Manchester City against Chelsea

Stephen Ireland's shot with the outside of his boot curls wide of the Chelsea goal. They will have to do better than that in these last ten mintues.

Alex has come on the the Blues to shore up their defence.

John Terry has been sent off for rugby tackling Jo as he skipped past him. Terry had been put in trouble after Jo was gifted possession by Deco but his challenge was clumsy at best and he received a straight red, the first of the Chelsea skipper's career. Can City make their numerical advantage tell?

Drogba's first touch finds Mikel who rampagaes through the middle before coming up against the immovable object that is Richard Dunne.

Despite the clamour around their side their has been a noticeable flat atmosphere at the City of Manchester Stadium this evening and the home support seem now to have accepted City's fate this afternoon.

Joe Cole has been withdrawn along with Malouda as the expected Chelsea substitutions are made.

GOAL: Nicolas Anelka may have ended this game as a contest when he converts after a marvellous weighted pass from Joe Cole. Anelka coolly dispatches his shot around Joe Hart.

Robinho has a free-kick given against him when it looked as if it should have went the other way.

Drogba takes a long lug from his bottle as he receives some final instructions from Scolari who looks as if he is about to launch both Drogba and Belletti in to the fray.

Lampard comes close to scoring again with a cleanly hit drive which Hart just about gets his weight behind.

Wright-Phillips again does well coming in from the right but his pass to Ireland is just behind the Irishman. It's still a good chance though but Ireland has to halt his run alllowing Chelsea time to get back and concede a corner when it could have been a goal.

Zabaleta, who is not having a wonderful afternoon, shoots from an ambitious range and distance with predictably woeful results.

Anelka gets in behind Richards as Lampard picks him out with a long ball. Anelka appeals for a free-kick as Richards muscles him away from the ball but the ref judges it to have been a legitimate show of strength when it was actually a clear shove. A stonewall penalty. Just after this Chelsea go close again from a corner. They should be well ahead by now.

Terrible shout for offside from the linesman to unjustly penalise Malouda.

Jo's pass to Wright-Phillips seemed to take an age to reach the winger, allowing the gap that had opened up for him in the heart of the Chelsea defence to be quickly closed.

Ireland hesitates to shoot at the other end and instead Robinho has a go but his shot is blocked for a corner which City waste.

GOAL: Frank Lampard makes no mistake this time to score with a fantastic angled shot. Chelsea charge forward with pace and Lampard shows quick feet first to beat Richard Dunne, then to fire a shot in from about sixteen yards out. Great goal.

Didier Drogba is warming up on the sideline and could be about to make his Premier League bow for this season.

More step-overs from Robinho but again he over-hits a pass this time to Zabaleta.

Frank Lampard snaps a shot just over the City crossbar from a tight angle.

Wright-Phillips is showing a marvellous appetite for this game and the mystifying award of a free-kick as he puts in another firm, clean tackle brings Mark Hughes to his feet in astonishment.

Carvalho guides the ball back to Cech as City probed the Chelsea backline.

A few step-overs from Robinho before he gives away possession carelessly.

Wright-Phillips skips away from one challenge and sets off on a run down the right before finding Robinho. He loses out but there is the genesis of a decent understanding developing between the two already.

Joe Cole, who has bandages on his feet as well as his head, gets the second half started.

HALF-TIME: Chelsea are ahead on points but it's all square at the break. City have looked bright when they have attacked though and will be looking to press the visitors more in the second half.

Ashley Cole decides to shoot as the City defence backs off and he is inches away from scoring with a fierce drive.

Wonderful wing play from Wright-Phillips ends with a free-kick for City and a booking for John Obi Mikel.

City have allowed Chelsea to take the initiative in this game and Scolari's men should be in front given the amount of chances that have opened up for them.

Joe Hart has to look sharp after a poor clearance from Zabaleta across the face of his goal puts City in trouble. His effort finds Anelka but Hart does well to save the Frenchman's low shot and Zabaleta's blushes.

Bosingwa's cross finds Malouda but his header is poor and off target.

Wright-Phillips dumps Malouda on the floor but Chelsea have to make do with a throw-in deep in City's half. They end up with a corner though as this time Wright-Phillips tackles Cole cleanly to concede. Joe Hart strides from his goal-line though to pluck the ball from the air.

Apparently eight hundred million people around the world (in case you wondered) are watching this game! Hopefully they don't all go out for a cup of tea at half-time.

Bosingwa floats another deep cross in but an unchallenged Joe Hart claims it with ease.

City can't make anything of it. Jo though has also looked a huge threat and if he can endure the harsh Moscow winters the Manchester rain he will doubtless face in the coming months should hold no fears for him.

Stephen Ireland reads Deco's pass intended for his fellow Portuguese Bosingwa to break up a Chelsea move. City get it up to Jo who closes in on goal and his curling shot hits John Terry to go for a corner.

