Chelsea v Manchester City 1992/93

CHELSEA 2 CITY 4

League Division 1

9th January 1993

attendance 15,939

scorers
City White(26), Sheron(29 & 88),  Phelan(54)
Chelsea Stuart(78), Spencer(83)

Ref Vic Callow

City Coton, Ranson, Phelan, McMahon, Curle, D Brightwell, White, Sheron, Quinn, Flitcroft, Holden – subs Margetson(unused), Mike(unused), Reid(unused)

Chelsea Hitchcock, Clarke, Sinclair, Townsend, Lee, Donaghy, Stuart, Fleck, Harfoerd, Newton, Le Saux – subs Spencer(63), Burley(unused), Colgan(unused)

FROM THE PRESS BOX

FRANK MCGHEE WRITING IN THE OBSERVER 10TH JANUARY 1993
Five of the previous seven matches between these clubs had ended level, but, although Chelsea provided a fighting finish to the game it would have been a savage injustice to City’s all-round composure and control if they had been robbed of a point. They should have been under no real threat once City’s leading scorer, White, hit the opening goal at Stamford Bridge. It provided a lesson in finishing to those of his colleagues who had missed in the preceding 27 minutes of the match.
The first was McMahon just after the start. Placed in the clear by Sheron his error was concentrating on accuracy before power, so that even though his shot was on target Chelsea ‘keeper Hitchcock had only to side step and stoop to save.
McMahon is still as intimidating an influence as ever but his midfield confrontation with Chelsea’s equally militant Townsend produced only stalemate and an eventual booking for both. City’s second guilty man was the beanpole Quinn, who has been suffering a patch of miserable form. In the 16th minute he failed to check where the goal was when Ranson presented him with a simple chance which he promptly side footed wide.
McMahon and Flitcroft both missed the target after corners forced by the largely dominant City, but Chelsea fared no better when City’s Phelan mis-timed an attempted clearance and gave Fleck clear sight of an open goal. Poor Fleck whacked it wide and now has the miserable record of only three goals in 28 matches for Chelsea, the most recent last November.
Then white supplied the missing ingredient. After a quick opportunist free-kick by Quinn he ran on with half a dozen quick strides to take him clear, looked up to check where the ‘keeper was then struck his scoring shot crisply.
City obviously absorbed the lesson and within two minutes were further in front when White crossed from the right and Sheron, keeping his head as the ball bounced awkwardly, also managed to keep his eye on it and cracked it past Hitchcock.
Chelsea had a brief spurt of attacking activity before half time and Coton had to justify his claim to be England’s best uncapped ‘keeper with one smart save from Fleck and a slightly streaky one from Stuart before half-time. That shot hit him and rebounded.
Chelsea were further dispirited by an own goal from full-back Sinclair when, trying to clear across from his opposite number Phelan in the 54th minute, he deflected it past Hitchcock.
To add to his frustration he had a shot of his own blocked on the line by Curle at the other end a minute later.
It could have been even worse when Chelsea centre-half Lee tripped Sheron in full cry after another goal. some referees might have interpreted it as a red card offense but Mr Callow chose to ignore it. Hope flared briefly for Chelsea with two goals in five minutes. In the 78th, Stuart caught a Le Saux cross on the volley and hit a ferocious scoring shot. In the 83rd the diminutive substitute Spencer, fired an equally impressive and successful volley after Stuart laid the ball back to him.
The match became briefly, a hairy-chested affair, but referee Callow’s booking of McMahon and Townsend calmed it down and City took over again to make certain two minutes from time when Quinn crossed from the right and Sheron headed home.