1 month ago
13
Chelsea rescued a dramatic draw away at Manchester City in the Premier League - earning a well-deserved point under interim manager Calum MacFarlane at the Etihad Stadium.
Chelsea forced Gary Neville to U-turn on his Player of the Match decision live on Sky Sports after rescuing a late draw against Manchester City. The Blues were rocked by instability over the past few days, as Enzo Maresca's exit left plenty of uncertainty surrounding the direction of the club.
The Italian head coach had won over most fans after winning the Europa Conference League, and the Club World Cup, while qualification back to the Champions League was earned once again. However, with tensions growing behind the scenes in recent months, Maresca's exit from Chelsea came as a surprise just days before taking on Man City.
Academy coach Calum MacFarlane was named the interim coach in a potential mismatch of managerial pedigree, but it ultimately made little difference. Tijjani Reijnders opened the scoring just before half-time, but Man City were unable to build on the lead and the dominance they had.
Chelsea fought back and eventually broke through, as Enzo Fernandez poked home a close-range attempt to earn his side a well-deserved point. While the Argentina midfielder impressed, it was the club captain, Reece James who landed the Player of the Match, but only after an on-air U-turn from Neville.
Speaking before the goal, the former Manchester United captain said on Sky Sports about his Player of the Match pick: "I think he's been the most influential scoring the Man City goal [Reijnders].
"He came forward quite a bit in the first half, so I'm going to give it to him.
"But if Chelsea do score, I'm going to change my mind and make it Reece James."
Then came that goal - almost as if Neville had spoke it into existence - which led to him addressing the decision once again, as he said: "Reece James, I don't know if I can change it, but you are Man of the Match. Can I do that?"
Peter Drury replied: "You make the rules, Gary..." before they both laughed about the situation, with the award eventually being handed to James.
It was well-deserved recognition of the performance from the club captain, who played in a midfield role that was handed to him by the former manager. The quality in there has given James a new lease of life with the Blues, as he continues to manage his fitness and avoid the injury issues that have plagued him during his career so far.
The 26-year-old stepped up on the pitch with his quality on the ball, but he also showed quality with leadership credentials he has. At times, the academy graduate's captaincy has come under question but, as one of the more experienced stars in the squad, he has shown exactly why he wears the armband.
One moment after the final whistle saw James take a moment to grab MacFarlane and to push him in front of the supporters for his moment to shine. The interim head coach was shying away from their travelling crowd but, after they chanted his name, the captain decided to grab him for his own show of appreciation.
While it continues a run of form that has seen Chelsea struggle to string together wins, the Blues can be proud of the point they picked up with the context surrounding the match, and their opposition. The challenge now will be picking the next manager, while getting back to winning ways.
English (US) ·