90+4 mins: Moses works his way towards the byline on the right wing to forge a space to cross, but then finds only the knees of Lescott when he does.
90+2 mins: Luiz has a punt from distance, more in frustration that optimism and it showed, high over the bar. Another change for the hosts, Silva given a warm round of applause as he makes way for Lescott.
90 mins: Yaya Toure looks displeased about something, Silva is trying to calm him down but all is not well with the big man.
89 mins: Hold up in play as Nastasic takes a knock on his shin from Ramires. Looks painful. Changes for City, off goes Aguero, on comes Nasri, who looks thrilled about it.
87 mins: City's fans defiantly tell their neighbours across the way that the title race isn't over. It probably is, isn't it, really? But they've won this one and that's all they can do now to hang on in there I suppose.
85 mins: Man City 2 Chelsea 0 (Carlos Tevez)That's certainly game over now. A screamer from tevez from outside the area gave Cech no chance. Again Chelsea slow in closign down the space but what a finish.
84 mins: City fans in good voice, Mancini looking stern and pointing a lot, Milner runnign around and closing down Chelsea at every turn. City have this in the bag.
83 mins: Yaya Toure fancies a swing at it from 30 yards out. The result is not good. Not good at all. A shank to the right that almost goes out for a throw-in.
82 mins: Gaps in the Chelsea back line for City to exploit but, not for the first time, errant passes are the home side's downfall.
80 mins: Cech out of his goal witht eh ball at his feet on the right hand side of his box. Aguero wasn't pressing with real vigour but the goalkeeper still had to deal with it. the solution? A cheeky back heel out to one of his defenders. Fancy. Coming to your screens on a Sky Sports magazine programme this Saturday morning with a indie-rock or dubstep soundtrack.
78 mins: One pass too many in the City box after some fine interchange of passes from their diminutive forwards. Final pass asked too much of Oscar in a tight space when a shot was on for an age. Arsenal used to get panned for doing that, days they must remember with warm nostalgia at present.
76 mins: Moses and Ivanovic have a break down in communication out on the Chelsea right and moe time ticks away. The visitors have been second best this afternoon for much of the game and aren't showing any signs of changing that any time soon.
"I quote your earlier posting: 'It really is astonishing how little 100 billion dollars buys you this days, isn't it?' I mean, how hard is it to say "you mark that guy and stick to him"?' It can be very hard when you have to say it all over in 11 languages! My bets are on Chelsea to finish second.
73 mins: City allowing Chelsea to have the ball in the middle of the pitch and filling up the space in front of their own box. Chelsea struggling to find a way through.
71 mins: Luiz has his pocket picked by Silva and the quick through ball almost sets Aguero free before an outstretched leg from Cahill thwarts him.
69 mins: Chelsea pressing but Tevez and Aguero staying high up the pitch ready for the break when it comes. A spot of possession football from City reduces the temperature a moment after a spell of pretty frantic action.
67 mins: Hazard produces a decent cross from the right this time but Kolarov does well to head away from under his own bar. Chelsea make changes for the resulting corner, off go Lampard and Hazard and on come Moses and Oscar. Corner comes to nought.
64 mins: It's been coming for a while and what the game desperately needed. Chelsea will have to force it now and City bubbling with confidence so pretty confident there are more goals to come one way or another here now.
62 mins: Man City 1 Chelsea 0 (Yaya Toure)Finally a break through. Silva held up the ball, cut it back to Yaya Toure inside the City box. he wasn't closed down and took a step, used Cahill as a shield and bent it to the far post out of the reach of Cech. Poor goal to give up by Chelsea.
61 mins: Counter attack from Chelsea sees the ball fed to Ramires in the middle. Instead of getting his head down and sruging for goal he cut back and was undone. Half a chance wasted.
60 mins: Mata swings over a corner from the righ, too deep, and finds its way to Luiz on the left. Eventually back in again but wasted. Chelsea not working their crosses right here at all, Ba not getting anything like the service he needs.
57 mins: This is the goal we've waited fo ... wait, no, it isn't ... Aguero again showing fantastic movement to get on to a through ball, chips over the advancing Cech, but also over the bar. real chance that one.
55 mins: Aguero nods a bouncing ball past Cahill and Cech doesn't know whether to come of stick. In the end the defender recovers to make up his mind and half a chance for the home team goes begging. City well on top now.
54 mins: That's Rodwell's last act of another disappointing afternoon for him. On comes Tevez to shake things up a bit.
53 mins: Another foul in the box ... but it's Rodwell on Cahill in the Chelsea area after he let the ball run away from him. City fans very unhappy. Boo, hiss, down with this sort of thing.
51 mins: PENALTY SAVE! Lampard goes low to the goalkeeper's right but Hart is equal to it. Fantastic save at full stretch with one, very strong, hand, pushing it away from danger. Hart makes up for his rush of blood there in style.
