Ten-man Manchester City suffered their first Premier League defeat of the season at Chelsea.
Roberto Mancini's men were ahead after just two minutes when Mario Balotelli scored after good work from Sergio Aguero.
The Blues might have gone further ahead - David Silva had a decent penalty shout against Jose Bosingwa turned down - but Raul Meireles grabbed an equaliser against the run of play after 34 minutes.
Gael Clichy was sent off for a second bookable offence after 58 minutes and substitute Frank Lampard scored the winner from the penalty spot after Joleon Lescott's handball.
City remain two points clear of United at the top of the Premier League.
Vincible
All good things come to an end, and City’s thrilling unbeaten run has been the best thing about the Premier League this season.
But anyone who thinks this is an end, the start of a Blue wobble or even a collapse, may be in for a rude shock.
City showed enough in defeat, even with ten men, to suggest they will still be the team to beat in the Premier League title race.
The game turned on two refereeing decisions, one right, one wrong.
Mark Clattenburg somehow failed to spot Bosingwa’s foul on Silva in the first half, despite the fact it was under his nose.
Crucially, he did see Gael Clichy’s two rash challenges on ex-City man Daniel Sturridge and Ramires, and the Blues were facing an uphill battle for half an hour in the driving wind and rain of west London.
Before the game, the general consensus among the hardy band of City followers had been that a draw would do.
The way the Blues started, anything less than a repeat of the Massacre of Old Trafford began to look like it would be a disappointment.
Gareth Barry and Yaya Toure were immaculate in the centre of the park, winning every challenge, intercepting everything slightly loose and pushing and prompting their team forward.
And with Silva in mercurial mood and Mario Balotelli forming a devastating front pairing, the Blues could easily have been out of sight in the first half-hour.
They would have been had Clattenburg not bottled one of the more clear-cut penalty decisions he will have to make all season.
It took just 100 seconds for City to claim the lead, Aguero sparking in midfield and then sliding a ball across the slick surface for Balotelli to chase.
The young Italian still had plenty of work to do, but his balance was impeccable on a treacherous surface, even as the pursuing Branislav Ivanovic slipped, and he dragged the ball around Petr Cech and deposited it in the net from an angle.
On 14 minutes it should have been 2-0. Another dazzling City move ended when Silva dummied and allowed the ball to run onto his left foot. Bosingwa, wrong-footed, instinctively stuck out and tried to retract it, but too late.
Contact
There was clear contact and Silva went sprawling in the mud, but Clattenburg shook his head. The question the official should be made to answer is why he did not book Silva – it either had to be a penalty or a dive.
That was all the incentive Chelsea needed, and they slowly began to gain a foothold in a game which had been passing them by like a runaway express train.
When the equalising goal came it was almost inevitable – and so was the source.
Ironically, Daniel Sturridge was the only man on the pitch who was a product of the City youth system.
He has been out-scoring his more illustrious, far more expensive teammates at Chelsea all season, and was clearly in the mood to prove a point to the Blues, who allowed him to leave when they refused to meet his wage demands in the summer of 2009.
He tempted Clichy and then flew past him, before clipping a cross for Meireles to volley home from close range.
From being a one-sided romp, it was now the tight, tense, top-of-the-table scrap we had all expected.
And, just as in the first half, it all turned on the whim of referee Mr Clattenburg.
There were plenty of dubious challenges flying in, but Clichy has to take a look at himself.
He had been given a hard time by Sturridge, and responded with two rash challenges in the space of 11 minutes, leaving his team down to ten men.
Just as at Anfield, when Balotelli was red-carded, the Blues fought long and hard. But this time it wasn’t to be, and the attacking waves of
resurgent Chelsea washed over the beleaguered defence as steadily as the rain.
When the moment came, again it was Sturridge who was the architect of his former club’s downfall.
Marauding down the right, he cut inside and shot and Lescott, who had defended manfully all night, had his arms raised as he dived in to try to block the cross.
It was an unfortunate penalty to concede, but a penalty nonetheless, and Lampard despatched it without difficulty.
Still the Blues refused to lie down, but there was no way back.
Now all the talk of an Invincibles season can be dumped in the dustbin of history, and City can get on with what really matters – winning that elusive title.
What is your verict on the game? Have your say.
Comments
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Had to listen to the 2nd half with the commentary off, I couldn’t stand listening to Wilkins! No wonder he got sacked who would want to listen to that all the time! I still thought we could get something out of the game in the last 10 minutes. Still 2 points clear! onwards and upwards !
No real worries - we weren't outplayed & Chelsea are not a better team.
For that first 30 minutes were completely out of sight & should have
buried 'em even without the penalty we should have had.
For the next 30 minutes it was all square even though they scored.