Malouda is flagged offside this time although the danger was non-existent.

Great tackle on Jo from Carvalho as it looked like the Chelsea defender had lost his man.

Robinho tracks back this time to follow the run of Ashley Cole and make sure the ball goes behind for a goal-kick.

He would not have been pleased if Malouda's header had been allowed to stand as he was clearly offside. The linesman missed it though and instead the ball cannoned off the City crossbar. A let off for the home side.

Mark Hughes looks distraught at a refereeing decision which does not go City's way but he will be more than happy with his team's performance so far.

Fantastic flick from Jo to reach Ireland who then cuts inisde well before teeing up a shot from the edge of the penalty area. He needs to keep his effort low which he fails to do though and he holds his head in his hands as the shot sails over.

Bosingwa this time trees up Anelka from the right who flashes a header wide when he really should have hit the target.

Good strong challenge from Dunne wins applause from the City fans.

Nicolas Anelka - another player returning to his old club today - tries an effort from long range which is high wide and not very handsome.

Another nice touch from Robinho brings gasps of appreciation from the stands. He has made a fine start to this game.

City fans scream for a foul as Wright-Phillips runs in to John Terry but the ref waves play on.

Which Frank Lampard heads away. City will be kicking themselves for allowing the wind to be taken out of their sails so quickly after Robinho's goal.

Jo wins a corner at the other end.

GOAL: Ricardo Carvalho comes up from the back and gets a bit of luck as Joe Cole gets in the way of a John Terry header. The ball bounces back to Carvalho who makes no mistake from six yards out.

Wright-Phillips tracks back to concede a corner.

GOAL: UNBELIEVABLE - Robinho has stroked home the free-kick with some style and a new hero is born in Manchester. A great free-kick bends over the wall leaving Cech with no chance. He celebrated by sticking his thumb in his mouth (if you are interested in that sort of thing). Incredible start to his Manchester City career.

Nice ball from Ireland puts Chelsea under pressure and Carvalho fouls Jo about twenty-five yards from goal. Dangerous.

Robino tries a lay off which does not quite work. Then Deco is felled by Kompany who concedes a free-kick.

Corner to City which Wright-Phillips takes. Chelsea clear it though but the returning Wright-Phillips was warmly received by the City fans as he went over to take the corner.

Ashley Cole tries to find the clearly marked Joe Cole (Cole of the Joe is sporting a bandage following his midweek injury) with a cross but Richard Dunne is on hand to clear the danger.

Robinho wins the ball and then finds Wright-Phillips after performing a little step-over. Wright-Phillips shot is poor but the anticipation crackles around Eastlands every time Robinho gets possession.

Malouda ventures forward but Shaun-Wright Phillips gets back to shepherd the ball behind for a goal-kick.

Robinho's first touch of the ball is greeted with cheers from the home fans with a small but vocal London-accented chorus of boos emanating from a corner of the stadium.

Eastlands is noisy and bathed in a bight light. Is this the start of a new dawn for City? They get us underway.

Actually Ben-Haim starts on the bench for the home side but Robinho partners Jo up front for the first time.

What with two ex-Chelsea men with a point to prove lining up for City, the huge injection of cash that enabled the Manchester side to snatch Robinho from under Chelsea's nose and Scolari adding to the flavour of this game by revealing he turned down the chance to manage City, it makes for a mouthwatering match. The clash of the cash awaits!

Mark Hughes may have been wrong to describe Manchester City's game against Chelsea today as bigger than the Liverpool Manchester United clash that kicked off earlier but hey - size isn't everything.

Ireland hesitates to shoot at the other end and instead Robinho has a go but his shot is blocked for a corner which City waste.

GOAL: Frank Lampard makes no mistake this time to score with a fantastic angled shot. Chelsea charge forward with pace and Lampard shows quick feet first to beat Richard Dunne, then to fire a shot in from about sixteen yards out. Great goal.

Didier Drogba is warming up on the sideline and could be about to make his Premier League bow for this season.

More step-overs from Robinho but again he over-hits a pass this time to Zabaleta.

Frank Lampard snaps a shot just over the City crossbar from a tight angle.

Wright-Phillips is showing a marvellous appetite for this game and the mystifying award of a free-kick as he puts in another firm, clean tackle brings Mark Hughes to his feet in astonishment.

Carvalho guides the ball back to Cech as City probed the Chelsea backline.

A few step-overs from Robinho before he gives away possession carelessly.

Wright-Phillips skips away from one challenge and sets off on a run down the right before finding Robinho. He loses out but there is the genesis of a decent understanding developing between the two already.

Joe Cole, who has bandages on his feet as well as his head, gets the second half started.

HALF-TIME: Chelsea are ahead on points but it's all square at the break. City have looked bright when they have attacked though and will be looking to press the visitors more in the second half.

Ashley Cole decides to shoot as the City defence backs off and he is inches away from scoring with a fierce drive.

