Chelsea vs Man City Player Ratings

By ESPNSTAR.com staff

It was the final "club friendly" before the opening game of the Barclays Premier League season, but neither side treated it as such. 

Chelsea took the lead against the run of play through Fernando Torres but the turning point came when Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic was sent off for a rash challenge on Alexander Kolarov.

Manchester City made their numerical advantage count after the break and struck back through a fantastic goal from midfield engine Yaya Toure before taking the lead with yet another quality goal from Carlos Tevez. 

Samir Nasri poked home his side's third goal and the Manchester club seemed to be cruising but a late Ryan Bertrand goal following a horrendous mistake from Manchester City custodian Costel Pantilimon made it a nervy ending to the game. 

Here, ESPNSTAR.com takes a look at the players that took to the field at Villa Park. 

Chelsea

Petr Cech - 6.5

The Chelsea custodian had some hairy moments in the first half but did not have much work to do apart from picking the ball out of his net. He still has some work to do on his distribution as many of his kicks out from goal were wayward and did not reach a blue shirt.

Ashley Cole - 6

Cole was caught out of position on several occasions and often allowed Milner too much space to deliver his crosses. Chelsea fans will also be disappointed that the former Arsenal player did not provide much of an attacking threat down the left, especially when the Blues' were crying out for some width going forward in the first half.

John Terry - 5.5

The Chelsea captain had an uncharacteristically poor game and made numerous mistakes. His defensive positioning was suspect and it was his poor clearance which led to Manchester City's equaliser. Perhaps the off-the pitch drama is having an adverse effect on the 31-year-old after all.

Branislav Ivanovic (42' sent off) - 2

Roberto Di Matteo will be furious with the Serbian international after the 28-year-old was sent off for a horrid tackle on Kolarov late into the first half. It was a needless and dangerous 2-footed challenge which could have easily injured the Manchester City wing-back. The red card will also see him miss the first three games of the Premier League season.

David Luiz - 7.5

Luiz performed commendably in defence and read the game superbly, often covering for the error-prone Terry to clear the danger before it could materialise. He still has room for improvement in handling one-on-one situations though, as both Tevez and Aguero beat him too easily on several occasions.

John Obi Mikel - 6

Mikel was too sloppy in possession in this game and played one too many stray passes which put his teammates under unnecessary pressure. He did well defensively in the middle of the pitch though and disrupted the opposition attack with his tenacious tackling.

Ramires - 6.5

It was a game of ups and downs for the Brazilian. He started the game slowly and was caught in possession on several occasions but soon started to find his feet as the game wore on. Ramires was integral in the build-up to the Blues' first goal, his quick feet taking him past De Jong before providing a cute through ball for Torres to score.

Frank Lampard - 6

The Chelsea veteran looked his age in this game, often being beaten for pace and strength in the middle of the pitch by the younger and more physically imposing Manchester City midfielders. Lampard did demonstrate his cunning on several occasions with several late dangerous runs into the box.

Eden Hazard (71' off) - 7

The Belgian midfielder was undoubtedly one of the biggest points of interests before the game as everyone wondered how the Blues' highest profile summer signing would fare against quality opposition like the Premier League champions. Unfortunately, although the 21-year-old showed glimpses of his quality with his quick feet and pace, he was often guilty of being over-elaborate and did not provide enough defensive cover for Cole down the left flank.

Juan Mata (75' off) - 6.5

The Spanish playmaker was poor for his country in the Olympics and his indifferent form continued in this game. His passing was effective and simple but extremely safe and Di Matteo will be hoping that the former Valencia player can provide more spark and inspiration to the attack.

Fernando Torres - 7.5

Torres started the game quietly when he had Vincent for 'Kompany' but it is a testament to his quality that he converted the first real chance he had. It was a quality finish from the 28-year-old, who calmly chipped the ball past Pantilimon to give his side the lead late into the first half. The Spanish striker grew in confidence after his goal and seemed a different player in the second half, often troubling the Man City defence with his pace and agility. 

