Man City thrash rudderless Chelsea, Arsenal win at Selhurst Park

Defending champions, Chelsea, played one of their worst games under Jose Mourinho yesterday at the Etihad Stadium, where Manchester City thrashed them 3-0 to win their second game of the season.

Sergio Aguero’s exquisite solo strike and late goals by Vincent Kompany and Fernandinho compounded the champions’ early-season problems.

Aguero made amends for a slew of early misses by exchanging passes with Yaya Toure, twisting inside his marker and placing a pinpoint shot inside the far post in the 32nd minute.

Such was City’s dominance and attacking threat in the first half that Chelsea manager, Jose Mourinho, substituted captain John Terry at halftime to shake up his team.

A hungry-looking City kept the initiative, though. Kompany headed in David Silva’s corner in the 79th minute and Fernandinho drove in a third six minutes later for a victory that could have a big psychological effect in the title race.

At the Selhurst Park, Damien Delaney’s own goal allowed Arsenal to belatedly kick start their Premier League season with a 2-1 away victory in the London derby against Crystal Palace.

Palace had recovered from an early mauling by a fired-up Arsenal and had started the second half brightly only for Irishman Delaney to turn Alexis Sanchez’s downward header into his own net after 55 minutes.

Arsenal, in need of a quick response after being beaten 2-0 at home by West Ham United on the opening weekend of the season, dominated the early exchanges and deservedly took the lead with Olivier Giroud’s 16th-minute volley.