Chelsea v. City A-Z Pt1  (Sky Sports)

In a four-part series, we look at the reasons why Chelsea and Man City have stolen a march on their rivals in the title race...

A is for Aguero

Every great team has a brilliant striker at its heart and, in Sergio Aguero, Manchester City possess one of the most complete forwards in the game. Such is the Argentinean's remarkable talent that Manuel Pellegrini has challenged him to rival Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi for the Ballon d'Or in 2015.

“Aguero is among the best players in the world,” said Pellegrini in September. “Now it is up to him to make it and fight for the Ballon d'Or as the best player, because he has all the qualities you can ask of a football player."

Among those qualities are the 26-year-old's blistering pace and low centre of gravity that poses enormous problems for defenders. But it is Aguero's devastating finishing ability that truly sets him apart, exemplified by his stunning hat-trick against Bayern Munich and four-goal haul in October's 4-1 win over Tottenham.

While Diego Costa has found the net on three more occasions in the Premier League, Aguero boasts the best minutes-per-goal ratio of any striker to score more than 10 goals so far. On average, he has scored once every 83 minutes, compared to Costa's record of once every 94 minutes.

To underline the gap between the top two and the chasing pack, the best ratio of the top scorers at Southampton, Manchester United and Arsenal is owned by Alexis Sanchez, whose 12 strikes have come at a rate of one every 147 minutes. In terms of the ruthlessness every forward hopes to exhibit, Aguero is still the example to follow in his fourth year in England.

B is for Bony

Spending power is obviously a key part of City and Chelsea's relative strength, with that factor reinforced by Wilfried Bony's £28m move to the Etihad this month. It is not just spending big that sets City and Chelsea apart, however, but also spending smart as Bony's transfer demonstrates. Both clubs know to strengthen when they are ahead and, while Financial Fair Play has put a cap on expenditure, the regulations have driven intelligent investment.


That is particularly true at Chelsea, with the Blues breaking even in the summer thanks to David Luiz's sale to PSG, but City's acquisition of Bony could prove to be the decisive factor in the title race. The 26-year-old was the Premier League's leading scorer in 2014 with 20 goals meaning that, along with Aguero, Yaya Toure and Edin Dzeko, four of the top five are now at the Etihad.

If Bony hits the ground running when he returns from the Africa Cup of Nations, City will have every chance of reining in the five-point gap to first place.

C is for Costa

Amid praise for Alexis Sanchez becoming the second quickest player to reach 10 Premier League strikes for Arsenal behind Ian Wright, it seems to have been forgotten that, in terms of goals scored, Diego Costa's adjustment to the top flight is even more impressive.

After signing for what now seems a bargain fee of £32m from Atletico Madrid, the striker has bagged 17 strikes in only 19 appearances, equivalent to a third of Chelsea's total.

“I didn’t realise how good he was even after playing against him in the Champions League,” said John Terry in August. "He has caused us some problems in training. When they hand the bibs out you want him to be on your side. Myself and (Gary Cahill) gave him some grief at Atletico away (last season) but he stood up to us and he fancied it."

Costa's penchant for a physical battle is emphasised by his seven yellow cards so far and a moment of controversy in the 6-3 win at Everton when he appeared to mock keeper Tim Howard. This nasty streak is evident in many brilliant teams, however, and reinforces the frightening test that awaits the opposition.

Before Arsenal's recent victory at City, Sky Sports' Graeme Souness referred to the Gunners as a group of 'son-in-laws' who are often too meek to pose a threat. With Costa bullying defenders at the point of Chelsea's attack, the same would never be said of Jose Mourinho's side.

D is for Defence

Chelsea and City may have been humbled at home to Bradford and Middlesbrough in the FA Cup last week, but usually their defences are two of the strongest in the country. Southampton are the only side to concede fewer goals than Mourinho's team in the Premier League, while City are fourth in the 'goals against' department, having surprisingly shipped one more than rivals Manchester United.

While Manuel Pellegrini will hope for even tighter displays from his team over the next 16 matches, solid defences have been the cornerstone of City's and Chelsea's success in recent seasons. The two clubs were tied with the top flight's best defensive record in 2010/11, with City maintaining the achievement in 2011/12 and 2012/13 before Chelsea displaced them in the previous campaign by leaking just 27 goals - ten fewer than the champions.

As well as keeping the opposition out, both back lines frequently have a telling impact in an attacking sense. With forward-thinking full-backs Cesar Azpilicueta and Pablo Zabaleta supplying the ammunition down the wings, and towering centre-backs offering a threat at set pieces, Chelsea's and City's defences have been responsible for scoring or assisting 11 and 12 goals respectively in the Premier League.

Arsenal are not far behind with defenders being involved in nine strikes for the Gunners, but Liverpool (four) and Manchester United (three) have a long way to go to match the runaway top two in this department.

E is for Experience

Jose Mourinho's claim that Chelsea lacked the know-how to win the title last season eventually proved to be true as City benefited from their triumphant experience of 2011/12 to edge out their rivals.

"Beautiful young eggs," was Mourinho's description of the likes of Oscar and Eden Hazard in September 2013. "Eggs that need a mum, in this case a dad, to take care of them, to keep them warm during the winter, to bring the blanket and to work and improve them. One day they will arrive in the moment where the weather changes, the sun rises, you break the eggs and the eggs are ready to go to the top level."

After 12 months of incubation, Mourinho's eggs have finally hatched, proving their mental toughness to go 21 matches unbeaten at the start of the campaign. A first defeat to Newcastle at the beginning of December was immediately followed by five successive victories, with Chelsea commanding a lead for longer than any other top-flight team (1,096 minutes) over the first 22 matches.

City are second in that table but some distance behind Chelsea on 740 minutes. That is only represented by a five-point gap in the table, however, and Pellegrini will be confident his squad's experience stand them in good stead for the run-in.

"This year we have the advantage that I already know the players and they know me, we have already won the title," said the Chilean in August. "This year we know how to do it, we have new players that must understand also the way we want to play but I think it is important to continue playing that way."

F is for Fabregas

"He is the kind of player we need," said Jose Mourinho following Cesc Fabregas' arrival in the summer. "Not just for his qualities as a player but also his competitive personality. He knows England well, he knows the Premier League well, so he will not need time to adapt."

If Chelsea finish the season as champions for the first time in five years, then the capture of Fabregas back in June will have no doubt played a huge part in their success. The 27-year-old has complemented Nemanja Matic perfectly in the Blues' balanced midfield, claiming 15 Premier League assists so far - seven more than any other player. That total is also more than Jack Wilshere has achieved in his entire career, calling into question Arsene Wenger's decision to turn down the option to re-sign his former captain from Barcelona.

It is not only Fabregas' tangible contributions that have quickly cemented his status as an indispensible part of Mourinho's first XI, with the manager repeatedly praising his ambition and application. “He’s playing so well for us and what I like especially – more than his quality – is the person," said Mourinho after the 3-1 Capital One Cup victory over Derby in December. “He’s a professional. A big player like him, a world champion, coming here to play a Capital One Cup match and play the way he did – this is the kind of attitude I want from my players."

With Eden Hazard saying last week that he and Fabregas needed only "one game, one training session" to understand each other's style of play, it seems the Spaniard is the missing piece of the jigsaw for Chelsea. "He's a brain," said Hazard of his team-mate's ability to make the team tick.