Manchester City and Chelsea met tonight in the first match of a post-season double-header across the pond.
City started strongly in St Louis but fell behind as Chelsea took a two-goal lead into the break, courtesy of efforts from Demba Ba and Cesar Azpilicueta.
Oscar extended Chelsea's advantage soon after the interval, but the comeback was quickly on for City as Javi Garcia and Edin Dzeko reduced the deficit.
Dzeko then equalised by drilling his second into the bottom corner, before a stoppage-time effort from Micah Richards completed a memorable comeback for Brian Kidd's side.
Look back at a seven-goal thriller at Busch Stadium with Sports Mole's minute-by-minute commentary below.
Good morning football fans and insomniacs alike. Thanks for joining Sports Mole for live coverage of the post-season friendly between Manchester City and Chelsea in St Louis, Missouri.
Today's match is the first of a lucrative two-match series in the United States between City and Chelsea as two of the Premier League's biggest names look to forge strong links across the pond. City in particular are keen to flex their muscles in the States after helping to create New York City FC, a new Major League Soccer franchise put together in conjunction with the New York Yankees baseball team.
Both sides are also going through a period of transition as they await the inevitable appointments of new high-profile coaches. Brian Kidd will continue to take charge of City tonight, with Manuel Pellegrini almost certain to swap Malaga for Manchester to replace Roberto Mancini in the next few weeks.
Chelsea are nearly at the end of Rafael Benitez's interim period at the helm in West London. Met with widespread derision during his tenure, the Spaniard has delivered Champions League qualification and secured silverware in the Europa League. Not a bad six months' work at all Senor Benitez!
While the Blues look forward to the return of the 'Special One' Jose Mourinho a post-season tour of the United States should provide a chance to look at some their academy's brightest prospects. Chelsea's youth team reached the Next Gen Series and FA Youth Cup finals this season, showcasing a few talents that could feature regularly at Stamford Bridge in the future.
BREAKING TEAM NEWS! The starting XIs are in from St Louis and feature relatively strong sides on both counts. City name Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez in their starting lineup, while Juan Mata features for the Blues. A full look at both teams will follow in just a few moments.
CHELSEA: Cech, Ivanovic, Cahill, Christensen, Cole, Mikel, Loftus-Cheek, Azpilicueta, Mata, Benayoun, Ba
CITY: Hart, Clichy, Rekik, Kompany, Zabaleta, Garcia, Silva, Y Toure, Aguero, Tevez, Rusnak
Tonight's starting XIs feature a good blend of household names and starlets. City name the strongest side as the core of their familiar lineup play from the outset. Joe Hart, Vincent Kompany, Pablo Zabaleta and Gael Clichy all start in a solid defensive unit, while Yaya Toure will support Tevez and Aguero in attack.
A pair of unfamiliar youngsters for City fans to study start this evening. Dutch international Karim Rekik should play alongside Kompany in central defence, while promising Slovakian Albert Rusnak will start in an advanced attacking position.
Benitez also names a string of experienced players for today's friendly. Gary Cahill and Ashley Cole start before heading home for England duty, while Jon Obi Mikel, Juan Mata and Demba Ba also get a run-out.
Yossi Benayoun may well play his final Chelsea match tonight as he looks for a new club after this week's matches and starts in an advanced role. Ruben Loftus-Cheek is definitely one to watch out for in the Blues team today. The youngster possess raw power, strength and a whopping £1.7m a contract to match his talent. He starts today and is certainly worth following closely in central midfield.
PREDICTION: With both sides about to take to the field in sold-out St Louis there is just time for to register a prediction. Chelsea have been training in the city for two days and despite coming off a marathon season should be better prepared to impress tonight. That's just about the only reasoned logic I can offer for a 2-1 Blues win, with Ba getting on the scoresheet.
Just before we get underway at Busch Stadium there is a chance to tell you that tonight's match at the home of the St Louis Cardinals baseball team sold out in just 20 minutes. 46,000 people are packed in to watch the first professional sporting event held in this stadium other than baseball.
