Mondays' Chelsea reax

James Lawton, The Independent

In the face of such untypical inefficiencies, City in this mood were bound to prosper. They were served particularly well by the dash of Wright-Phillips and Tevez and the relentless energy of Nigel de Jong. The Dutchman's game is less than beguiling but what it lacks poetically it can compensate for quite remarkably with rousing statements of commitment. That was the requirement against a Chelsea midfield of Lampard, Deco, Ballack and Essien which briefly threatened a complete annexation of City's latest hopes of taking a place among the elite. De Jong produced it with superb application and long before the end City were not only holding their ground but making serious inroads into Chelsea's self-confidence.

James Ducker, The Times

Then Gareth Barry and the outstanding Nigel de Jong sunk their teeth into the Chelsea midfield, Shaun Wright-Phillips began playing better than he ever did for Chelsea, Carlos Tévez made a pest of himself and, on those occasions when Carlo Ancelotti’s team did penetrate City’s back four, they encountered a brick wall by the name of Shay Given.

Victory may have slightly flattered City given that Frank Lampard had a penalty saved by Given and Didier Drogba, uncharacteristically, spurned a gilt-edged opportunity from ten yards, but for sheer guts alone, Hughes’s men deserved the points.

Kevin McCarra, The Guardian

At full-time he [Mark Hughes] looked fully in charge. Chelsea, after opening confidently, lost control and were not permitted to dictate terms so much as they often do. Nigel de Jong, in his defensive midfield role, took credit for a great deal of important destructiveness.

"We talked about playing in their half and trying to stop situations that could develop and hurt us," said the manager. It was difficult to believe that the Dutchman purchased from Hamburg for £16m had once been a creative presence for Ajax. Most people in Hughes's side looked entirely at ease in their present line of work and De Jong regarded this as one of the best displays of his career.

Ian Ladyman, Daily Mail

But Hughes' side can play exceptional football when things come together and their Carling Cup win against Arsenal last Wednesday had clearly given them the self-belief to recover.

With holding midfield player Nigel de Jong enjoying his best game for the club he joined last January, Gareth Barry finding some better form and Shaun Wright-Phillips and Carlos Tevez continuing where they left off against Arsenal, City had Chelsea on the back foot for long periods.

Mark Ogden, Daily Telegraph

But Given saved the spot-kick and rather than heading down the road to nowhere, there is now a sense that, having beaten Arsenal and Chelsea within four days, City are beginning to move towards their chosen destination.

It was Hughes who provided the pass for Robins to score the goal that supposedly kept plain old Alex Ferguson in a job 20 years ago, so he knows all about defining moments. “Who knows if this result will be viewed as a big turning point in the years to come? But in terms of the development of the team, I think this has been a really big week,” Hughes said.