Match Report: Impressive City Held by Resolute Chelsea at Stamford Bridge

A relegation 6-pointer is one of the more clichéd terms for a fixture in league football, but it's fair to say the top of the table meeting between Chelsea and Manchester City on Saturday evening was as big a 6-pointer as they come. City came into the fixture 5 points behind their title rivals at the summit of the Premier League and they knew a win would put them right back in the race to be crowned England's best. A Chelsea victory and the Blues knew they had the upper hand in the hunt for domestic glory. To put it simply; this was a case of whoever blinks first, loses. 

The defending champions had the first attempt on goal with barely a minute on the clock as Jesús Navas stung the palms of Thibaut Courtois from the edge of the 18-yard box, though the Spaniard's effort seemed to wake the home side from their slumber as Chelsea quickly gained their composure. It took until the half hour mark, however, for Chelsea to register their first shot on target. The ball was pulled back for Oscar, but his tame attempt was comfortably dealt with by Joe Hart. Minutes later, a John Terry slip presented Sergio Agüero with a great chance to open the scoring for the away side, only for the Argentine to pull his shot inches wide of Courtois' post.

The first half seemed destined to end goalless, only for Loïc Remy to put Chelsea in front 4 minutes before the interval. The Frenchman led the attack in the absence of the suspended Diego Costa and capped off a wonderful Blues move to fire past Hart from 6-yards, with Eden Hazard excellently claiming his 5th Premier League assist of the season. Chelsea's lead lasted just 4 minutes, however, as Courtois' poor punch away from danger landed at the feet of Agüero. His goalbound effort looked as though it be cleared by Branislav Ivanovic, only for David Silva to slide in and turn the ball into the net to level for the Citizens.

After the break, City pressed to take the initiative, though the only real chance of note came when the Courtois was forced to turn an awkward Fernandinho header over the bar as the game headed towards its conclusion. With 15 minutes still to play, Manuel Pellegrini played his trump card as the Chilean threw former Chelsea hero Frank Lampard into the mix, though the experienced midfielder was unable to mark his return to Stamford Bridge with a goal as the title clash ended 1-1.

Much of the pre-match focus centred around the absence of Costa, who on Saturday served the first of his 3 match domestic ban following his stamp on Emre Can in the Capital One Cup win over Liverpool in midweek. Blues boss José Mourinho is able to call on Remy or Didier Drogba in reserve and it was the former who was given the nod. The Frenchman rewarded Mourinho's faith in him with an efficient performance up front. Remy earned a WhoScored rating of 7.42 and started off the move that resulted in the striker netting his 5th competitive goal of the season. With just 1 shot on goal during his time on the pitch, chances were few and far between, though he ensured he staked a claim for a starting spot during Costa's time on the sidelines, highlighted by his goal and rating. With 4 aerial duels won - no Chelsea player won more - the summer signing ensured he was not bullied off the ball by City's burly centre-back pairing of Martín Demichelis and Vincent Kompany.

Despite Remy's impressive outing, however, the Blues missed Costa's presence in attack. Without their star striker, Chelsea mustered just 3 shots on goal, all of which came in the first half, with that return the fewest by a home team in a single Premier League match this season. It wasn't just Costa missing for the home side which clearly affected the outcome of the game, with Cesc Fàbregas also sidelined for the stalemate due to a hamstring complaint. The Spain international has registered more assists than any other player in Europe's top 5 leagues this season (15), so to lose him before the top of the table meeting was always going to be a blow. With Yaya Touré also missing for City due to his participation at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, the creative burden for either side fell on Oscar and Silva.

However, the pairing were both thoroughly underwhelming in the encounter. His goal aside, Silva was disappointing for the champions, playing just 1 key pass and completing 1 successful dribble, a poor return by his standards. A contributing factor to this was the display of WhoScored's man of the match Nemanja Matic. The powerful Serb was at his destructive best in the middle of the park, breaking up play superbly to limit Silva's influence. Matic made more tackles (8) than any other player on the pitch and pressed forward with intent from deep when needed, completing 4 successful dribbles; only Willian (7) completed more of all players in the draw.

Opposite number Fernandinho was also impressive in the midfield, the Brazilian making 7 tackles to ensure Oscar was kept quiet. Chelsea missed Fàbregas' creative qualities in the 1-1 draw, while City were without Touré's drive from deep, but with Matic and Fernandinho; neither side lacked the necessary grit and determination. Nevertheless, if one team deserved to come away as victors from this encounter, it was City. Pellegrini's side had more shots (10 to Chelsea's 3) and a larger share of possession (56% to 44%), a dominant performance against a Chelsea side that, prior to Saturday, had failed to drop a point at home this season. "I am very proud by the way we played," Pellegrini said in his post-match press conference and he has every right to have been enthused by his side's display in west London.

Ultimately, however, Chelsea kept their 5-point lead at the summit of the Premier League. No doubt that, judging by how the match panned out, Mourinho will have been the happier of the two managers come full time. His Blues' side still holds the advantage in the title race, though after Saturday's performance; Pellegrini will be confident his team can make up the gap at the top between now and the end of the season.

Do you think City can leapfrog Chelsea to the Premier League title or will the Blues hold on at the top? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below