50 mins: PENALTY! Ba and Hart contest a ball over the top, Ba flicks it past the goalkeeper, falls over him and Hart is done like a kipper. Definite spot kick.
49 mins: Lampard and Mata make pretty patterns on the edge of the box but the eventual ball in to Ba asks too much of him and he's muscled out by a crowd of blue shirts. Quicker transition needed from Chelsea as City looking solid and ordered on the edge of their own penalty area this afternoon.
47 mins: City in possession, threatening down the left, Yaya Toure lays it out to Clichy but his cross isn't accurate enough and is cleared. City come again down the same wing and Silva this time tries to pick out Aguero. he tries an overhead volley mid-air behind himself, a shot filed in the drawer marked 'woudl have been a cracker had it come off.' But it didn't. Bah!
46 mins: Chelsea get us started in the second period with Lampard punting one forward in the general direction of Ba, easily dealt with by the swinging boot of Kolo Toure.
14.27: No goals here today, yet, but a cracker from Papiss Cisse as Newcastle lead Southampton 2-1 at the break at St James' just now:
HALF TIME Well, given that these sides cost hundreds of millions to assemble, it's all pretty unimpressive stuff. Plenty of bustling and shoving, not much guile or class. CIty had the better chances, but look a bit of a blunt instrument up front. One nice move sent Aguero round the keeper but Cech had come out quickly enough to force him too wide. Rodwell and Nastasic had decent headed chances from corners. Not a lot to report on the Chellsea front, they'll be happy to go into the break at nil-nil. I shall hand you over to Steve Wilson for the second half. Cheers.
Marc Melander writes: "You know you're getting old when you can remember the likes of Terry Mancini and his comedy barnet. Amused to note that he is now running a very successful events company. Somehow I can't see either John Terry or Roberto Mancini in this game when they are 70!"
45 mins: The half winds down as Ramires surges forward but he finds a wall of light blue in his way. There's a couple of minutes of injury time but neither side can produce an attack of note.
41 mins: From the corner, Rodwell gets above Mikel for a good header and that's another decent save from Cech down low.
40 mins: Aguero runs and twists and slips it to Jack Rodwell who lets fly from 30 yards or so. It swerves in the air but even so is easy enough for Cech.
38 mins: City continue to plug away, good link up from their forwards as they burst into the area but rather than go for goal it is cut back to Zabaleta, who strikes it with his shin. Looked like it could be a repeat of the Rafael goal yesterday for a second there.
35 mins: Hazard, looking like Chelesa's best bet so far this half, has a chance to go at Zabaleta but City get it clear.
34 mins: Pressure down the right from City. Zabaleta and Milner try to work it through to Aguero, but Chelsea are looking a bit more assured in the last couple of minutes.
Michael NoGender writes: "This is probably one of the first times United fans are wanting Chelsea to win. Usually it's just fighting over who's the better club and how Chelsea spend money."
31 mins: Yaya Toure surges down the right but Ashley Cole sticks with him and gets it away for the corner. Chelsea bundle it away.
Andy says: "Next season, Rafa will be lead steward on Romano's yacht and Bob will be wishing Jose luck in his new job in Manchester."
29 mins: Good ball in from the left, Jack Rodwell has got the jump on David Luiz and he probably should have done better with a header from ten yards.
28 mins: The last few minutes have largely consisted of niggly fouls and shocked - SHOCKED, SIR! - pearl-clutching protestations of innocence from the perps. Ref's eventually had enough of it, and it is Jack Rodwell who goes in the book.
25 mins: Ref has a word with Zabaleta for bringing down Hazard. Zabaleta has a word with the ref, as well, the gist of it I think being along the lines of "diving so-and-so". Ref also speaks to Yaya Toure for a shove, prompting a classic "who me?" from the City player.
22 mins: Chelsea can hardly get out of their own penalty area, let alone their own half. Aguero and Silva harrying their backs and Cech into nervy hoofs forward.
20 mins: Mata not doing much on the defensive side of things, letting Clichy burst through and here is yet another cross from the left, and another desperate clearance from Cahill. Chelsea under serious pressure here. Great atmosphere from the home fans.
18 mins: Chelsea dilly-dally on the ball and lose it in midfield. It's slipped to Aguero who dinks it around Cech - but the keeper got out so quickly that it runs away from Sergio for a goal kick. Good keeping, he was out like a rocket.
15 mins: Milner and Zabaleta enjoying themselves down the right, another good cross in is bundled clear. Silva now tries a slide-rule pass from the inside left channel and Cahill has to scramble it away. Cahill shouts at his midfield - where is the cover?
