Coverage is thick and plentiful here at Bitter and Blue today as we continue our blanket coverage from the Wembley Press room.
It was a thrilling game which truly lived up tp one of the oldest football cliches: It was a game of two halves.
Man City were truly dominant in shots, passing and movement in the opening half an hour but once City went a goal up on 35 minutes through Nasri, their electric tempo cooled somewhat.
If the first half was Man City's, then there can be no doubt that the second half was Chelsea's.
Shots
First half Man City 10-2 Chelsea
Second half Man City 3-10 Chelsea
Score effects and game states are the big factor here in why Man City were out-shot so badly in the second half. This is the second game in a row where City have taken the lead against a quality opponent and have then gone on to try and shut the game down, play defensively' concede possession.
Possession Battle
This is how the possession battle played out over the course of the game. The first 15 minutes of data were unavailable, apolohgies. Still, this graph shows some cool things.
It was a long slow march for Chelsea in the possession battle'they got there eventually, just as they closed the gap in the shots battle, but that second goal could not be forced in.
Pass Accuracy
First TSR, then Possession and now pass completion all tell the same story: This game was getting closer and closer: City regressing, Chelsea fighting back. It just wasn't enough
I'm really surprised that Chelsea's pass completion percentage didn't fall lower toward the end of the game when Chelsea, quite visibly, played it long and often. A specific Torres tactic perhaps?
City were just good enough in the end. But yet again, we saw the dangers of sitting back and protecting the positive game position. A few jangled nerves at the end, no doubt.