that any impact has come against poorer opponents. Touré was replaced before the end.

Elsewhere it was a conundrum that someone with the ability of David Silva was never a source of deep anxiety for Chelsea. A balance has to be struck but City's owners must have had in mind spectacle and entertainment that would see their team admired, even if a little resentment of their affluence lingered. Although the very idea makes no sense, Mancini looked hell-bent on putting together a diligent line-up that are hard to overcome.

That is a starting point but the tolerance of the owners will be unusual indeed if they do not begin to wonder whether there might be another manager who can go about his business with more dash and personality. In the light of the situation overall it was to be anticipated that José Mourinho would be tipped as a prospective manager of City.

He already has a job, of course, at a club of some standing and, if Real Madrid should part with him, Mourinho is also pictured as a successor to Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. Even so, Mancini may have to introduce panache if he is not to find himself expendable.




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Mail:


Chelsea 2 Manchester City 0: King David is head boy as Luiz gets jump on negative Mancini

By Matt Lawton



At one stage at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, Carlo Ancelotti actually appeared to be in a rather precarious position.

The day had started with Ron Gourlay, the Chelsea chief executive, seemingly suggesting the Italian’s future would be up for review in the summer and the pressure intensified when Fernando Torres trudged off after another fruitless 70 minutes.

Up in his private box, Roman Abramovich did not look happy. There was a shake of the head, the Russian clearly frustrated by the fact that his £50million striker has now failed to score in seven games.

It was all the more significant because Abramovich has made so few appearances at Stamford Bridge since the turn of the year. Wednesday’s goalless draw with Copenhagen was his first and this was his second. He clearly felt he was not getting his money’s worth.

But then came a more than satisfying consolation prize. Two goals from the two other players Chelsea’s owner has spent a sizeable sum of money on in the last 12 months — first from the wonderful David Luiz and then from the rapidly improving Ramires. The boys from Brazil had served their paymaster well. Their manager, too.

In fairness to Chelsea, and indeed Ancelotti, it was no less than they deserved. The three points that edged them into third place were a reward for their ambition against an ultra-defensive Manchester City.

If Roberto Mancini did throw a suitcase at Mario Balotelli after his red card in the Europa League last Thursday, he did not throw much at Chelsea. Certainly not the kitchen sink.

True, he was hamstrung by the injury that kept Carlos Tevez on the sidelines. But the approach he employed was depressingly negative, not least when it came to the restrictions he imposed on his full-backs.

While Ashley Cole and Branislav Ivanovic were forever attacking down the flanks, Micah Richards and Aleksandar Kolarov too often had to suppress their attacking instincts.

There were some fine performances. Vincent Kompany was superb at centre-half while Nigel de Jong was a destructive force in midfield. The irrepressible James Milner also impressed.

But the most telling moment for City came when Yaya Toure picked up an injury that forced him to come off. Mancini was intending to send on Dedryck Boyata until Luiz scored his 78th-minute goal and forced City’s manager to be a touch more adventurous, unleashing Balotelli and Adam Johnson from the bench instead.

Compare that to Ancelotti. Not content with a goalless draw, he made two bold changes eight minutes before the breakthrough came from Luiz. Off came Torres and Florent Malouda and on went Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka.

While it was Luiz who earned the free-kick, for a foul by Richards, it was Drogba who delivered the ball that the South American met with a quite brilliant glancing header. On Sunday's evidence, Drogba looks a better bet than Torres at the moment. He posed a real threat from the moment he came on, his more physical approach putting City’s back four under far more pressure.

For Torres, it was much more difficult and not just because he too often appeared isolated despite the best efforts of Ancelotti to provide him with the service that has been so lacking. This time Torres partnered Salomon Kalou and while the latter started brightly, they still struggled to click as a partnership.

In defence of all those who have played alongside Torres, the Spaniard’s failure to score in 498 minutes of football for Chelsea is not just down to them. Torres still lacks the explosive acceleration that has been missing since he picked up a nasty knee injury last season.

That said, it was not the principal reason why his best opportunity of the match was denied by a superb interception from De Jong.

It might have looked as though Torres hesitated but the ball from Kalou, a delightful flick, just lacked the weight to get him away from the Dutchman and so enable him to shoot with his left foot.

It was one of a number of chances Chelsea had in the first half. Kalou might have scored had he not been brought down inadvertently by Ramires and a fine challenge from Kompany also prevented Torres from breaking his duck.

There was little in response from City, although that had much to do with the sheer excellence of Luiz and John Terry, who are forming quite a partnership. They presented an impenetrable barrier in front of the dependable Petr Cech.

There was an anxious moment in the 53rd minute when Terry collided with Toure. Anxious, anyway, for the watching Fabio Capello. One can imagine the thoughts that passed through the England manager’s mind. The embarrassment of having to go back to Frank Lampard and dare tell him that, despite the ridiculous events of the last week, he was really rather impressed with his performance as captain against Denmark.