13 mins: City bashing away at the Chelsea defence, Clichy lofting a lazy cross too long. They eventually win a corner. Good corner from Silva and Nastasic with the header! Free header, heads it into the ground and a brilliant reaction save from Cech. Chelsea's marking from that corner left a bit to be desired. It really is astonishing how little 100 billion dollars buys you this days, isn't it? I mean, how hard is it to say "you mark that guy and stick to him"?
10 mins: Good little spell for Chelsea, Mata and Ramires picking and probing away and looking dangerous. Aguero's down but Chelsea play on. Aguero up, but he fouls his man and Chelsea have a freekick on halfway.
9 mins: Break from James Milner down the right, all bristle and determination. He swings a cross in and Cahill bullies Aguero off it, hint of arm across the opponent but no real chance of a foul being given. City enjoying sopme good pressure and are now able to cross from the left. Cleared.
Nick Morrow says: "Next season, Rafa Benitez will be refurbishing the house he purchased for £1 in Liverpool using ideas from his visit to Roman Abramovich's yacht. Roberto Mancini will be running for Italian President as leader of his new 'Rome Was Not Built In A Day' Party."
4 mins: Snaking run from Aguero, Chelsea backing off him as he uses Silva as a decoy runner. Mikel eventually sticks a foot in.
2 mins: Decent early possession for City, building down the left. Cahil comes across to sort out any nonsense. Now Ivanovic has to play safe under pressure from Augero and concede a corner.
1 mins: We're off, and there's an early run for James Milner, Chelsea a bit sluggish and Yaya is able to drill in a shot.
13.30 Workmanlike City side, no place in it for Samir Nasri, and it looks like Aguero will play up front on his own against the European Champions.
13.25 Not been a great week for Mancini, and you would imagine that matches such as this one are vital for Bobby if he wants to hang onto his job and be the man who gets to do things like spending £40million on Napoli striker Edinson Cavani.
13.20 So Big John Terry left out in the cold once again as Rafa continues with his Ivanovic and Cahill theory at the back. For Man City, there's a first PL start of the year for Jack Rodwell but still no sign of the mighty Vincent Kompany, who is not fit to play. Important game for Rafa, you feel, if he has ambitions of a full-time gig at Chelsea.
Chelsea XI: Cech, Ivanovic, Luiz, Cahill, Cole, Mikel, Lampard, Ramires, Hazard, Mata, BaCity XI: Hart, Zabaleta, Toure, Nastasic, Clichy, Javi Garcia, Toure, Rodwell, Milner, Aguero, Silva
Jack Rodwell starts his first Premier League game of 2013 for City, with Samir Nasri again left out after a withering put down by Mancini in that fascinating interview on Friday. Mancini: "Every game he [Nasri] could be the difference. A player of this quality could be one of the best players in Europe. But it's not happening."
Another target, Joe Hart - "He needs to think only of his job and that is being a goalkeeper" - also keeps his place while teacher's pet Pablo Zabaleta "playing very, very well" takes his place in a back four containing Toure, Nastasic and Clichy.
13.00 Afternoon all and welcome to our live blog of Manchester City versus Chelsea. It's second plays third in the Premier League and, with Manchester United 15 points ahead of second-placed City, neither side can afford not to win if they are to have any hope at all of catching Sir's lot.
We'll bring you the teams as we have them; in the meantime, let's have a look at the match preview from Mr John Ley.
Manchester City (Possible, 4-2-3-1): Hart; Zabaleta, Lescott, Nastasic, Clichy; Y Touré, Garcia; Nasri, Silva, Agüero; Dzeko.Out: Richards (knee).Test: Kompany (calf), Barry (ankle).
Chelsea (Possible, 4-2-3-1): Cech; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Cole; Lampard, Luiz; Ramires, Oscar, Hazard; Ba.Out: Romeu (knee).
Team NewsManchester City captain Vincent Kompany remains a doubt for the champions' Premier League game with Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
The Belgium defender has missed four games with a calf injury and manager Roberto Mancini has conceded the problem is taking longer to heal than expected.
Midfielder Gareth Barry, who was forced out of last week's FA Cup win over Leeds with an ankle injury, will also be assessed while right-back Micah Richards (knee) remains sidelined.
Meanwhile, Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard could feature after being rested against Sparta Prague on Thursday night.
Manager Rafael Benitez confirmed a couple of his players are nursing knocks but has no fresh injury concerns with only Oriol Romeu absent.
Match NotesWith Manchester United in danger of disappearing over the horizon at the top of the Premier League, this fixture is nothing less than a battle for the dubious distinction of second place.
City currently sit four points clear of Rafael Benítez's team, but if one team wins at the Etihad, they will have the momentum over the final weeks of the campaign in the race to be crowned best of the rest.
Stat of the game: City, beaten at Southampton in their last game, have played 92 games since they last lost successive Premier League outings, in October 2010.
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