Subs

Ryan Bertrand (71' on) - 7

Bertrand's introduction injected a refreshing enthusiasm and energy into a lethargic Chelsea side. He reacted quickest to Pantilimon's error to score Chelsea's second goal and his never-say-die attitude was one of the bright spots of the Blues' game.

Daniel Sturridge (75' on) - 7 

The England international showed he was in no mood to mull over his penalty miss in the Olympics which caused Team GB to be eliminated. Sturridge provided several sparks of inspiration in the short time he was on and was involved in Chelsea's second goal as his fierce shot from range proved too hot for Pantilimon to handle. 

Manchester City

Costel Pantilimon - 4

Pantilimon had nothing much to do in the game but was hardly stable when called upon. He was culpable for Chelsea's second goal after he spilled Sturridge's shot and then took what seemed like an eternity to get up and collect the ball, which allowed Bertrand to nip in and score.

Vincent Kompany - 7

The Manchester City captain showed once again why he is regarded as one of the best defenders in the world with an assured display in the heart of defence. He managed to keep the attacking trio of Torres, Hazard and Mata quiet and no Chelsea player could get the better of him one-on-one.

Pablo Zabaleta - 6.5

Tasked with keeping Hazard quiet, the 27-year-old stuck to his task admirably well and introduced his Belgian opponent to the physicality of the Premier League with several crunching, but fair tackles. 

Aleksandar Kolarov - 7

Kolarov has always been more proficient in attacking than defending and this proved true once again. Although he was imperious going forward and tormented Ivanovic throughout the first half, he allowed Torres and Mata too much room to cut in and had Kompany to thank for bailing him out on several occasions. He provided the assist for his side's third goal by delivering a perfectly weighted cross for Nasri to tap home.

Stefan Savic (46' off) - 5.5

Savic earned a yellow card for a late challenge on Hazard early in the game and he did not help his cause with some clumsy looking challenges. Perhaps mindful that a red card meant the Montenegro international would miss the start of the Premier League, Mancini wisely ended his involvement in the game at half-time.

Nigel De Jong - 6.5

The Dutch international was a quiet and effective presence alongside Toure in the middle of the pitch and contributed to his team by breaking down several of Chelsea's attack. Not many Chelsea players could get the better of De Jong, although he was lucky to escape a booking after several tough challenges.

James Milner - 8

Mancini deployed Milner on the right in the knowledge that the England international's tactical discipline would be useful in shackling Hazard but the 26-year-old surprised everyone with a proficient display in attack and tormented Cole throughout the game.

Samir Nasri (77' off) - 6

He scored Manchester City's third goal after meeting Kolarov's cross with the outside of his left foot but apart from the goal, the French international had yet another unspectacular game bereft of inspiration. He will need to step up his game if he wants to displace his teammate David Silva from the first team. 

Yaya Toure - 8.5

The Ivorian was once again fantastic in the middle of the park, dictating play and spreading the ball with ease while providing sufficient defensive cover for his side. He brought Manchester City back into the game with a well taken goal, firing in a fierce shot from range straight into the bottom corner of the net.

Sergio Aguero - 6.5

Aguero may not have scored but he certainly kept Luiz and Terry worried with his excellent movement off the ball. He did have several good chances to score but was unusually profligate in front of goal. A sitter in the latter stages of the game which would have killed the game off was an especially poor effort and Mancini will be hoping his star striker will find his scoring boots in time for the Premier League season.

Carlos Tevez (89' off) - 8.5

Tevez was a constant menace and linked up extremely well with his Argentinian teammate Aguero. His terrific goal, where he easily escaped the attentions of both Luiz and Terry to power a shot right into the top corner of the net showed just how much of a quality player the 28-year-old is. That goal also took Tevez's incredible goal-scoring record against the Blues to seven goals in eight games.

Subs

Gael Clichy (46' on) - 6.5
Brought on for Savic in the second half, he was guilty of giving the ball away too easily which led to Chelsea launching several dangerous looking counter-attacks. He did manage to get in several crucial tackles and interceptions during the time he was on but will need to do much better in order to challenge Kolarov for a spot in the side.

David Silva (77' on) 
N/A

Edin Dzeko (89' on) 
N/A