When we went down to 10 men they could only score by getting a penalty.
Well at least the monkey's off our back. We'll come back well.
City City Top of the League....Quality Performance......Mr Clattenberg take a long look in the Mirror.....MCFC OK.
Sorry if it sounds like sour grapes but we should have had a penalty when Silva was brought down and in my opinion Meirelies should have been sent off if not for his foul on Silva where he should at least have got a card of some colour but then his foul on Zabaleta.
Got what we deserved out of that game, onwards and upwards though its just a blip.
The last 2 weeks I've had UTD "Fans" cheering on Liverpool and now Chelsea !....Confused.Com
I am normally the first to congratulate an opponent if they win a game fair and square but that result was an absolute disgrace. We were stitched up by an incompetent ref AGAIN. No doubt the Chelsea fans will be celebrating but you were handed it on a plate by the ref. We were denied a stone cold penalty when 1 up and there would have been no way back for Chelsea. Gutted utterly gutted.
chelsea might aswell enjoy their cup final win because thats all they are getting this year. Daylight robbery. No one deserved to win that match.
Better team won. Hard playing with ten men from the start, then down to nine men.......Yaya Toure shocking from the start..
Two crucial incidents in the game. Clichy's sending off and Lescott's handball. That was the only way we were going to lose this game. Chelski were fearful of us. They played at times like the away team. Our lads showed mental toughness but with 10 men, it was an uphill battle.
I am disappointed but on a positive; we are still top. Let's get ready for Arsenal Sunday and get back on track. Come on City!
Let's stand by for all rags to come on here spouting rubbish.
Nailed on pen in the first half sending off a joke.Linesman gives a goal kick ref miles away over rules and gives a corner 12 against 10 no chance.
We're still TOP. Balotelli was awesome in the first half but probably needs taking off once he's had a card and sulking a bit. Back four need to cut out the forgetting that refs love sending our players off and giving penalties against us. Otherwise we're all good.
HAHAHAHA..another whell off the bus..HAHAHAHAHA. HAHAHAHAHA...L.U.H.C. HA..
That will do me..HAHAHAHA..L.U.H.C.........
Clattenberg! Maybe the writing was on the wall.
Bottled the stone wall penalty decision and couldnt wait to give every 50/50 Chelseas way.
Very disappointing the way we couldn't just calm the game down and take the sting out of the game when we were soooo on top.
Disappointing that the run came to an end but it shows how difficult we are to beat. Chelsea created very little in spite of a huge 2nd half possession advantage and we nearly came away with a draw. Yet another poor display from Clattenburg as we had a nailed-on penalty waved away by this clown. After a great start there were too many mediocre performances from Clichy in particular, Aguero, YaYa and even Silva. Milner was MoM for me.
Even though it has brought us nearer the chasing pack it still is yet another away game we don't have to play against a top six side in the next half of the season.
That was rubbish. WE only looked good initially because Chelski were bad. Macmanaman described Yaya as lethargic....some of Chelsea's best moves were started by his wayward passes. Milner and Barry at least played with some spirit. Vinnie and Jo's distribution was unbelievably bad. Clichy had his worst game today...sending off was fully deserved.
Totally sick. Only one way City not going to win this game, and that was the outrageously biased and incompetent Mark Clattenburg. Hard to take.
Clattenburg to scared to give the most obvious penalty - City then shoo themselves in the foot. Another failure to keep a clean sheet.
after ARSENAL game....
mankini OUT!!!!!!!!!!!.
Ha ha ha.look whos gonna be on top come sunday night.
arsenal will take points and we will beat qpr.
a nice little lesson for your poxy little club.dont think you have won it after 13 games.
shame the ref didnt have the balls to give kompany his deserved red card,but hey the majority of manchester goes to bed happy tonight.
Once again Clownburg denied us a penalty! Rubbish decision by Fergie's ref! Chelski were fearful of us, and on their own ground. Let's get ready for the Arsenal!
poor performance from too many players.
aguero - you need to work for more than 30 mins a game.
yaya - can't wait for african nations so we can play with 11 men, your fault for the goal (again) it;s easy against norwich at home. against good teams your a constant no show,
clichy - really poor.
silva - poor but can forgive you.
milner - plodder
clatters - you were a disgrace
Perfect result. Can't keep up these 10 men performances and keep winning. Tightens things up at the top and makes it more interesting.
Hate commentators. They're so anti-city that I blame them for the defeat. Definite penalty would have changed the outcome.
In wet and windy conditions, high pressure games with lots of decisions to be made.. these are the types of games that refs award. Like the commentary said, they think it better for the league that Chelsea win. City, for their part, did not learn from the first half hour and played right into his hands.