Michael Essien Goal keeps Guus Hiddink in Title Hunt as City go Missing Again

Chelsea 1-0 Manchester City

The train arrived on time again to keep Chelsea on title track - and maybe he can take them to the ultimate destination.

Michael Essien spent six months in the sidings, wondering when he would get the chance to show how much he was being missed. But after marking his first start since August with the crucial away goal in Turin, the Ghanaian sent shambolic City packing yesterday to ensure Guus Hiddink’s magic touch continued.

Essien’s second goal in six days ensured Hiddink’s side took full advantage of the first signs of Manchester United’s potential frailty, as the battle for the crown entered the final straight.

It might have been a fluke, spinning off his right shin to leave Shay Given helpless, but when you have suffered as much ill-fortune as the African powerhouse has this term you deserve a bit of luck.

More importantly for Chelsea, Essien’s return, accompanied by that of Ricardo Carvalho, has given the Blues a massive boost, more than outweighing the likely loss of Deco for the rest of the season.

Hiddink will not be kidded that it will be harder to win the next nine league games - as they will surely have to even if United start slipping up - than it was to extend his 100 per cent Premier League record.

The Dutchman had warned City on Friday that no matter how much cash they dangled in front of John Terry, money could not buy them everything. From the evidence on display at the Bridge, it cannot buy you integrity, commitment or desire either.

Mark Hughes did his best to defend the indefensible, deflecting the barbs aimed the way of Robinho, justifying Elano’s sprint to the dressing room when he, too, was withdrawn. But Sparky will know that this was the sort of performance that gets managers the sack.

City were gutless, spineless and hopeless, characteristics that Hughes the on-field warrior would never have accepted from team-mates in his playing days. It has happened too many times this season yet Hughes could not have imagined his side would commit defensive suicide so publicly as they did for the decisive moment after 18 minutes.

When the outstanding Frank Lampard retrieved the ball to take the free-kick 15 yards inside City’s half, Pablo Zabaleta was standing next to Essien. What followed was an object lesson in how not to do it, as the Argentine turned his back on Essien and wandered in the opposite direction as the African sauntered into the box.

Lampard, alert as ever, rolled the ball up to Essien, whose miss-hit killed the stranded Given. And, effectively, the game, which had been one-way traffic from the second minute, when Lampard, rightly flagged offside, turned an Essien shot home.

Chelsea were utterly dominant and Carvalho should have marked his first-team return with a header from six yards. Yet nothing could have better illustrated than the goal why City have only won twice on their travels in 13 months - both, oddly, at Sunderland - and although Caciedo fired wide from 20 yards, too many of Hughes’ players were spectators, their attitude scandalous.

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Blowout & Closeout Deals

Either side of the break, Chelsea could have grabbed a hat-full. Nedum Onuoha was all over Nicolas Anelka before bringing him down inside the box and then a beautiful passing movement instigated by Michael Ballack and continued by Lampard and Didier Drogba’s backheel deserved a better finish from the German.

Robinho briefly appeared from the obscurity but Chelsea were as impressive as at any stage since the autumn and City were no better after the resumption.

Only a desperate - and perfectly-executed - tackle on Drogba by Onuoha denied the striker after Essien’s pass bisected the City centre-backs, with Anelka then narrowly wide.

Drogba, found by Jose Bosingwa, was denied by Given’s knee, Essien surged forward again to fire wide and then Juliano Belletti smashed against the foot of the post from 25 yards.

Yet when the big man limped off, taking his threat with him, City belatedly started to do something, especially after Valeri Bojinov replaced Robinho, who should be ashamed of his contribution.The Bulgarian substitute’s volley into Petr Cech’s chest represented City’s lone effort on target and Chelsea’s response saw Florent Malouda, on for Drogba, finding the side-netting before being thwarted by Richard Dunne’s goal-line clearance.

It scarcely mattered. This was as comfortable as 1-0 gets. That is a mark of shame for City - and a warning for the red half of Manchester.

Chelsea: (4-1-4-1) Cech 7; Bosingwa 7, Carvalho 7, Terry 8, A Cole 7; Ballack 7; Anelka 7, Essien 7, Lampard 9, Deco 5 (Belletti, 41, 6); Drogba 7 (Malouda, 71, 5)

Man City: (4-4-2): Given 7; Richards 7, Dunne 6, Onuoha 6, Bridge 7; Wright-Phillips 5, Zabaleta 5, Ireland 6, Elano 5 (Etuhu, 66, 5); Robinho 4 (Bojinov, 81, 6), Caciedo 6 (Evans, 55, 6)

Referee: Mike Riley

Hero: Lampard: Bossed the game start from to finish

Villain: Robinho: You, sir, are a disgrace

Anorak: City have not scored at Stamford Bridge since December 2000 and not won in SW6 since 1993

( Martin Lipton / Mirror )