TOPS
Bernardo Silva, the savior
Aligned on the right side of the Manchester City attack, Bernardo Silva did not have his usual influence. Little affected, the Portuguese made (almost) no difference on dribbling or passing, as he knows how to do so well. And yet...Shortly before the end of normal time, it was he who broke the deadlock by taking with his left foot a cross from Kevin De Bruyne deflected by Dorde Petrovic. A goal which allows the Citizens to qualify for the FA Cup final (1-0)...and therefore to defend their title!
Jérémy Doku the dynamiter
There was a before and an after Jérémy Doku. With Jack Grealish, starting this Saturday afternoon, Manchester City struggled to create differences. With the Belgian, who replaced the Briton shortly after the hour mark (66th), the Citizens were more biting, more incisive and (logically) obtained more clear situations. And it’s no surprise that the solution came from him. In the 84th minute of play, the ex-Rennais cleverly found Kevin De Bruyne in the penalty area... who was then able to offer a decisive pass to Bernardo Silva. A decisive entry!
Flops
Nicolas Jackson too imprecise
Established at the forefront of the Chelsea attack, Nicolas Jackson created several clear chances during the match. But he sometimes procrastinated, like at the half-hour mark, where he didn't dare take his chance when he was alone against Stefan Ortega. He also lacked realism on several occasions, such as in the 49th minute of play, where he failed to score the net despite an incredible double opportunity. It's a shame for the Blues because they had the situations to take the advantage.
Cole Palmer (too) discreet
Positioned behind Nicolas Jackson, Cole Palmer did not have a bad match per se. But given his status - co-top scorer in the Premier League with Erling Haaland - and his importance in Chelsea's game, we expected a little more. Or at least, we hoped to see it much sharper. Indeed, apart from a nice hook-strike sequence shortly before the break (37th) and a magnificent opening for Moses Caicedo in the second half, the Briton did not make much difference. And to qualify for the final, the Blues absolutely needed him to do more.