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AS IT HAPPENED

As it happened: Man City v Chelsea, Premier League

Man City took on Chelsea at the City of Manchester Stadium, as they sought to maintain their dwindling title hopes.

As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts on the game. E-mail paul@thescore.ie, tweet @thescore_iepost a message to our Facebook wall, or leave a comment below.

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Man City 2-0 Chelsea

Newcastle 4-2 Southampton

Hello, and welcome to today’s liveblog.

Demba Ba has been preferred to Fernando Torres up front for Chelsea. More team news to follow.

The teams in full:

Man City: Hart, Zabaleta, Toure, Nastasic, Clichy, Javi Garcia, Toure, Rodwell, Milner, Aguero, Silva. Subs: Pantilimon, Lescott, Nasri, Dzeko, Sinclair, Kolarov, Tevez.

Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Luiz, Cahill, Cole, Mikel, Lampard, Ramires, Hazard, Mata, Ba. Subs: Turnbull, Torres, Oscar, Moses, Terry, Azpilicueta, Bertrand.

Ray Wilkins has said this game has “goals written all over it”.

So you can start placing bets on a 0-0 then.

We’re underway…

City have started this game well and win a corner.

But Milner’s underhit ball in is cleared easily by Chelsea.

Southampton 1-0 Newcastle: Morgan Schneiderlin has given the Saints an early lead at Newcastle (3 mins).

Milner does well to beat two Chelsea defenders.

Aguero then goes down as Milner’s cross goes into the area, but the subsequent penalty appeals are only half-hearted.

Good save by Cech to parry Nastasic’s header from a corner away.

The whistle had gone anyway, so it wouldn’t have counted. Fine reflexes, nonetheless, from the Chelsea keeper.

City are really intensifying the level of pressure on their opponents now.

Yaya Toure has just made one of his characteristic marauding runs forward, and produced a fine pass to boot.

Chelsea have steadied the ship in recent minutes.

They’ve had the majority of the possession and territory of late.

A dangerous ball is floated in, but Mikel does just enough to prevent Jack Rodwell getting a clean head to the ball.

Just under 15 minutes left in the first half.

There’s one especially interested spectator at the stadium today.

(Clint Hughes/AP/Press Association Images)

Newcastle 1-1 Southampton: Sissoko has equalised for the Magpies.

Meanwhile, Cech has to tip over an ambitious long-range effort from Jack Rodwell.

Now it’s Newcastle 2-1 Southampton.

Papiss Cisse has scored it, and apparently it’s rather special (42 mins).

No sign of a goal here still though, as half-time approaches.

HALF-TIME: Man City 0-0 Chelsea.

Here is that Cisse goal, and it’s quite superb.

YouTube credit: LuksCHANNEL Ziani

So half-time, and Man City have been the better team, though neither side is especially dominant.

Aguero and Zabaleta have had half chances, but the visitors have defended extremely well for the most part and come through the odd period of relentless City attacking.

Many people have already suggested the title race is effectively over, and if the result stays the same, such claims are likely to grow louder.

The second half is underway…

Silva just overhits a through ball.

The game is very open at the moment, despite the lack of goals, and Chelsea are more than willing to get bodies forward.

PENALTY TO CHELSEA!

PENALTY MISSED BY FRANK LAMPARD!

Joe Hart goes from villain to hero in the space of a minute.

He takes Ba down after rashly deciding to come out of his goal and try to claim the ball.

However, he subsequently produces a great save, using a strong hand to palm away Frank Lampard’s penalty.

It’s now Southampton 2-2 Newcastle. Rickie Lambert has scored after 50 mins.

Meanwhile, Aguero makes an intelligent run and goes through on goal.

He lobs it over the goalkeeper, but can only find the roof of the net.

GOAL FOR MAN CITY!

Man City 1-0 Chelsea: Yaya Toure dribbles past Mikel all too easily and sidefoots it beautifully into the corner from about 12 yards out (61 mins).

The second half has been far more entertaining than the first, and a goal’s been coming.

Here’s another look at Lampard’s  penalty miss, which will likely be looked back on as a pivotal moment in today’s game.

YouTube credit: satya messi

And here’s Toure’s goal.

YouTube credit: NewsVideoHD1

In addition, it really sounds like a thriller at St James’ Park. Newcastle are now beating Southampton 3-2, after a Yohan Cabaye penalty (67 mins).

Chelsea have gotten more attack-minded since the goal, though City’s defence looks very solid right now.

The London side have taken off Frank Lampard and Eden Hazard, and brought on Victor Moses and Oscar

Newcastle 4-2 Southampton: A Jos Hooiveld own goal has given Newcastle a bit of a cushion (79 mins).

Just over five minutes left in the City-Chelsea game.

GOAL FOR MAN CITY!

Man City 2-0 Chelsea: Following a good run from Aguero, the ball falls to Tevez.

And the forward makes no mistake, striking a superb shot into the top corner (85 mins). Game over!

City substitutions: Samir Nasri replaces Sergio Aguero, and Joleon Lescott comes on for David Silva.

James Milner has been named the Man of the Match.

FULL-TIME: MAN CITY 2-0 CHELSEA

So City pick up the three points and retain their slight chances of challenging United.

Despite the odd bit of good fortune such as Frank Lampard’s penalty miss, they ultimately deserved their victory.

They were the better team for most of the game, demonstrating a level of ambition in attack that Chelsea failed to show, while also invariably defending with considerable efficiency.

Chelsea could now go fourth if Tottenham win tomorrow, and have only won three of their last eight games.

Right, that’s all from me.

Thanks, as always, for your company.

VIDEO: Carl McHugh can’t park the bus>

Looking good, Paul! It’s the sporting tweets of the week>

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