Wonderful wing play from Wright-Phillips ends with a free-kick for City and a booking for John Obi Mikel.

City have allowed Chelsea to take the initiative in this game and Scolari's men should be in front given the amount of chances that have opened up for them.

Joe Hart has to look sharp after a poor clearance from Zabaleta across the face of his goal puts City in trouble. His effort finds Anelka but Hart does well to save the Frenchman's low shot and Zabaleta's blushes.

Bosingwa's cross finds Malouda but his header is poor and off target.

Wright-Phillips dumps Malouda on the floor but Chelsea have to make do with a throw-in deep in City's half. They end up with a corner though as this time Wright-Phillips tackles Cole cleanly to concede. Joe Hart strides from his goal-line though to pluck the ball from the air.

Apparently eight hundred million people around the world (in case you wondered) are watching this game! Hopefully they don't all go out for a cup of tea at half-time.

Bosingwa floats another deep cross in but an unchallenged Joe Hart claims it with ease.

City can't make anything of it. Jo though has also looked a huge threat and if he can endure the harsh Moscow winters the Manchester rain he will doubtless face in the coming months should hold no fears for him.

Stephen Ireland reads Deco's pass intended for his fellow Portuguese Bosingwa to break up a Chelsea move. City get it up to Jo who closes in on goal and his curling shot hits John Terry to go for a corner.

Malouda is flagged offside this time although the danger was non-existent.

Great tackle on Jo from Carvalho as it looked like the Chelsea defender had lost his man.

Robinho tracks back this time to follow the run of Ashley Cole and make sure the ball goes behind for a goal-kick.

He would not have been pleased if Malouda's header had been allowed to stand as he was clearly offside. The linesman missed it though and instead the ball cannoned off the City crossbar. A let off for the home side.

Mark Hughes looks distraught at a refereeing decision which does not go City's way but he will be more than happy with his team's performance so far.

Fantastic flick from Jo to reach Ireland who then cuts inisde well before teeing up a shot from the edge of the penalty area. He needs to keep his effort low which he fails to do though and he holds his head in his hands as the shot sails over.

Bosingwa this time trees up Anelka from the right who flashes a header wide when he really should have hit the target.

Good strong challenge from Dunne wins applause from the City fans.

Nicolas Anelka - another player returning to his old club today - tries an effort from long range which is high wide and not very handsome.

Another nice touch from Robinho brings gasps of appreciation from the stands. He has made a fine start to this game.

City fans scream for a foul as Wright-Phillips runs in to John Terry but the ref waves play on.

Which Frank Lampard heads away. City will be kicking themselves for allowing the wind to be taken out of their sails so quickly after Robinho's goal.

Jo wins a corner at the other end.

GOAL: Ricardo Carvalho comes up from the back and gets a bit of luck as Joe Cole gets in the way of a John Terry header. The ball bounces back to Carvalho who makes no mistake from six yards out.

Wright-Phillips tracks back to concede a corner.

GOAL: UNBELIEVABLE - Robinho has stroked home the free-kick with some style and a new hero is born in Manchester. A great free-kick bends over the wall leaving Cech with no chance. He celebrated by sticking his thumb in his mouth (if you are interested in that sort of thing). Incredible start to his Manchester City career.

Nice ball from Ireland puts Chelsea under pressure and Carvalho fouls Jo about twenty-five yards from goal. Dangerous.

Robino tries a lay off which does not quite work. Then Deco is felled by Kompany who concedes a free-kick.

Corner to City which Wright-Phillips takes. Chelsea clear it though but the returning Wright-Phillips was warmly received by the City fans as he went over to take the corner.

Ashley Cole tries to find the clearly marked Joe Cole (Cole of the Joe is sporting a bandage following his midweek injury) with a cross but Richard Dunne is on hand to clear the danger.

Robinho wins the ball and then finds Wright-Phillips after performing a little step-over. Wright-Phillips shot is poor but the anticipation crackles around Eastlands every time Robinho gets possession.

Malouda ventures forward but Shaun-Wright Phillips gets back to shepherd the ball behind for a goal-kick.

Robinho's first touch of the ball is greeted with cheers from the home fans with a small but vocal London-accented chorus of boos emanating from a corner of the stadium.

Eastlands is noisy and bathed in a bight light. Is this the start of a new dawn for City? They get us underway.

Actually Ben-Haim starts on the bench for the home side but Robinho partners Jo up front for the first time.

What with two ex-Chelsea men with a point to prove lining up for City, the huge injection of cash that enabled the Manchester side to snatch Robinho from under Chelsea's nose and Scolari adding to the flavour of this game by revealing he turned down the chance to manage City, it makes for a mouthwatering match. The clash of the cash awaits!

Mark Hughes may have been wrong to describe Manchester City's game against Chelsea today as bigger than the Liverpool Manchester United clash that kicked off earlier but hey - size isn't everything.