There were plenty of positives to be taken as far as Chelsea are concerned following their final Premier League game ahead of the EFL Cup final.
They came close to completing a monumental victory against title-chasing Manchester City, however were forced to settle for a point after a late Rodri goal.
What should not be forgotten though is the stellar performance Mauricio Pochettino’s side put in, particularly in defence.
Axel Disasi and Levi Colwill put themselves down as the go-to centre-back partnership for the foreseeable future with an immense display alongside each other at the back.
While a lot of the praise will fall with the defenders, it should not be forgotten that the Blues posed quite the threat going the other way too.
The front three that started the game of Raheem Sterling, Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson provided more than enough issues for a shaky City defence, with the latter looking to prove a number od doubters wrong with his performance.
While he probably should have put the Blues ahead earlier on, his pass for Sterling was superb as the England international gave his current side the lead against his former employers.
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Jackson has to start League Cup final for Chelsea
Faced with the tough task of sometimes being the sole man in attack, the Senegal international made the most out of what were limited opportunities to get on the ball at the Etihad.
His link-up play was absolutely crucial to a side who were aware they were not going to dominate possession on the day, and this is important when looking at who they will play in the EFL Cup final.
In Liverpool, they will be facing a confident side buoyed by the fact they remain top of the tree in England.
In order to get their most important players into the game, Pochettino must select Jackson to start on Sunday.
