When the teams were announced, the pre-match chatter was all about the Brazilians. No Oscar for Chelsea. Left on the bench. Willian to play his role centrally. No Fernandinho for Manchester City. Out injured. David Luiz back for Chelsea. In central midfield. And then there was the other Samba Boy. Mr Reliable, Ramires, an automatic name in the starting XI but whose position and role was far from automatic. Less than two hours after kick-off, Chelsea had done it. They had become the first team in 62 attempts to stop Manchester City scoring at home in the Premier League. However, this was no dour 0-0, like they ‘accomplished at Manchester United and Arsenal this season. Yes, another clean sheet at a Premier League giant had been secured but this time theyd won; Branislav Ivanovic scoring the games only goal in the 32nd minute. It was fitting that the game was decided by a goal on Chelseas right side. Fitting also that had come from a counter-attack. A wonderfully stretched game, particularly in the first half, saw both teams crave and find space and when Ivanovic powered home the goal, just 34 seconds earlier, Jesus Navas was dancing in the other penalty area trying to ignite another City chance. In between, arguably the games best player, Eden Hazard had glided from one flank to the other to pin City deep; Ramires had sprinted from deep to have a shot blocked; the exact block that rebounded out to the Serbian defender to blast home. Five minutes earlier, the Chelsea counter-attackers had had an even better chance, once again starting deep in their own end, where Ramires faced Navas one-on-one in the box. Seconds later, Alvaro Negredo gave the ball away and Willian started a four-on-one attack that finished with Ramires (once again) sticking his jetpack on and sprinting into the box to hit a shot wonderfully saved by Joe Hart. Willian had made the wrong decision, an all too familiar story for the Chelsea counter-attackers, and instead should have played in Samuel Etoo, but, much like at Arsenal in December, the wrong decision was made at a key time and they let their opponents off the hook. Just think what this team could achieve when they do make the right decisions and do have a legitimate force as a striker who they wont think twice about before passing? It was a night of combinations for Chelsea. Nemanja Matic making his first league start since his move from Benfica, was outstanding alongside David Luiz as the pivots in midfield. Gary Cahill and John Terry made England fans wonder if the Chelsea skipper just might come out of international retirement for a trip to Brazil. Willian and Hazard were electrifying on the ball and much improved without it. It was the kind of night that elevated the Belgian to another level. Earlier this season, Jose Mourinho said it best of Hazard: “The quality we know, his talent we all know, but his ambition, the way he looks at a match, sometimes it is a little up and down, sometimes he waits for the game to give him conditions to succeed.” On a rainy night in Manchester, Hazard waited for nothing. It was his night to shine. Many have been too quick to elevate him to world class status but consistent performances in this manner will take him there soon enough. A football field containing other geniuses such as David Silva and Yaya Toure, became the garden of Eden when the world was watching. And that is why Chelseas victory was worth much more than three points. It is easy to forget Hazard is only 23 and has played very few big games in his career. This is a team that is much different to the one that won the Champions League in 2012 and, even, the Europa League last May. It is a team that Mourinho is building to become winners but to do that they must learn how to win together. This is the biggest win their attacking unit has accomplished. Only Luiz, Gary Cahill and Petr Cech beat Bayern Munich to be crowned European champions while that trio were joined by Cesar Azpilicueta and Ramires in the win over Benfica in Amsterdam. That night Ramires played on the right side of midfield, just as he did on Monday against City. So often used in central midfield, the 26-year-olds versatility was once again leaned on by his manager and he rewarded him with a performance at the highest level. Putting the Brazilian on the right didnt completely stop the enormous threat City pose with overlaps down the flanks but it certainly prevented them from trying it often. Citys 4-4-2 is more a 4-2-2-2 with Silva and Navas playing a little more central, allowing full backs to go beyond them. It has been a shape that has destroyed teams this season. Not Chelsea. The positioning of Ramires meant Ivanovic, more than comfortable as a centre back, often came narrower because he had the Brazilian to play right back without the ball. In attack, the pair could combine well also. Ivanovic rarely gets forward under Mourinho but with Ramires alongside him, he was able to do so, which paid off on the goal. Higher up the pitch, Ramires also slotted in central positions to make up a three in midfield and help prevent City playing through the middle while causing transitions, he often got on the end of. It was the kind of performance few will talk of. The stats show little of what he did, Hazard will rightly get the attention and Mourinho will dominate the headlines but without the football intelligence and incredible engine that Ramires provided, Chelsea could just have been another team carved open by a ruthless Manchester City. “We have six players for these positions. The three players behind the striker give me chances, as a manager, to change from match-to-match, depending on the opponent, the