Chelsea vs. Manchester City: Result Hardly Changes Blues' Issues in EPL Hunt

Chelsea supporters have been waiting for their club to once again show their mettle. On Monday, they got the result they were looking for, even if the future remains bleak for the Blues. 

On Monday, Chelsea finally got back to winning ways and did so against the chief club in all of England at the moment.

Manchester City has been ruling the EPL with a deft attack that has been far too prolific for most back lines to deal with. So it is almost a wonder of magical proportions that Andres Villas-Boas' club would be able to stifle Manchester City enough to get the full three points. 

The Blues were once unbeatable at Stamford Bridge, but that idea has all but gone out the window as Chelsea is suffering through one of the most mediocre seasons in years. 

Finally, there was some magic on the pitch in West London. City was confined to middling levels as they attacked ad nauseum with no more than a single goal being given. 

The Blues are slowly but surely starting to roll that giant boulder down the hill. The stagnant group got over on the best there is, and it should be lauded as a turning point in the season. 

Now for the howevers and buts to boil over.

Chelsea may have the three points, but the win should really go to Gael Clichy, whose defense gave the game away and negated City from the perfect season. 

Clichy was caught for his second yellow in the 58th minute. His send-off allowed Chelsea to set up quite comfortably the rest of the way.

It led to more possessions and the ultimate moment when Joleon Lescott hand-balled in the box. That gave supersub Frank Lampard the moment to shine. Lampard nailed the penalty kick in for the goal and gave the Blues and himself something to be proud of.

I still can't get over how fluid and dangerous Manchester City looked in the early parts of this game. The attack flourished, and City owned the ball and tempo of the game.

This is exactly what worries me about Chelsea the rest of the way. 

After suffering a humbling loss to Liverpool, the Blues have gone on to get much of their swagger back in the EPL with punishing wins against Newcastle and Wolverhampton. 

Yet the defensive issues are still there ready to rear their ugly heads once again. This may be the turn of the season for Chelsea, but it may also be an outlier collection of a couple of stirring results.

I fear that it very well might be the latter. 

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