Photo: Sergio Aguero celebrates after scoring the opener for Manchester City against Chelsea at the Etihad in the 31st minute. City went on to win 3-0. (Getty Images)
Former champions Manchester City strolled past defending champions Chelsea 3-0 as they went top of the Barclays Premier League on Sunday. City took a 1-0 lead in at half time after Sergio Aguero found the target in the 31st minute and went on to score two more in the second half via skipper Vincent Kompany and Feranandinho late in the game.
The home team bossed the first half and could have been ahead with only seconds on the clock when Aguero was fed in behind the defence on the first play of the game. Chelsea shot stopper Asmir Begovic spared his team’s blushes and was called upon a few more times to keep out the Argentine.
Just as he did against West Brom on Monday, David Silva controlled the pace of the game in midfield while Yaya Toure was his usual powerful self, supported by the covering Fernandinho. Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas were unable to get a foothold in the match as the champions struggled.
City took a deserved lead with just over half hour played when Aguero finally beat Begovic with a well placed effort into the far corner of the net.
A big talking point of the half was the yellow card received by Fernandinho for an elbow on Chelsea striker Diego Costa that drew blood.
Chelsea captain John Terry was substituted at half time, something that never happened all of last season.
The visitors showed more intent at the start of the second half but were unable to find a breakthrough and as Manuel Pellegrini’s men took control of the half they were rewarded with a second goal with eleven minutes left in the game.
Kompany was on hand to score for the second game running with his head, directly from a corner kick. The match was subsequently put to bed in the 85th minute when Fernanadinho, who Jose Mourinho thought should have been sent off, fired home from the edge of the area, to inflict a heavy defeat on the champions who have now dropped 5 points from their first two games of the season.
Costa did come close when he hit the post in stoppage time, but that would have been a mere consolation had it actually gone in. While it is not yet panic stations for the champions, the two ordinary performances to start their title defence must be cause for concern.
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