The Scoring Ones v The Special One – who will come out on top?

So the transfer window has closed with a bang for some and a whimper for others.

Manchester United can now boast owning a player who cost £37 million and who has lost twice away at Stoke in one season. All without an Arsenal shirt as well.

Liverpool have missed out on some, seen others snatched from underneath them and Arsene Wenger lived up to his standard performance of building up to knock Gunner’s expectations down.

Now full attention turns to the game of the weekend – or Monday night more accurately – between Chelsea and Manchester City.

City manager Manuel Pellegrini was in need of one purchase and one purchase only in the transfer window – that simple counting tool we know as an abacus. Preferably before the Champions League returns.

Counterpart Jose Mourinho meanwhile needed a world class forward. Slightly harder to come by and certainly something he did not receive.

City fans are moaning about the loss of the injured Sergio Aguero, who will miss the game against Chelsea and potentially the one against Barcelona – who in a plus point for the Citizens are now in a fully blown title race on three fronts in La Liga, after having lost 3-2 at the Camp Nou to a Valencia side on Saturday. Unbeatable at home City may be, Barcelona however certainly are not.

Sympathy for City fans when it comes to their injury issues up top is frankly non-existent amongst Chelsea fans – who have to rely on Samuel Eto’o and the donkey that is Demba Ba. They now actually pray for Fernando Torres to come back to full fitness. The likes of Alvaro Negredo or super sub Dzeko are players the Blues cannot even dream of.

Eto’o may be a ‘big game player,’ a phrase Chelsea fans are coming to despise with a passion, but as Wednesday night showed, he cannot hit a barn door against the lower sides in the league. Drawing to West Ham when Arsenal had left the door open to close the gap on the same night City simply whitewashed Spurs was telling.

Yes, City once again got a rather favourable refereeing decision, but it is swings and roundabouts. Eden Hazard penalty v West Brom anyone?

The fact of the matter is you would actually expect Chelsea to get a point – or more- against City at the most feared ground in Europe at the minute.

City score at will and for fun, but Chelsea under Mourinho get the points in the big games. They step up and perform. They are winners. They also have the best centre back in Europe at the minute in John Terry, who will guard that Chelsea goal with his life.

The problem, and the reason why the title will return to the Etihad come May, is the very same one lamented by Blues fans constantly. Chelsea cannot beat the West Ham or Stokes of the world. Manchester City most certainly can.

Who will come out on top? Let us know your thoughts below or tweet us @LaFootyettes.