Sky Sports Premier League Podcast
Chelsea's 'crime against football', Brighton stun Arsenal and where now for Wenger
04 Mar 2018
Chapter 1: What did Chelsea do wrong against Manchester City?
Patience paid off for City here through a gritty first half. Just seconds into the second, one silver to another, and that was enough to see them pass the champions Chelsea, prompting this reaction from Pep Guardiola. And then the celebrations that followed told you that this was a hugely significant victory and three points for City today. They are almost there. He was the man of the match.
Bernardo Silva was the goalscorer and both are with Jeff Shreves.
Bernardo, David first. That's your third victory in the week. Very different type of game, but just as satisfying as the other two victories?
Yeah, it's the same three points.
Chapter 2: How did Manchester City celebrate their victory?
And we may be a step to win the Premier League and we are very happy. Does it feel like a significant step today because they are the champions? Yeah, of course. When you play against the champions and the way they play, they play... very well, they defend so well, so we tried to find the space from the beginning and we could find. With Bernardo, he scored a nice goal and we are very happy.
How difficult was it for you with Chelsea sitting so deep?
Well, when you have 11 players behind the ball, it's always difficult to find and to create occasions to make goals. Fortunately, on the beginning of the first half we scored and we're very happy once again to win the three points. And now we have to think on the next one. Other teams have done it, but were you surprised Chelsea played that way?
Well, we know the way Chelsea plays, it's legit as any team can play the way they want. We knew we wanted to control the game, to try and be aggressive from the first minutes, that's what we tried to do. And that's it, the three points, we're very happy once again and let's think on the next one.
The scoreline doesn't reflect the game at all, but do you literally only feel relief right at the end? Because they could have snuck one right at the death, couldn't they?
Yeah, but it's the same three points, score one or two or three goals. But like I said before, we are happy because it was a difficult week and we won the three games. We won the title and we are in the next game to win the Premier League. What's it like for you, though, when a team does play like that, sets their team out like that?
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Chapter 3: What impact does Pep Guardiola's strategy have on Chelsea's performance?
Do you have to be patient as well?
Yeah, from the beginning we knew we had to be patient because they close the space very well. It's too difficult for us to find them. But then we scored and, as I said before, we are happy and now we have to celebrate it. Bernardo, it's getting closer. Do you feel you've got one hand on the trophy as yet?
Well, of course it's getting closer and closer, as I said after the Arsenal game we were a bit closer, today of course we're even closer, and we're happy with what we've been doing so far this season, but we have to keep going, we still have the Premier League to win and as well the Champions League to fight for.
Well, you did the job today. David, you were the Premier League man of the match, Bernat, you can do the honours, please.
Yes, of course, once again, magician David, he's a great player and an honour to play with.
He gets huge respect from his own dressing room and from the wider football public who just love watching David Silva long may it continue. 13 attempts to three from City today and not one effort on target from Chelsea who did though have nine touches in the opposition box to City's 29. Next page is interesting. 71% possession, 975 passes, 902 of which were successful.
And that, I can tell you, is a Premier League record. Ilkay Gundogan himself had 174 passes today, which is also a Premier League record. See, 15% of Chelsea's passes were long. We'll come on to their approach today. How significant do you think that victory is, Graham?
Well, they were going to win the league before today, but I think it's significant inasmuch as that's the champions they played and it was men against boys.
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Chapter 4: Why was the scoreline misleading in the Chelsea vs. City match?
It really was. OK, tactically, Chelsea had a game plan. Not a great watch. Chelsea are better than that. We saw Chelsea seven days ago go to United and have more of the ball and were threatening today. They didn't want to take City on in the game of football and that's shown maybe too much respect to the City team, as good as they are.
Perhaps the better question then, rather than that one, is why do you think City were celebrating like that at full-time?
Because they know it's a massive hurdle. They looked at it and Graham's right, there's no doubt they're going to win the league. They are the champions, they're ready to lift that trophy. And I just think... He probably looked at it as just another statement of intent of how far we've come. And I agree with Graham.
I looked at Chelsea today, and that's a team that's got nine Premier League title wins in the starting 11. Nine of them have won Premier League titles. Man City have got two. You wouldn't have thought that, would you, watching it? I mean, they were completely outclassed.
