Chelsea reach new level as Mourinho effect bears fruit

Make no mistake. A Chelsea win was a great result for anyone who would love to see a taut, absorbing finish to the 2013-14 season. Manchester City have gone from red-hot favourites to lukewarm favourites. Chelsea, now that Jose Mourinho’s strategical nuances are being understood and executed by his talented players, are the obvious prime challengers, mounting a sustained bid with their eighth win in nine Premier League fixtures. Arsenal still lead both teams by two points and, as they have been all season, are the obvious dark horses. So please, bring on the final 14 games. [caption id=“attachment_1372913” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic, right scores during their EPL match against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester. AP[/caption] Mourinho tends to be a mite too theatrical at times. He can sound all vulnerable and wounded in a news conference, and in the same breath astonishingly arrogant. He has many football reporters wrapped around his finger - the same writers who will lavish unerring praise for him in their bulletins today, and rightly so, given that he got the tactical part of the game so very right at the Etihad. What wasn’t theatrical about Mourinho was his post-match body language. He gave nothing away as he marched quickly away through the tunnel to dwell on this fine achievement. And what an achievement it was: City’s run of 11 straight Premier League wins since the start of the season was ended more emphatically than the 1-0 scoreline suggested. Eden Hazard took the eye with his most assured display for the Blues against a major side since he joined the club 18 months ago. But really, the most significant achievers were Chelsea’s defenders. Gary Cahill’s improvement has been dramatic. Signed in the last few weeks of Andre Villas-Boas’s ill-fated reign at Stamford Bridge, Cahill initially looked ponderous. His decision making was occasionally flawed and his scope as a player seemed limited. Two years on, he is a different beast altogether. While John Terry hovered alongside him providing a solid foil, Cahill was frequently the man planting himself in the way of City’s attacks, winning the ball in the air, intercepting on the deck and denying both Edin Dzeko and Alvaro Negredo even a whiff of a chance. The in-form Jesus Navas did his best to carve out chances down the right flank, but his fellow Spaniard Cesar Azpilicueta rarely gave him any chance to put in a meaningful cross. When Manuel Pellegrini took off Negredo and replaced him with Stevan Jovetic, City had a less rigid shape, and finally David Silva found a few yards of space to run into now and then. But only the most pessimistic Chelsea fan would have ever worried that they might concede an equaliser. Petr Cech made a couple of good saves but had nothing outlandishly brilliant to do, and although City forced 12 corners, Chelsea dealt with them all comfortably. City were a weaker unit without the incision of Sergio Aguero up front or the dependability of Fernandinho in midfield. Both those players were injured, but if ever there was a squad that should have the resources to overcome such inconvenience it would be City’s. Against this Chelsea side more than anyone, they needed everyone fit and firing, and they weren’t. Two of Mourinho’s own squad introductions, Willian and Nemanja Matic, were instrumental to Chelsea’s ability to control the pace of the game in midfield - rushing City when the home side had possession, giving themselves and their team-mates time when Chelsea had the ball. This was only further pronounced in the period after Branislav Ivanovic’s goal. Mourinho’s evolution is well under way: Juan Mata has been happily shuffled off to Manchester United and Oscar is far from a certain starter now. City will be back. Aguero will have recovered from injury in a month, Samir Nasri in a couple of weeks and in any case their next five league fixtures look straightforward. They even have the opportunity of exacting revenge over Chelsea in the FA Cup. Monday was very much Chelsea’s night, however - and Mourinho’s team have plenty of big performances left in them this season.