game plan. It is based on these three players how we create our football,” said Mourinho back in August. Back then it was about picking between Oscar, Juan Mata, Hazard, Willian, Kevin De Bruyne and Andre Schurrle. Ramires once again was not on anyones radar for those positions. For a player who is so typically non-Brazilian the low profile suits him but once again in another big game it was just too difficult to let him go unnoticed. Drazen Petrovic Jersey . They say things like "stress is when you dont know what youre doing" and "I wasnt hired to motivate players, I was hired to coach motivated players." They ring as true now as they did when Mularkey heard them the first time playing tight end for the Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Fame coach 25 years ago. Dzanan Musa Jersey .J. -- Pitcher Carl Pavano is retiring after 14 major league seasons. http://www.cheapnetsjerseys.com/ . -- Keith Aulie has joined the Tampa Bay Lightning. Cheap Nets Jerseys Authentic . Trailing 2-1 from the first leg, Fiorentina levelled on aggregate in the 14th minute when Joaquin Sanchez Rodriguez headed back a long ball from David Pizarro and Pasqual smashed home an angled volley. Kenneth Faried Jersey .com) - Richard Shermans two interceptions highlighted a dominant defensive effort, as the Seattle Seahawks routed the San Francisco 49ers in a highly anticipated NFC West Thanksgiving clash.AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - After another entertaining victory, the Detroit Pistons received a visit from grateful owner Tom Gores.Tom came in and talked to the team after the game, and hes very excited, coach Stan Van Gundy said. He thanked them for not giving up on the season when it was 5-23, and he talked about how much that means to him and to the whole city. He talked to the coaches as well, and there wasnt a single time where he tried to take any of the credit. Hes unselfish, but we all know that hes the catalyst for what we have started to do here.Detroit has won 12 of 15 since that 5-23 start, and the latest victory was an exciting one. Brandon Jennings had 24 points and a career-high 21 assists, and the Pistons held off the Orlando Magic 128-118 on Wednesday night.Andre Drummond added 26 points and 16 rebounds for the Pistons. Detroit nearly blew a 21-point third-quarter lead, but Jennings helped the Pistons close it out in the fourth.Finding guys, guys are getting easy shots, guys are making shots, Jennings said. It was one of those nights where youre like, Im close to 19 (assists), I better get 20.Gores took over as Detroits owner in 2011, and this is the most encouraging stretch the team has had since then. He spoke with reporters at halftime.Im just happy really, honestly, for our fans, for the city of Detroit, Gores said. For me, I feel like I was brought in as a new owner to deliver something, and I feel like Im at least delivering a part of what fans expect. Im really proud of this team, the way theyre fighting. Im proud of Stan for not giving up.Greg Monroe had 24 points and 10 rebounds for Detroit, which never trailed. The Pistons led by 11 after the first quarter and by 17 at halftime.Nikola Vucevic led Orlando with 26 points. The Magic cut the lead to two in the fourth, but the Pistons went on a 14-2 run to regain a comfortable margin.With the score 102-100, Jennings scored four straight points, and he later found Anthony Tolliver for a 3-pointer that made it 111-102.A 3-pointer by Jodie Meeks — off another assist by Jennings — put the Pistons up by 14..ddddddddddddhe Pistons jumped to a 26-12 lead and were ahead 35-24 after one. The Magic cut the lead to six before Detroit finished the half on a 13-2 run. Kyle Singlers 3-pointer at the buzzer made it 65-48.Singler finished with 14 points for Detroit.Orlandos Victor Oladipo scored 23 points, but the Magic wasted that effort with another poor defensive performance. This was the most points theyve allowed all season, surpassing Sundays 127-99 loss to Oklahoma City.Jennings was the first player with at least 20 points and 20 assists in a game since Steve Nash had 21 points and 20 assists for Phoenix against Philadelphia on Nov. 9, 2009, according to STATS.BACK IN MICHIGANOrlando rookie Devyn Marble started and played 20 minutes against the team he grew up rooting for. Marble was born in nearby Southfield, Michigan.I was happy to be back, Marble said. I wanted to come out here and try to get a W — came up short, so its on to the next one.Marbles father Roy lives in Michigan and has been battling cancer. He was at the game Wednesday.SPREADING THE WEALTHJennings has been instrumental in Detroits surge back into playoff contention, and he had 11 assists in the first half. His lob to Drummond for a one-handed dunk was a highlight of the third quarter and put the Pistons ahead 92-73. It was another alley-oop to Drummond that gave Jennings a career high with his 20th assist. That dunk made it 122-110.(Jennings) was phenomenal tonight, Van Gundy said. He was getting to the lane and making plays. He was making his shots when he got them.TIP-INSMagic: Tobias Harris missed all five of his shots in the first half, but he finished with 19 points in his return after missing five games with a sprained left ankle.Pistons: Jennings had 19 assists for Milwaukee on March 2, 2013, in an overtime win over Toronto. ... Detroits 128 points set a season high. The previous mark came in a 119-109 win over Indiana on Dec. 26 in what was the Pistons first game after waiving forward Josh Smith.UP NEXTMagic: Visit New York on Friday night.Pistons: Visit Milwaukee on Saturday night. 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