Last year, we spoke so much about what Antonio Conte did for this league, the job he did and the way that he changed the system. But today, that was such a hard watch.
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Chapter 5: What does Bernardo Silva say about Chelsea's defensive approach?
That was anti-football. That was a crime against football, what they did today. I really felt that so strongly. I'm looking forward to this game today. And I understand that you think, OK, we won't play with a striker. Let's be difficult to beat. But you have to have some intent. They've got good players, Chelsea. It was like they didn't want to go forward at all.
And that's not because Man City were that good. I just felt that Chelsea today didn't really want to play. Before the game, the managers set it out in their mind, we're just going to sit back, we're not going to play. They're better than that. They're much better than that. So as much as Pep would have celebrated, he must have thought, you know what, that was almost a waste of time.
Because Chelsea just give him the three points before the game started, if you ask me.
As you've seen, Thierry is back with us. I might have said after the Arsenal game that he'd had enough. caused quite a stir. A bit of a reaction on social media.
Chapter 6: How significant is this victory for Manchester City's title race?
Of course, that wasn't the case. What I meant to say was that Thierry had left us to be part of our commentary team here at the Etihad. He went that far? We cannot joke anymore? No, no joking allowed. Thierry, that's a big statement from Jamie.
Crime against football. I understand what he's saying because I felt that up there. I felt that they didn't want to go forward, even when they went through sometimes Man City. When you see the team and you see that they're not injured, They were there. So your two centre-forwards are on the bench. So you're looking at it.
If I play against them, I'm like, why are they not playing with a centre-forward? OK, maybe they have something up their sleeve. And we know it was a weird day also for Antonio Conte.
Let's maybe put that into... It was really emotional if you're just joining us before the game because of his reaction to the Davide Astori story that broke overnight. And he's, of course, part of Antonio Conte.
Obviously, I was thinking about it when I was up there. And so I'm thinking after, OK, let's go back to football.
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Chapter 7: What are the implications of Arsenal's loss to Brighton?
And I was looking forward to watch that game because I'm thinking... OK, Chelsea's one of the best teams in this league on the counter. We knew what Man City were going to do. But I was disappointed. I was disappointed because I'm like, why don't you play with a striker?
How would you have felt if you were a striker sitting on the bench for what? When they made the change, 65, 75 minutes?
Yeah, and Morata came on right at the end. 87? I would have felt like I had to support my teammates, all the very best. But then after sitting on the bench, I was like, why am I not playing this game? And you could see that Eden was isolated, that it became very difficult for them. But I wanted to go back also on what Man City did. I think they were celebrating this. You know why?
Because they played Arsenal, Arsenal, Chelsea. And they're going to have a break soon because they're not in the FA Cup. They wanted to pass that to make sure that they're fresh, play around in the league. That's an incredible way to put it like that, isn't it? And go strong, go really strong with the Champions League now.
Chapter 8: Is Arsene Wenger's time at Arsenal coming to an end?
They wanted to pass that little moment, a big moment, shall I say. And then now, remember, they're out of the FA Cup.
Do you think it would be possible... Could Conte be trying to put a marker down politically? From day one, since the start of the season, he's not been a happy chap. He didn't get the players, he felt he didn't get the support. Is that him saying, look how short we are, this is how we're playing?
It wouldn't be beyond that, I don't think. I'm a big fan of Antonio and what he has done. Yeah, me too. But two weeks ago, I don't have a striker available. We don't have a striker. You had two today and you put them on the bench.
I mean, it was playing within 20 minutes that Hazard threw the middle, competing against two big centre-backs. He couldn't get on the ball. And for all the players, you want your best players on the ball as much as possible. He couldn't get on the ball.
I don't want to go back in history too far, but it was his decision to sell Costa. He was brilliant in this game last year. I think it was Costa's mistake.
Monumental mistake. I think it was Costa's mistake.
He was not a player that wanted to stay, Jamie, was he? Sorry? He wasn't a player that wanted to stay. Costa wanted to go. Yeah, but I think there was a collision between the manager as well. He was happy to get rid of him. Matic as well. So I don't think you can blame everybody else. I think the manager has to take the responsibility as well.
Well, let's hear from the Chelsea manager on the approach today. Antonio Conte is with Geoff Shreves.
Antonio, what did you make of that game and your team's performance?
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