Tonight's match also serves as the first match in City's new kit, which marks the start of a blockbuster deal with Nike. One final piece of pre-match news, Chelsea and City players are wearing black armbands today to pay their respects to the lives lost in the Oklahoma tornado disaster earlier this week.
City get this surreal post-season clash underway shooting from right to left. Immediately Kompany switches possession to Zabaleta, who plays a quick forward pass to Aguero. The forward roams out wide but is tackled quickly with a forceful challenge from Andreas Christensen.
Aguero is the first player to fall foul of the area patched up to cover the stadium's baseball diamond. Tevez quickly recycles possession and tries to slip his countrymen in with a quick pass. The forward's pass is well timed but finds Aguero in an offside position just behind Cahill.
Chelsea get their first touches of the match as Loftus-Cheek wins possession from Tevez inside his own half. Cole then attempts to switch play but his looping effort sees Azpilicueta closed down and shut down by Silva.
SHOT! A quick goal kick from Cech finds Ivanovic in space on the right wing. The Serbian drives forward and picks out Mata, who switches inside and lines up a strike at goal. The Spaniard's effort is powerful but always rising and ends up finishing high over Joe Hart's goal.
A superb passing exchange between Silva and Tevez has City breaking forward with purpose. Silva's clever inside pass has the Argentine bearing down on goal, but his touch takes him too wide of Cech's goal and eventually out of play without causing any damage. That move is a little reminder of the precise passing style that Mancini's City displayed at times during his spell in charge.
SAVE! City break forward again as Zabaleta creates overlap down the right wing. His deep cross finds Clichy, who in turn controls and finds Tevez inside the penalty area. The Argentine's quick turn and shot is on target but stays central, allowing Cech to make a comfortable stop.
MISS! More sharp play has City bearing down on goal once more. Silva is again the architect, driving forward unchallenged before finding Aguero on the overlap to his left. The Argentine elects to aim for Cech's near post, but miscues and sends his shot straight to the Cech's feet.
GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 City (Ba)
Well completely against the run of play Chelsea break to deadly effect and take the lead. A quick ball out of defence from Mikel found Benayoun, who drove inside before switching to Mata out wide. The Spaniard's teasing cross into the penalty area split City's defence wide open and found Ba, who dropped off Kompany and beat Hart to head home from close range. 1-0 to the Blues in St Louis.
OFF THE POST! Action at both ends straight after the opening goal as this friendly begins to open up. First Aguero decided to drive from distance and struck the post with a curling strike that looked destined for the bottom corner. Chelsea then switched play quickly and launched a counter, with Loftus-Cheek testing Hart with a low effort from 30 yards.
City spurn a strong chance to equalise as Silva cuts back inside rather than shooting with his left foot. Soon after Tevez picks up the ball inside the penalty area and uses close control to create space, firing over with a snapshot from 12 yards.
Young Chelsea defender Christensen stays strong to shut down Tevez just as the forward looks to break again inside the penalty area. More slick passing has City attacking as Zabaleta's deflected cross evades a packed penalty area, allowing Azpilicueta to clear with authority.
Chelsea win their first corner kick and evoke memories of last week's Europa League winner as Mata hoists a cross towards Ivanovic. Unfortunately for the Blues the defender is penalised for a foul, allowing City to break quickly with pace. Toure eventually arrives inside the penalty area and forces Cech into a strong low save at his near post with a curling shot.
City win a corner kick and should in all honestly have levelled. Tevez found some space and attempted a spectacular overhead kick, which went flying high over the crossbar from just six yards. Chances galore at both ends but so far only Ba has found the net with a simple headed finish.
Mikel concedes a free kick just outside the penalty area with a rash sliding tackle on Tevez that is the first sign of a competitive edge to this friendly. Silva wins the battle to take but from 20 yards sends a looping drive high and wide of the near post. That is pretty wasteful given the Spaniard's high standards from set pieces.
Tevez is quickly involved once more as he attempts an audacious scooped pass to Aguero at the far post. To the disappointment of a packed Bush Stadium Cahill reads the danger just in time and does enough to head clear on the turn. The two diminutive Argentines definitely have a telepathic connection that is a joy to watch at its very best.