But Terry is nothing if not courageous and what pain there was soon subsided. You got the feeling on Sunday that Ashley Cole could have shot his captain and he still would have played on.

Somebody in the crowd was directing a green laser at Chris Foy, but it did not distract the referee enough to stop him awarding the all important free-kick for Chelsea.

Once Luiz had put Chelsea in front, City had to attack with more urgency and it was when they were chasing the game in second half stoppage time that Ramires doubled the home side’s advantage.

It was a terrific goal, the Brazilian first surging past Joleon Lescott and then Kolarov before driving a right-foot shot beyond the reach of Joe Hart.

Pressure off Chelsea. Pressure off Ancelotti. For now, anyway.



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Mirror:


Chelsea 2-0 Man City

By Martin Lipton



He arrived as the most expensive afterthought in history, the £21million signing who almost slipped under the radar as Fernando Torres landed at Chelsea.

But while the Spaniard is looking like an Iberian Andriy Shevchenko, the latest Roman Abramovich vanity buy, David Luiz has made himself a Stamford Bridge hero.

Torres has now played 498 minutes for Chelsea, across seven games, without ever really threatening to get off the mark, the £50million man experiencing a 27th birthday that he is unlikely to have celebrated.

The former Liverpool man appears increasingly unhappy, his continued presence in the side a signal that Carlo Ancelotti - who could have done without the breakfast intervention of chief executive Ron Gourlay - would rather upset the balance of the team than risk alienating his owner.

Yet last night, Luiz did more than just reinforce his growing status as the latest SW6 pin-up boy, imperious in his own box, assured bringing the ball out, deadly at the other end.

Just after an unimpressed Abramovich was left shaking his head at Torres' latest early exit, after 70 minutes of unfocused and uncomfortable toil, Luiz transformed the mood of the Bridge.

Quite what Luiz was doing playing wide on the left wing with 15 minutes left, to draw the needless foul from Micah Richards, probably only the Brazilian knows.

And when Didier Drogba, on for the labouring Torres, drilled in the ensuing free-kick, it was almost inevitable that Luiz would be the man to get the vital touch, six yards out, and help put Ancelotti's team back above City for the first time since December 11.

The victory, one which will have helped Ancelotti far more than Gourlay's suggestion he would be "judged" at the end of the season, was deserved, too, confirmed as Ramires slalomed his way through a disintegrating City defence to set the seal on it in stoppage time.

Not that Chelsea were impressive. They weren't.

Indeed, for long periods, with Torres running down blind alleys, Chelsea had plenty of the ball but precious little penetration, stymied with relative ease by City's defensive organisation, as Vincent Kompany and Joleon Lescott stood firm.

Too often the ball was transferred ponderously slowly, much to Ancelotti's evident chagrin, with Torres decidedly unimpressive, nothing like the player Abramovich thought he was bringing to the club for that record outlay.

Speculative and unlikely off-target efforts from Florent Malouda, Ashley Cole and an initially subdued Frank Lampard, were signs of a lack of certainty and when there was a real sight of Joe Hart's goal, Ramires and Salomon Kalou - the latest to be handed the hospital pass of trying to make Torres look good - managed to trip each other.

Kalou, spinning smartly on a Malouda cross, did shoot at the England keeper and at the start of the second period, after a rare positive moment from Torres, Malouda wasted a great opportunity with a tame finish.

Luckily for Chelsea, City, so lacking in ambition, so limited in their game-plan, so badly lacking groin victim Carlos Tevez, could not hurt them.

While Yaya Toure brought an early low save out of Petr Cech down to his right, the lumbering Edin Dzeko demonstrated just how damaging was the absence of Tevez - and the effort Mario Balotelli's red card against Kiev had forced them to expend - and John Terry and Luiz were able to dominate their limited forays forward.

Luiz made three vital interceptions as City worked their way into the box while at the other end Kompany got lucky in blocking Branislav Ivanovic's point-blank header.

But Torres' departure, with Nicolas Anelka also entering the fray, saw Roberto Mancini's team forced ever deeper, leading to the key moment as Richards' indiscretion was punished.

City did not have the wherewithal to respond, even though Mancinio sent on bad boy Balotelli and Adam Johnson as desperation measures.

And while they had a late flurry, it never really looked as if it would force an error from Luiz and Terry, shrugging off a knee knock.

Ramires ensured the points when he received from Michael Essien, went past Joleon Lescott and Aleksandr Kolarov and once more gave Hart no chance, a terrific goal worthy of a far better game.

Not that the performance bothered anybody.

Chelsea, despite Torres, are on the up and up. City, suddenly, slipping and vulnerable.

