“Valera sets the tone”

The ball had barely settled before Nacho Valera was celebrating: five minutes gone, Chelsea ahead, and Manchester City already looking at a steep climb. Valera’s header from close range went low and near a post. Six minutes later, he struck again, this time with a close-range shot along the ground. You could feel the afternoon open up for the champions.

Chelsea had the title wrapped up on 5 April, but there was no sign of a side easing off. They led 2-0 inside 11 minutes and finished with four goals, 24 shots and 11 on target. Valera supplied the early burst and was named the outstanding player, leaving the field in the 74th minute with his work done.

City did find a way back into it before half-time. Íñigo Sanz pulled one back in the 41st minute with a close-range shot at mid-height. But Chelsea’s answer arrived three minutes later: Rubén Medina sent a close-range effort along the ground and near a post, restoring the two-goal cushion before the break.

The visitors had slightly more possession, but the chances kept coming at the other end. Chelsea’s goalkeeper made four saves; City’s was called on seven times. Júnior, on as a substitute for Valera, made the score 4-1 in the 86th minute with a close-range shot along the ground and near a post. That was the final word on a day when Chelsea’s attack had too much for City to contain.

For Chelsea, it is five league games unbeaten since their last defeat, and 97 points from 35 matches. They remain top, champions already, with three games left. City are 10th on 43 points from 36 games, another defeat in a season that has now brought 17 league losses.

Our preview noted the familiar face in City’s side: Nahuel Pelayes, once a Chelsea player, started for the visitors and was booked in the 56th minute. The reunion did not change the result; Valera had made sure of the day’s main story long before the late stages.