FA Cup : Chelsea defeated 2-0 by man u

MANCHESTER – Stevan Jovetic and Samir
Nasri scored as Manchester City reached the
FA Cup quarter-finals with a potentially
significant 2-0 victory over Chelsea at the
Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
City manager Manuel Pellegrini had been
outdone by Chelsea counterpart Jose
Mourinho in the two league meetings between
the clubs this season, both of which ended in
victories for the London side.
But a convincing FA Cup win redressed the

balance, especially as the important second
goal was scored by Nasri within moments of
the fit-again Frenchman’s introduction by the
City manager.
Given the war of words between the rival
managers in the wake of Chelsea’s 1-0 league
win at the Etihad last week, it was no surprise
that the game opened in cagey fashion.
James Milner was charged with nullifying
Chelsea’s chief playmaker Eden Hazard, with
Nemanja Matic performing a similar task on
City’s Yaya Toure.
But the tie opened up in the 15th minute when
Jovetic clipped the crossbar and just 60
seconds later he handed City the lead.
The first chance came from Toure’s 20-yard
shot, which Petr Cech spilled in the Chelsea
goal only to watch, relieved, as Jovetic clipped
the rebound against the woodwork and over.
Within a minute, however, Jovetic made
amends with a precise finish after sharp,
accurate passes across midfield by David Silva
and Edin Dzeko enabled him to score with a
low drive in off the far post.
The Montenegrin’s strike marked the end of a
two-game ‘goal drought’ for free-scoring City
after they failed to net in that home league
defeat by Chelsea and a 0-0 draw at Norwich
City.
Chelsea had to respond and full-back
Branislav Ivanovic did so with a surging run
down to the byline and a low cross that was
saved, unconvincingly at the second attempt,
by Costel Pantilimon.
Toure chanced his arm again from 20 yards,
but this time his effort drifted well wide, before
Silva and Jovetic set up Dzeko for a curling
shot that Cech did well to parry away with a
spectacular dive.
Hazard was finally starting to exert an
influence for the visitors as he carved out two
half-chances that were wasted by Ramires and
Willian, while a free-kick he earned later in the
half came to nothing.
Instead, the first period concluded with City
threatening again, with Milner’s committed
right-wing run culminating in a cross that
Dzeko almost turned into the net.
- Nasri returns in style -
Mourinho was forced into action and
Mohamed Salah and Fernando Torres were
thrown into the fray before the hour was out,
but it was Pellegrini’s substitution that proved
decisive.
The City manager brought on Nasri for his first
taste of action following a five-week lay-off
with a knee ligament injury and it took the
French international only six minutes to kill
off the contest.
Nasri surged from midfield into the Chelsea
penalty area and exchanged tidy passes with
Silva before collecting the return ball and
calmly doubling City’s lead from close range.
Joleon Lescott also had the ball in the
Chelsea net, from a Nasri corner, only for his
effort to be ruled out for offside.
Chelsea, meanwhile, failed to create a chance
of note until a late flurry in the closing
minutes, but Matic was easily stopped by the
home defence after latching onto a dangerous
pass from Oscar.
They were rare openings in a half that offered
little in the way of entertainment, for the
neutral at least, but that will have offered
Pellegrini and City renewed belief in their
ability to overhaul Chelsea at the top of the
Premier League.(AFP)