Chelsea vs Man City Half-Time Update

Chelsea and Manchester City are currently tied together in a humdrum battle at Stamford Bridge, where around £500m worth of players are currently drawing 0-0.

Chelsea will be hoping to record back-to-back league wins for the first time since November, but do so with Drogba and Anelka only deemed worthy of a place on the bench.

City had the opening effort five minutes in; after good work from Silva and Milner, the ball found Yaya Toure, who hit a fierce effort from 20 yards that was parried clear by Peter Cech.

Chelsea had a small shout for a penalty just into the 20th minute, as Kalou’s cross from just inside the box on the right-hand side brushed the arm of Joleon Lescott, but referee Chris Foy deemed it not to be deliberate.

The game so far has been mainly quiet and without too much activity; with a few minutes to go until half-time, Torres had a chance to break the deadlock, albeit for a good sliding block by City midfielder Nigel de Jong. There was also another block moments later, after Ramires found Lampard with a pass, with Vincent Kompany coming across to obstruct on this occasion.

Chelsea’s team news revolved around the absence from the starting 11 of both Anelka and Drogba in the home attack, meaning Torres and Salomon Kalou are the preferred strike-force. David Luiz and John Terry make up the two central defenders, as Alex is still not match fit.

City’s top scorer Carlos Tevez failed an eleventh hour fitness test, and is left out entirely, meaning new signing Edin Dzeko is the lone striker, with Mario Balotelli returning to the touchline. Former Chelsea winger Shaun Wright-Phillips finds himself on the bench.

Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, David Luiz, Terry, Cole, Ramires, Essien, Lampard, Kalou, Torres, Malouda

Substitutes: Turnbull, Bosingwa, Ferreira, Mikel, Zhirkov, Drogba, Anelka

Man City: Hart, Richards, Kompany, Kolarov, Lescott, Milner, Barry, Silva, De Jong, Yaya Toure, Dzeko

Substitutes: Taylor, Boateng, Boyata, Wright-Phillips, Johnson, Vieira, Balotelli