Carlos Tevez Returns, Manchester City Close Gap On Manchester United

Published: 22^nd Mar 12 7:51 am

by Alan Dymock
Alan Dymock

RANT It!

Carlos Tevez Returns, Manchester City Close Gap On Manchester United

Pierre Lahalle/Presse Sports via US PRESSWIRE

As soon as Carlos Tevez’s name was announced on the substitutes bench for Manchester City last night, as they took on Chelsea in the English Premier League, it was inevitable something was going to happen. He had created many a sore head around Manchester –with his infamous ‘Welcome to Manchester’ billboard when he moved across town to his refusal to play for City and going AWOL, it has been felt from either side –but he is a gifted soccer player and he loves a big occasion. It took him some time, but Tevez re-entered the fray.

He did so in a game that was big for both sides. City had been collared as chokers in recent days, drawing comparison with the 90s Newcastle United side who had streaked ahead in the English Premier League under the tutelage of former World Footballer of the Year, Kevin Keegan. That Newcastle side famously capitulated, surrendering the title to the Reds despite being ahead by so many points. City, like that Newcastle side, have given advantage back to United.

On the other hand Chelsea were trying to pick up the pace after an occupation by their own players where they turned up every day to training and interacting with their manager at the time, Andre Villas-Boas, but all the while looking like they resented him. He left after a spell of trying to force out the senior players at the club, and suddenly Frank Lampard and John Terry were back on top.

Many quarters tutted and shook their heads as Terry spoke of team togetherness and batted away suggestions of a coup, while the whole time he was shouting directions at the Chelsea side over the shoulder of interim coach Roberto Di Matteo. This ‘new’ Chelsea looked very much like the ‘old’ Chelsea of Avram Grant’s era, where the players played as they do regardless of who is pinning the team sheet to the wall.

The funny thing is that while this Chelsea team is now graying and rougher than it once was, needing to play deep defensive lines to accommodate a slowing Terry and narrowing so as to keep a jilted Malouda off the park and keep both Mata and Lampard on it, it looked to be getting better without AVB.

So these sides met. Both hungered for improvement.

With so much talent on the park and so many Pounds being spent to get them there it was a disappointment that the first half was so lackluster. Few shots were sent on target, few runs caught the eye. There was no width and the big characters looked like they couldn’t even spell the word ‘initiative’.

With a congested midfield bothering the ball for most of the game it was no wonder the first goal came from a set-piece. A ball came flying in to City’s box. Luiz showed intend, but it fell to fellow centre-back Gary Cahill who dispatched his second goal in as many games.

City looked bereft. They had already taken off Balotelli, who was woefully unimaginative when he was on and later drew the ire of manager Roberto Mancini in the post-match press conference, for a defensive player in Gareth Barry, but it had done nothing to close out Chelsea.

So Mancini twitched. He then wilted. He then accepted his fate. He swallowed his pride and asked for Tevez to take off his tracksuit.

In the 78th minute Michael Essien handled a ball in the box and from the resulting spot-kick Sergio Aguero set the game at 1-1. Then, with time ticking away, Tevez hit a smart pass to Samir Nasri who chipped the ball over Petr Cech in Chelsea’s goal to win the game 2-1.

It was a superb fight back that showed the team’s intent to win the league. They are now only 1 point behind Man United in the league and they have stopped the rot by beating a top 5 team. A lot, of course, will be made of Tevez’s contribution. He looked off the pace, but he was tenacious. One pass led to a goal and he was present when the comeback began.

It was perhaps more significant for the game that an abject Drogba replaced a Fernando Torres that looked lively, effectively ending Chelsea’s hopes of scoring again, even with Juan Mata playing well. Instead praise has been directed towards Tevez and Mancini has been forced to say that Tevez could play a big part in any success City have this term.

The move will have hurt the manager’s pride, but when you want to win you have to do things that hurt.