CHELSEA FC X MAN CITY

   

   

Chelsea v Man City: Fabregas and Silva key to contest

Ahead of Chelsea v Man City premierleague.com profiles the two clubs' chief playmakers

The encounter between Chelsea and Manchester City this weekend promises to be a fascinating contest between the two best teams in the Barclays Premier League. As we look forward to the showdown at Stamford Bridge, every day this week premierleague.com will be taking a closer look at the main protagonists in this top-of-the-table duel.

Today we compare the creative qualities of two of the league's most compelling playmakers, Cesc Fabregas and David Silva. If the ability of Fabregas was well known to followers of the Barclays Premier League few can have predicted just how significant an impact his arrival at Chelsea would have on their title challenge.

"When you look at the goals he has created, 15 assists in the Premier League alone is simply outstanding"
Kevin Kilbane

The Spain midfielder not only leads the way in assists this season, with 15, but he has overtaken the highest number achieved by a player in the whole of last season, after just 22 matchweeks. Indeed only four players in the history of the Barclays Premier League have provided more than 15 assists in a single campaign.

"This season he has been wonderful," Kevin Kilbane, the former Everton midfielder, told premierleague.com. "He has only scored two goals himself but when you look at the goals he has created, 15 assists in the Premier League alone is simply outstanding. Right from the very opening game of the season, when he hit that pass for Schurrle's goal against Burnley, he's taken it on from there.

"At times he has been deployed a bit as a deeper midfielder, and on occasions he has also been played further up off Diego Costa, but wherever he has played Fabregas's performances have been outstanding. He fits into what Chelsea have been doing when they are out of possession, he is disciplined enough to get himself back into the shape of the side, which is expected when you're playing for Jose Mourinho. But it is also that key eye for a pass that sets him apart, and for Costa or Eden Hazard, who are willing runners always looking to get behind the defence, he must be a joy to play with."

FABREGAS V SILVA
Fabregas	BPL stats	Silva
21	Appearances	16
21	Starts	16
2	Goals scored	6
1851	Minutes played	1328
925.5	Minutes per goal	221.3
11	Shots on target	11
7	Shots off target	8

Silva's delivery of assists (two) may not be at the same level as his Chelsea rival but he is no less integral a part of the City make-up for it. Deployed in a more advanced role than his compatriot, Silva tends to take up more lateral positions, weaving in between the defensive lines to drag defenders out of position, producing incisive build-up passes for onrushing team-mates and creating space for Sergio Aguero and Yaya Toure to run into. His occupation of wide areas also enables him to dispatch more crosses than Fabregas does.

"David Silva is my favourite player in the Premier League," Kilbane said. "You look at the way he marauds around the pitch, he can drop deep and collect the ball from defenders, he can be that build-up player, but it's in the final third where he comes to life."

"You have Silva picking up balls in the final third and Aguero running off him – it's like a match made in heaven with those two"
Kevin Kilbane

In terms of passing accuracy and shots on goal in the opponent's half there is nothing to choose between the two, but the sheer volume of assists and chances created by Fabregas (67 to Silva's 40) suggests that Chelsea are more dependent on their "quarterback" than City are on Silva. However, it should be noted that Silva has missed more matches (six) through injury this season and played 523 fewer minutes than Fabregas.

"He has had a few injury problems this season so City have missed him and they've also had Aguero injured," Kilbane said. "But now those two players are back they have a good understanding. Silva picks up balls in the final third and Aguero runs off him. It's like a match made in heaven with those two.

"Yaya Toure was tremendous last season and had been coming into form before the Africa Cup of Nations but it's Silva who dictates the play and the tempo for City. He decides when and how quickly to attack and when to keep the ball sensibly. He is the main player for Man City and was one of the key reasons they won the title last season."

In Fabregas's favour are the stats that support a huge contribution to the side from a defensive perspective. Another statistic shows that with 247.1km on the clock this season Fabregas has covered the second-most ground in the BPL, after Tottenham Hotspur's Christian Eriksen.

FABREGAS V SILVA
Fabregas	Passing and running stats	Silva
15	Assists	2
67	Chances created (incl assists)	40
1807	Total passes made	1086
86.77%	Pass accuracy	94.97%
94.13%	Pass accuracy, own half	83.33%
83.15%	Pass accuracy, opponents' half	83.33%
133	Crosses & corners	43
29.32%	Crosses & corner accuracy	23.26%
2,232	Touches	1,364
247.1	km covered	160.2

"That's what you get from Fabregas," Kilbane said. "It's the organisation first and foremost with Chelsea when you're out of possession, the workrate that each Chelsea player puts in and what is demanded by Mourinho. Fabregas fits into that role as a midfielder – it's what is expected of him – but he also provides that extra quality when they are in possession."

In the likely absence of Yaya Toure, the importance of an influential display from Silva, known in his homeland as "el mago" (the magician) will not be lost on City. Last time out a man-marking operation by Francis Coquelin negated Silva's creative threat and was a key factor in City's 2-0 home defeat by Arsenal. If Manuel Pellegrini's charges are to bounce back from that reverse and prevent the leaders' five-point lead from growing City will need Silva to shine, Kilbane believes.

"It's probably not yet a must-win match for City bit they certainly cannot lose because if they give Chelsea an eight-point gap it would be difficult for them to overhaul them," Kilbane said. "The game will be so tight because of the way Chelsea play when they are out of possession, staying compact, making it difficult to find space. So Silva's a real master at finding bits of space, creating moments for himself and that's why he could be that key player for City who could provide that bit of magic in the game."

Fabregas (left) and Silva have pulled the strings for their sides this season