Cahill gets a brilliantly timed block in on Aguero again to stop his low strike testing Cech from close range. City have been utterly dominant in possession but somehow trail as Tevez fires wide again on the turn.
More wasteful finishing lets City down as Chelsea's defence is sliced wide open by a precise passing move. Clichy eventually found space at the far post and passed inside to Aguero, who scuffed his shot from six yards well over from a central position.
City youngster Rusnak shows strength and desire to win a loose ball under a challenge from Benayoun before driving forward. His endeavour helps create another opportunity for the Citizens as Toure forces Cech to parry with a fierce drive from distance.
A flag for offside spares Silva's blushes as the playmaker rounds Cech before smashing the post from just four yards out. More quick play wins City a corner kick as Aguero is stopped by a strong challenge from Cahill.
PENALTY TO CHELSEA! The Blues have the chance to extend their advantage as Mata glides past Rekik before going down in the area to win a spot kick.
GOAL! Chelsea 2-0 City (Azpilicueta)
HALF-TIME Chelsea 2-0 City
There is no time to resume play as Cesar Azpilicueta's precise penalty puts the Blues into a surreal two-goal lead. The Spaniard stepped forward and sent his effort just inside the post, giving Hart no chance at full stretch. Despite controlling possession for long spells City trail by two goals at the interval.
Although Chelsea have been on the backfoot for most of the first period two moments of quality from Mata has put them in control of today's friendly. The Spaniard picked out Ba for the opening goal with a curling cross, before mugging Rekik with a dart inside to win a penalty kick. Futher evidence as to why the playmaker has been named Player of the Year in each of his first two seasons at Stamford Bridge.
City coach Kidd can hardly fault his players for their effort so far in St Louis. An experienced side has played neat, intricate football but have simply been unable to turn territory and chances into goals so far this evening.
In terms of established names there has been very little sign of coasting in St Louis, which is a credit to the players on show. Tevez, Aguero and Silva have been at their flowing best in terms of passing, but their efforts have been goal have been a disappointment to the 46,000-strong crowd. At the other end Ba has barely featured but has a goal to his name.
With an eye to the future Chelsea defender Christensen has been kept very busy by Aguero and largely stood up to the task, which is encouraging for Blues fans. Meanwhile Loftus-Cheek has been combative in midfield but largely controlled by Toure, which is no disgrace whatsoever.
Both sides are back at Bush Stadium, which has largely held up well despite the strange outlay of the pitch to cover a baseball diamond. A reminder if you're just joining us that Chelsea lead 2-0 thanks to goals from Ba and Azpilicueta, with City trailing despite controlling the first half.
SUBSTITUTIONS: As we can expect from a post-season friendly both teams have made changes at the break. Chelsea introduce David Luiz, Paulo Ferreira, Oscar and Ramires. We'll get to the City subs in just a few moments.
A nasty foul to start the second half as Tevez brings down Torres with an awkward challenge from behind. Chelsea break quickly from the free kick as Oscar roams into the penalty area, but his cutback just evades the late run of Loftus-Cheek on the edge of the box.
City have made a host of changes, with Richard Wright, Nasri, Micah Richards and Dzeko among the players introduced. City fans will be particularly pleased to see Richards back on the field after a frustrating campaign with injury. At his best the full-back is certainly a contender to start each week for the Citizens.
The pace has noticeably dropped since the restart, perhaps due to the raft of substitutions on each side. City are the first to strike at goal but a very disappointing effort from Tevez comes dangerously close to drifting out for a throw-in on the far side.
GOAL! Chelsea 3-0 City (Oscar)
Oscar takes full advantage of indecision in the City defence to cooly net from close range. Young Welsh substitute Huws makes the mistake, which the Brazilian quickly uses to seize possession, round Wright and slot into the bottom corner. That might just be game over early in the second half.
YELLOW CARD! Huws shows his inexperience once more, flying into a challenge on Loftus-Cheek from behind and picking up the game's first caution. Quite how City are three down is a mystery but Chelsea have been clinical when it matters to build a healthy lead.
