Passing the Lights Out: Man City Set Impressive Premier League Record in Dominant Win Over Chelsea
Manchester City moved one step closer to winning the Premier League title with a 1-0 win over current holders Chelsea at the Etihad on Sunday, opening an 18-point gap atop the division's standings.
A goal from Bernardo Silva was enough to get the job done for Pep Guardiola and his men, who have been a nailed-on certainty to end the campaign in first place for some time now.
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The Blues, who appeared intent on simply defending from the onset, allowed the home side 71% of the possession, leaving them with little choice but to string several passes together.
As it turns out, the champions elect completed a total of 902 passes, the most a Premier League side have recorded since Opta began compiling such data during the 2003/04 season.
City had already created history in this vein back in October, when they strung 844 passes against West Bromwich Albion to bypass their previous record of 841 made against Stoke City in 2011.
They also completed 814 against Stoke last October, leaving them with four out of the top-five highest such achievements since Opta started taking note.
Only Swansea, who put 835 passes together in a loss against Newcastle in 2012, join them in the top five, while Chelsea are in sixth place with 772 passes made in a 5-0 win against Sunderland in 2008.
