CHELSEA 2-1 Manchester City

Having gone behind less than two minutes into the game against a side full of confidence, Chelsea might have crumbled but we did anything but, coming back into the game with determination, Raul Meireles levelling before the break and then Frank Lampard coming on to score a penalty winner late in the game.

The league leaders had a penalty shout of their own turned down in the first half but then had Gael Clichy dismissed with just over an hour to play. By that stage the momentum was already with Andre Villas-Boas's team who kept pressing until the moment came to inflict a first league defeat of the season on the leaders and send Chelsea up to third.

Best momentThe first goal was more pleasing on the eye but nothing can better Frank Lampard, who missed a penalty on his previous appearance and had been on the pitch less than 10 minutes, smashing his spot-kick home to raise the roof and keep Chelsea's season on an upward curve. 

Team news The only change to the Chelsea starting line-up was the one most would have predicted - Jose Bosingwa coming in for suspended David Luiz with Branislav Ivanovic moving from right-back into central defence.

Man City made two changes to their defence from the side that beat Norwich in their last league game - Zabaleta and Lescott in place of Richards and Kolo Toure. James Milner replaced Samir Nasri in midfield with Mario Balotelli preferred to Edin Dzeko in attack where he was partnered by Sergio Aguero as they changed shape to 4-4-2 

First half Manchester City scored from their very first attack. Aguero took possession midway inside the Chelsea half and with Terry in close attendance, the Argentine turned and played a perfectly measured pass forward to Balotelli. The City striker could have shot first time but opted instead to take the ball wide of Cech and the pursuing Ivanovic before slotting home. Just 93 seconds had been played.

Chelsea's response was hindered by two decision that didn't go our way.Ramires was whistled up for an inadvertent trip on Clichy as he chased a Mata cross with space opening up, and then at the other end no foul was given when Bosingwa tumbled when policing Aguero inside the area. The Man City man wasted a good chance by shooting wide.

On 13 minutes Bosingwa did get the decision when he hung a leg out and Silva went over inside the Chelsea penalty area. Initial TV replays were inconclusive on whether there was any contact.

The visitors were on top and looking good in possession in our half in the first quarter of the game, although Ramires did get the ball wide to Drogba whose cross was almost headed down into the right spot for Meireles to try his luck. He had earlier seen a shot deflect wide.

Going forward, Man City continued to look capable to finding gaps in the Chelsea defence, as Silva did for Milner but that incision fortunately came to nothing. The Blues were playing  reasonably deep in a similar manner to the Valencia game.

Then on 24 minutes Drogba sprung into life and Hart tipped his shot, which might have been going wide, just past the post.

It heralded a spell of better play for Chelsea that ended in a goal although not before interruptions, Drogba needing treatment first and then Silva after he collided with Meireles's out-stretched boot.

The Portuguese made a much more important contact on 33 minutes when he ran onto Sturridge's cross to shoot into the Shed End goal from eight yards out. Terry had begun the attack with a long pass out to Sturridge who cut into the area and bamboozled Clichy and co. before centring for the scorer to strike. The wet and windy weather was worsening but the outlook was brightening for Chelsea.

Two minutes later, Meireles, who had escaped a booking for his foul on Silva, did see yellow after another high challenge, this time on Zabaleta.

The game, as well as the score was now more even, and Terry robbed Balotelli and knocked a pass onto Drogba, only for the Ivorian to be barged to the ground by Kompany with the Man City defence looking stretched. Kompany was booked. 

Second halfSturridge was proving a problem for his former club and when he turned and went past Clichy in the first few seconds of the half, the full-back brought him down and was rightly booked by referee Mark Clattenburg. Sturridge could have rubbed it in even more had his shot not cleared the bar when he was well-placed after Yaya Toure missed his header.

On 52 minutes it was Mata's turn to ask questions of the league leaders. He nutmegged Kompany and was escaping when the City captain brought him down. Kompany already had a yellow card to his name and it was only fair to speculate if he would have been shown another for the challenge had that not been the case.

The same scenario was forthcoming just five minutes later when Drogba's quick thinking sent Ramires haring past Clichy who couldn't resist a trip. This time the ref did dip his hand into his pocket for a yellow, with the mandatory red card following.

Man City were being pushed back and Cole had been involved in a lot of Chelsea's attacks throughout. His cross just past the hour fell to Ramires for a thunderous strike that was blocked. Romeu was booked soon after for a clumsy foul.

Chelsea continued to look for an opening and a Bosingwa cross almost found Drogba's head.

Man City, who had sacrificed Aguero to bring on Kolo Toure shortly after the sending-off, now looked content to try to kill the game and settle for a point. Further evidence came when Silva was substituted by De Jong.

Chelsea brought on Lampard for Meireles with just under 20 minutes to play. Before the new arrival could touch the ball, Ramires was harshly booked for a challenge on Balotelli whose influence was waning. Drogba then picked up a yellow for a sliding foul on Zabaleta deep in the City half.

The game had become scrappy and that suited the visitors. Chelsea needed to find gaps but when Drogba and Ramires combined on the edge of the area, there was still not room for a convincing shot from the Brazilian.

Lampard was next to try with a ball out to Sturridge who shaped to shoot once before letting fly with an effort that hit the raised arm of Lescott. The ref pointed to the spot and Lampard made no mistake in front of the Matthew Harding End, firing high and straight past Hart to give his team the lead.

Now Mancini changed his tune as he attempted to restore an attacking impetus by bringing on Dzeko for Lescott. It was Drogba however who was the dominant attacking player as the game drew to a close, not too far away from netting with one audacious effort before the end.

The home crowd had been vociferous throughout and how the enjoyed the final whistle!

Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Bosingwa; Ivanovic, Terry (c), Cole; Ramires, Romeu, Meireles (Lampard 72); Sturridge (Mikel 87), Drogba, Mata (Malouda 83).
Unused subs Turnbull, Ferreira, Kalou, Torres.
Scorers Meireles 33, Lampard 81 pen.
Booked Meireles 35, Romeu 64, Ramires 74, Drogba 78.

Man City (4-4-2): Hart; Zabaleta, Kompany (c), Lescott (Dzeko 84), Clichy; Silva (De Jong 74), Y Touré, Barry, Milner; Balotelli, Agüero (K Toure 63).
Unused subs Pantilimon, Savic, Johnson, Nasri.
Scorer Balotelli 1,
Sent off Clichy 57.
Booked Kompany 40, Clichy 46.

Referee Mark Clattenburg
Crowd 41,730.

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