Chelsea’s comeback win against Pep Guardiola and Manchester City was marred by the massive brawl between the two teams towards the end of the match.
Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero plowed into Blues defender David Luiz in stoppage time. The Argentine received a straight red card, while the ensuing brawl between the two teams also saw Brazilian midfielder Fernandinho being sent off for pushing Cesc Fabregas by the throat.
It was a dark moment of madness for the two sets of players. Veteran Chelsea defender Gary Cahill has now expressed his disappointment at the Aguero tackle which triggered the whole situation, saying that maybe the Argentine was ‘frustrated’ by Luiz.
“Maybe it was a bit of frustration,” said Cahill, according to the Mirror.
“It was unlike him, it was out of character for him. It looked a bad tackle, out of character, it’s disappointing to see that.
They’d had a battle, him and David, and sometimes a bit of frustration spills over. It was a crazy tackle, not like him.”
The fallout from that late melee hasn’t been favourable for either club, with both set to face disciplinary action by the FA for failing to control their players.
It will be worse for City though, as Aguero is set to receive a four match ban for his second such offence this season. Fernandinho also faces a three game suspension. For Chelsea, Cesc Fabregas will also be under investigation by the FA for appearing to slap the Brazilian.
The result, though, is no doubt in the Blues favour. It was a potentially season defining victory for Antonio Conte and his men, as they further solidified their position at the top of the Premier League table.
Pep Guardiola and Manchester City though have nothing good to remember about Saturday night. This was the second defeat of the season for a side who were looking almost invincible at the beginning of the campaign. The ugly brawl makes things worse, as Guardiola now has to find a way to get the Citizens back on track and salvage his own reputation.