Chelsea (4-4-2): Cech 6; Ivanovic 6, Luiz 8, Terry 8, Cole 6; Ramires 7, Lampard 5, Essien 5, Malouda 6 (Anelka, 70, 6), Torres 5 (Drogba, 70, 6), Kalou 7 (Zhirkov, 77, 6)

Manchester City (4-5-1): Hart 7; Richards 7, Kompany 8, Lescott 7, Kolarov 6; Milner 7 (Johnson, 81, 6) , De Jong 7, Toure 6 (Balotelli, 81, 5), Barry 6, Silva 6; Dzeko 5

Referee: Chris Foy

Hero: Luiz - Commanding at the back, clinical up front

Villain: Dzeko - Offered nothing other than a flick header wide



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Sun:


Chelsea 2 Man City 0

From SHAUN CUSTIS at Stamford Bridge


DAVID LUIZ has a dodgy barnet but he is proving to be a cut above Fernando Torres.

The Chelsea hair-o slipped under the radar when he signed for £23million from Benfica because of all the hullabaloo over Torres' £50m move from Liverpool.

But Brazilian ace Luiz has become a cult figure at The Bridge, while Torres is a forlorn one.

Luiz was outstanding at the back. But, more importantly, it was his header from a free-kick by Torres' replacement Didier Drogba which set Chelsea on the way to victory and put them back in the title race.

The Blues only got going once the misfiring Torres, celebrating his 27th birthday, was hauled off.

He has now notched up seven appearances amounting to 498 minutes without a goal for his new club.

The Spaniard did not look a happy man when his number finally came up but he could not argue with the decision.

Mind you, he was not the only striker who failed to justify his existence.

City have one of their own misfiring in Edin Dzeko, who has still to hit a Premier League goal since his £27m arrival.

Dzeko was not helped by City's tactics, which were about getting a point rather than trying for the three that would have enhanced their own title prospects.

Without Carlos Tevez, who failed a morning fitness test on a groin injury, they simply ooze negativity.

The club spends hundreds of millions of pounds but are hardly the great entertainers.

It is not in Roberto Mancini's nature.

The defensive traditions of Italy's Serie A have stifled the life out of him.

For a long time, they seemed to have had the same effect on Carlo Ancelotti, his former Italy team-mate and one-time arch-rival from the days when Ancelotti was managing AC Milan and Mancini was in charge of Inter.

Chelsea started with £185m of talent on display to City's £179m.

But they cancelled each other out and it was pretty dull stuff.

An early shot from Yaya Toure, which brought an excellent save from Petr Cech, offered promise but it was a false dawn.

Then Salomon Kalou fell over his own player, Ramires, as he shaped to shoot for Chelsea and Nigel De Jong made a brilliant sliding challenge as the hesitant Torres was poised to pull the trigger.

Yet it was heart-in-the-mouth time for John Terry and watching England boss Fabio Capello just after the break.

Terry made a stretching tackle on Toure but, having got the ball, was left crumpled in a heap holding his right knee.

For a moment it seemed Terry was in serious trouble and would not only have to go off but could be out of the England squad for this weekend's Euro 2012 qualifier against Wales in Cardiff.

That would have been a nightmare for Capello, who has made such a pig's ear of the captaincy issue over the past week.

Terry struggled to his feet and was limping around for a good 10 minutes without ever being interested in having the ball.

But he kept on going and the crowd's chant of 'One England captain' spurred him on.

Chelsea went close when Branislav Ivanovic climbed to get in a header but saw the ball strike Vincent Kompany and bounce wide.

Then Dzeko had a rare chance. But his attempted back-flick header from James Milner's free-kick went wide.

With 20 minutes left, the No 9 went up and Torres stared at it for a moment, pondering over whether his Chelsea career could get any worse.

He trotted off chuntering, while up in the stand there was a shake of the head from disgruntled owner Roman Abramovich.

Who knows whether it was the decision to sub him or the thought that he might have blown £50m which was exercising his mind.

With Drogba and Nicolas Anelka now on, Chelsea were a far greater threat.

And with 12 minutes left they won a free-kick on the left, after Luiz was fouled by Micah Richards.

Drogba whipped it over and, despite the fact Luiz was being held by Aleksandar Kolarov, Luiz managed to get his shaggy mop to the ball.

Joe Hart threw himself across his goal in a bid to keep the effort out. He got his left hand to it but could not prevent it fizzing across the line.

It was Luiz's second goal for the Blues and both of them have been hugely significant.

He also scored the equaliser in the 2-1 win over Manchester United at the beginning of the month.

Denied the point he wanted, Mancini had little option but to throw on bad boy Mario Balotelli and winger Adam Johnson to try to salvage the situation.

Yet it was Chelsea who were in the ascendancy. Luiz almost scored again from a second Drogba free-kick, only for the ball this time narrowly to elude him in the six-yard box

Ramires, another Brazilian who cost a princely sum at £22m, had the final word.

He collected Michael Essien's through pass and superbly danced through a tired City defence in true Samba style before finishing emphatically with a right-foot shot that gave Hart no chance.

Chelsea's bid to retain their title was shot three months ago and there were even concerns that they would miss out on a place in the Champions League.

Now they are up to third and closing on the top. The force is with them.