CHELSEA 3 CITY 1
League Division 1
20th December 1969
attendance 34,791
Scorers
City Summerbee(87)
Chelsea Webb(26 & 30), Hutchinson(42)
ref E Jennings
City Corrigan, Book, Heslop, Booth, Oakes, Summerbee, Connor, Bowles Owen, Young, Bowyer – sub Towers(unused)
Chelsea Bonetti, Cooke, Dempsey, Harris, Hollins, Houseman, Hudson, Hutchinson, McCreadie, Osgood, Webb – used sub Mulligan
TONY BOOK CAN’T STOP WEBB FROM SCORING
FROM THE PRESS BOX
Chelsea need look np further than their most recent experience to justify the recruitment of expensive players who cannot be guaranteed a first team place.
Clearly London’s most accomplished team, their envied strength in depth has enabled them to overcome persistent injury trouble this season.
And out of the similar misfortune which overtook Manchester City on Saturday, Chelsea will find some satisfaction.
Injury and sickness left City short of Colin Bell, Francis Lee, Mick Doyle and Glyn Pardoe. Their replacements were promising and adequate rather than accomplished.
It emphasised that only Chelsea and Leeds among the First Division contenders have a right to feel confident that they can deal with adversity.
The loss of key players had City manager Joe Mercer fearing the worse, and his fears were justified once his team’s resistance had been broken down in the opening half hour.
In recent weeks City have shown an interest in QPR’s suspended forward Rodney Marsh, Wyn Davies of Newcastle and Brian Kidd, who has asked for a transfer from Manchester United.
The price quoted for Marsh was way beyond City’s assessment, and it underlines the desperate transfer situation now facing managers who seek truly talented footballers. Mercer says “We need to strengthen our first team pool, but t is getting more difficult. Every club in the First Division is searching with big money. We are on the lookout for someone who can play comfortably on the left side of the field, and this precise need increases the problem”.
…A place in the first team squad is enough to qualify a Chelsea player for top money and gives the club protection from covetous rivals.
The football they played on Saturday was too much for the stricken City, and they approach the second half of the season as outstanding contenders for the championship.
City had their moments, and it was to their credit that they continue to play with the ambition typical of their football.
Mike Summerbee managed something of a triumph. Denied the support of international colleagues, he gave a thoroughly convincing performance which shows an eagerness to return to the England picture.
But the flaws of inexperience showed through some of City’s younger players, who were caught out when drawn back in front of their own goal.
Chelsea’s David Webb advanced to score twice, once from a free kick and then from a corner, with young Ian Bowyer no more than an interested spectator.
Ian Hutchinson scored Chelsea’s third after a fine dribble and shot by Peter Osgood. City had the late compensation of a Summerbee header, after Neil Young had crossed perfectly from the left.
KEN JONES WRITING IN THE DAILY MIRROR 22ND DECEMBER 1969