Richards robs Benayoun and helps City create a sustained spell of possession in the final third. Tevez looks dangerous as he drives forwards before being crowded out and winning a corner kick under a challenge from Ferreira.
SUBSTITUTIONS: A few more changes just after the hour mark. City introduce Milner and Maicon, while Chelsea swap Cech for young goalkeeper Jamal Blackman.
GOAL! Chelsea 3-1 City (Garcia)
Poor Jamal Blackman's first action in goal for Chelsea is to pick the ball out of his own net. From a City corner the Blues fail to clear their lines and are punished as Garcia prods home under pressure from eight yards. Game on!
GOAL! Chelsea 3-2 City (Dzeko)
A slick City break quickly creates their second goal and now we really do have a match on our hands in St Louis. Two substitutes combined to deadly effect for Kidd's side, with Milner supplying a superb curling pass to pick out Dzeko just inside the penalty area. The Bosnian looked up and made no mistake with an assured finish that nestled into the far corner.
City want a free kick just outside the penalty area as Luiz robs Dzeko, but the referee sees nothing wrong and waves play on. The Brazilian passes quickly to launch a counter, with Ramires bursting forward inside the box. He controls before going down in the box under a challenge from replacement keeper Wright, but despite clear contact a penalty kick is not awarded.
CHANCES! Blackman gets his first chance to make a meaningful contribution for Chelsea as his block prevents Tevez from slotting home inside the six-yard box. The keeper then stretches to make another fine stop to keep out Milner's low volley at the far post. From the following corner kick Dzeko rises unmarked but heads over on the turn from eight yards. Chances galore for City but no equaliser just yet.
SAVE! Dzeko does brilliantly to control a looping diagonal from Milner with his chest in the penalty area. The forward has time to pick his spot from close range but is denied by Blackman, who parries a powerful, central drive wide with a firm stop. The last few minutes must be a huge confidence boost for the 19-year old after a difficult start coming off the bench.
Chelsea break clear as Oscar drives into the penalty area before cutting inside. The Brazilian shapes to shoot but hesitates and allows Hughes to get an important late block in just inside the box.
SUBSTITUTIONS: Another change to report on each side. City swap Rekik for Boyata in central defence, while Chelsea introduce Nathan Ake in place of Loftus-Cheek, who has impressed in spells today.
Ramires produces a trademark lung-busting run to beat Richards to the ball and win a corner kick out wide thanks to a late deflection. City have numbers back to defend and clear before striding forward at the other end through Tevez, who just delays his shot and allows Ake to block a low effort inside the penalty area.
GOAL! Chelsea 3-3 City (Dzeko)
Late drama in St Louis as City get a deserved equaliser. It was the tenacity of Tevez that created the chance as he robbed Mikel of possession inside the final third. His quick pass found Dzeko at the far post, and he pounced ahead of Cole to guide a measured finish into the bottom corner. That's the Bosnian's second and the sixth goal of an entertaining encounter for the 46,000 in attendance.
City win a corner kick in the closing stages as Milner's driving run and cross is scrambled behind by Luiz, before Chelsea clear their lines from a poor set piece. There is still just about time for Nasri and Clichy to win a second corner kick, with Boyata turning his header behind on the turn.
GOAL! Chelsea 3-4 City (Richards)
What a way to finish a truly entertaining friendly as City grab a winning goal deep into stoppage time. A deep cross from Tevez was flicked back across goal by a powerful header from Dzeko. With the back post wide open Richards timed his run perfectly to slot home unmarked and complete an impressive comeback from Brian Kidd's side.
FULL-TIME Chelsea 3-4 Manchester City
Well who said summer friendlies had to be boring, lifeless affairs? City and Chelsea served up a real post-season treat today, sharing a seven-goal thriller which was decided late on by a goal from forgotten man Micah Richards.
That just about does it for Sports Mole's minute-by-minute commentary from St Louis. Thanks for sticking with us in the small hours and be sure to check back in around 30 minutes for full analysis of a goal-packed match at Bush Stadium. Good morning!
Written by
Liam Power
Liam Power
