Monday 25 February 2013

City beat Chelsea to stay 12 pts behind United

Defending champions Manchester City beat Chelsea 2-0 to get its first Premier League soccer win in a month and stay within 12 points of leader Manchester United.

Yaya Toure and Carlos Tevez got second-half goals for City at Etihad Stadium yesterday after Frank Lampard, seeking his 200th goal for Chelsea, had his penalty kick saved by Joe Hart. United won 2-0 at last-place Queens Park Rangers two days ago to move to 68 points atop the standings with 11 games left.

"For us now it is not important to look at the table," City manager Roberto Mancini told reporters.

"Only to continue to work like today, to play well, to improve and to look at the table in one month, 40 days. In football, it is finished when it is finished, the last minute of the last game."

City beat United to the championship on the last day of the 2011-12 season with two stoppage-time goals against QPR.

City put Chelsea under pressure in the first half and Petr Cech had to save from Matija Nastasic.

Chelsea had a chance to take the lead from the penalty spot in the 51st minute after Hart brought down Demba Ba, although he wasn't shown a card by referee Andre Marriner. Hart dived low to his right to save Lampard's spot kick.

Sergio Aguero then dinked the ball over Cech only for his effort go just over the crossbar. Toure got the breakthrough in the 63rd minute, taking the ball into the penalty area before placing it right-footed past Cech and inside the far post.

Super sub Tevez sealed City's first league victory since January 19 in the 85th minute, slamming the ball past Cech from outside the area.

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