Congrats to Chelsea fully deserved. City look like they could play them for 800 minutes and not score
Kante was the best player but that block by Rudiger probably won the matchWell that was fun. Didn’t really care who won. Kante gets MOTM for me.
Kante is a legend. He's done everything there is to do in the game.Well that was fun. Didn’t really care who won. Kante gets MOTM for me.
Please tell me that's the commentator Seven Costanza had to listen to.Who’s the colour guy with Drury? I’ve been watching on DAZN who has second highest all time scorer Alan Shearer as the colour guy..
Shearer ? He’s actually pretty good. The play by play guy was an in-house DAZN guyPlease tell me that's the commentator Seven Costanza had to listen to.
Rodri was really poor over the last month. I’m not surprised because he was just out of form and City were clearly wanting dynamism to break through the lines. It didn’t work but the City team without a striker were struggling against the back 5 all year. Just not enough creativity in the final third with Sterling so off form and Chilwell just manhandling Mahrez. It has been the same pattern for three matchesI wonder if Rodri was hurt or something. The starting XI might have just been standard Pep galaxy brain stuff, but it was weird that he brought Fernandinho on instead of Rodri when changing it up. If you're going to be breaking down a packed defense, surely you want the pivot player who can move the ball from side to side.
It doesn't have anything to do with the quality of the commentary.Shearer ? He’s actually pretty good. The play by play guy was an in-house DAZN guy
2 EPL titles, a World Cup, a Champions League title. He’ll be competitive for a Euro title this summer, too. Amazing career so far.Kante is a legend. He's done everything there is to do in the game.
It doesn't have anything to do with the quality of the commentary.
Seven was one of our more prominent Newcastle fans around here until he bailed on them for...Chelsea.
And a Europa League2 EPL titles, a World Cup, a Champions League title. He’ll be competitive for a Euro title this summer, too. Amazing career so far.
They could have really used Harry Kane in this game.So Man City has to go get Messi this summer right? I mean assuming they stick with Pep he needs his talisman if they're going to win a Champion's League?
I was waiting for full kit John Terry to come running out during the trophy lift.Somewhere Frank Lampard is crying. And that makes me happy.
I was really hoping they'd talk to Noel again.Guessing they aren’t inviting back the Oasis guy for the post game
Nah … was just a body check. Was Ruddiger on a yellow?Roberto Martinez says Rudiger should have been sent off.
Complete nonsense. It is a very common cynical foul by as defender which is always a yellow. It sucks that Rudiger has a mask and hits KDB but that’s not a red card offenseRoberto Martinez says Rudiger should have been sent off.
Yeah maybe it wasn’t his head but a CB body block when he ha been done by the run is a very standard yellow. A red for that in a CL final would be madnessIt wasn't actually a head-to-head collision, though - Rudiger just grabbed his head to make it look that way. At least that's what Martinez said, and I actually thought the same at the time. More like shoulder-to-head. I'm not sure that means it's a red though.
Yep absolutely suffocating. I've had so many other fans telling me the 5ATB is too regressive. But it worked for this group. Then again with Werner massively underperforming his expected goal difference that probably could have been closer to 70 but point remains. Either way Tuchel played to the strength of this squad.Chelsea scored 58 goals in the Premier League this year. According to FBRef, no UCL champion in the past 5 years has scored fewer than 94 league goals. It's just been total defensive domination ever since Tuchel arrived.
It IS regressive though. It also was fantastically effective especially against City. I have questions about it over 38 matches that can only be answered by time. It is also fantastically reliant on Kantes brilliance, Chelsea tanked immediately when he was injured. It is incredibly intelligent of Tuchel to realize that Kante is both his best player and a weapon that allows him to commit so many men in wide areas. But Kante is getting older and I think a truly unique and special player. Will the system function at a high level next Xmas when he breaks down from overuse?Yep absolutely suffocating. I've had so many other fans telling me the 5ATB is too regressive. But it worked for this group. Then again with Werner massively underperforming his expected goal difference that probably could have been closer to 70 but point remains. Either way Tuchel played to the strength of this squad.
We’ll have to see how Chelsea reshapes the squad this summer. Tuchel’s PSG and Dortmund teams averaged over 2.5 goals per game - his track record is much more front foot with a healthy amount of counter-pressing. But he showed incredible flexibility this season and got the most from this Chelsea side.It IS regressive though. It also was fantastically effective especially against City. I have questions about it over 38 matches that can only be answered by time. It is also fantastically reliant on Kantes brilliance, Chelsea tanked immediately when he was injured. It is incredibly intelligent of Tuchel to realize that Kante is both his best player and a weapon that allows him to commit so many men in wide areas. But Kante is getting older and I think a truly unique and special player. Will the system function at a high level next Xmas when he breaks down from overuse?
Great point but hopefully they now have a new plan for next season. Tuchel has to get to buy some groceries this year to fit his vision.It IS regressive though. It also was fantastically effective especially against City. I have questions about it over 38 matches that can only be answered by time. It is also fantastically reliant on Kantes brilliance, Chelsea tanked immediately when he was injured. It is incredibly intelligent of Tuchel to realize that Kante is both his best player and a weapon that allows him to commit so many men in wide areas. But Kante is getting older and I think a truly unique and special player. Will the system function at a high level next Xmas when he breaks down from overuse?
Yes, I agree. City ran into that back 5 3 times and barely ever looked like scoring. It’s a really perfect answer to Guardiolas philosophy. Guardiola builds everything through the wingers, the entire system wants to possess and move the ball until a winger can be isolated and then win a 1 v 1. City created a few of these today with some tantalizing cutbacks but Tuchels back 5 in particular was extremely aggressive in doubling the wingers. Chilwell got away with a lot of grabbing but he paid no attention to any ball behind today and aggressively marked Mahrez while James did the same in the other side. They knew they had a Cb behind and Superman supporting inside. City could go left to right all day and never create the isolation. It should have been possible to play inside channels but Kante sniffed everything out and Citys best player of a killer ball is stuck imitating a striker. It wasn’t noticed much that City had mostly adopted a 442 with a double false 9 to try to respond to a lack of striker but the spaces just never materialized. Pep is taking belters for tinkering but the challenge based on the first two encounters was always going to be chance generation. It was a brave attempt to try Gundogan deeper because it gave Cuty a better chance of doing something creative centrally but he really had a poor game and City never created anything that way until Jesus came on and Foden had a little more freedomWe’ll have to see how Chelsea reshapes the squad this summer. Tuchel’s PSG and Dortmund teams averaged over 2.5 goals per game - his track record is much more front foot with a healthy amount of counter-pressing. But he showed incredible flexibility this season and got the most from this Chelsea side.
Catching up in this thread well after appropriate--just for kicks. I decidedly did NOT like the blue vs. blue and neither did anyone I was chatting with during the game.This has been a really good game so far.
Love that both teams are in their proper colours.
I'm an aesthete.Catching up in this thread well after appropriate--just for kicks. I decidedly did NOT like the blue vs. blue and neither did anyone I was chatting with during the game.