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Wilfried Bony’s first goal steers Manchester City to West Brom win Wilfried Bony’s first goal steers Manchester City to West Brom win
(34 minutes later)
The good news for Manchester City is that the gap at the top of the Premier League table has now been cut to three points, at least for a few hours. Slightly less encouraging was that in 90 minutes of target practice against a side reduced to 10 men virtually from the outset and barely able to get out of their own half, City were unable to overtake Chelsea in the goal difference column. Come the end of the season, if Manuel Pellegrini is to be believed and the leaders are going to drop points, such details could be important.The good news for Manchester City is that the gap at the top of the Premier League table has now been cut to three points, at least for a few hours. Slightly less encouraging was that in 90 minutes of target practice against a side reduced to 10 men virtually from the outset and barely able to get out of their own half, City were unable to overtake Chelsea in the goal difference column. Come the end of the season, if Manuel Pellegrini is to be believed and the leaders are going to drop points, such details could be important.
“We are not thinking about Chelsea,” the City manager said. “We will not be playing them again this season so I will probably not even watch their game. Manchester United at Liverpool might be more useful. All we can do now is concentrate on our own games. I think Chelsea might drop points, but if they don’t we could win all our remaining games and not win the title.” “We are not thinking about Chelsea,” he said. “We will not be playing them again this season so I will probably not even watch their game. Manchester United at Liverpool might be more useful. All we can do now is concentrate on our own games. I think Chelsea might drop points, but if they don’t we could win all our remaining games and not win the title.”
City are not in a creative moment, according to Pellegrini, who made seven changes to the side beaten in Barcelona in midweek. What you need in such circumstances are visitors like West Bromwich, who had actually taken a point more than City from league games in 2015 before this game kicked off, but lost a defender within 90 seconds of the match starting. City are not in a creative moment, according to Pellegrini, who made seven changes to the side beaten in Barcelona in midweek. What you need in such circumstances are visitors like West Bromwich, who had taken a point more than City from league games in 2015 before this game kicked off, but lost a defender within 90 seconds of the match starting.
Gareth McAuley was the unlucky early departee, unlucky because he was not the culprit when Wilfried Bony was tripped on the edge of the area on City’s first attack. It was Craig Dawson who committed that foul, and though McAuley did arrive on the scene late, the position of the free-kick indicated referee Neil Swarbrick had penalised the initial offence, seen it as a denial of a clear goalscoring opportunity, then sent off the wrong player. Gareth McAuley was the unlucky early departee, unlucky because he was not the culprit when Wilfried Bony was tripped on the edge of the area on City’s first attack. It was Craig Dawson who committed that foul, and though McAuley did arrive on the scene late, the position of the free-kick indicated that Neil Swarbrick had penalised the initial offence, seen it as a denial of a clear goalscoring opportunity, then sent off the wrong player.
“Some referees would not see that as a red card, there was a similar incident in the Wolves-Derby game on Friday and the player was not even booked,” Tony Pulis said. “But once he’s decided it was a goal-scoring opportunity I can’t believe he picked the wrong player. We all know it is a tough job but we can’t keep moaning about referees. The time has come to help them with a system of referrals.” “Some referees would not see that as a red card. There was a similar incident in the Wolves-Derby game on Friday and the player was not even booked,” Tony Pulis said. “But once he’s decided it was a goal-scoring opportunity I can’t believe he picked the wrong player. We all know it is a tough job but we can’t keep moaning about referees. The time has come to help them with a system of referrals.”
That incident all but killed the contest even if it took City another 25 minutes to take the lead, with Frank Lampard shooting narrowly wide and David Silva bringing a flying save from Boaz Myhill while the game remained scoreless, but once they did the outcome was not in doubt.That incident all but killed the contest even if it took City another 25 minutes to take the lead, with Frank Lampard shooting narrowly wide and David Silva bringing a flying save from Boaz Myhill while the game remained scoreless, but once they did the outcome was not in doubt.
Fittingly it was Bony, who might have scored after a minute, who put the home side ahead with his first goal since his £25m transfer from Swansea. City moved the ball along the edge of the area searching for an opportunity until Fernando went for goal and saw his shot half blocked. The ball went forward rather than back, and though it reached Bony at an awkward height the striker stayed onside, brought it down well and finished from the six yard line with his usual vigour. Fittingly, it was Bony, who might have scored after a minute, who put the home side ahead with his first goal since his £25m transfer from Swansea. City moved the ball along the edge of the area searching for an opportunity until Fernando went for goal and saw his shot half blocked. The ball went forward rather than back, and though it reached Bony at an awkward height the striker stayed onside, brought it down well and finished from the six-yard line with his usual vigour.
City’s attempts on goal tally moved beyond 20 before half-time, with West Brom allowing Joe Hart a rest after his midweek heroics by failing to register a single effort, on target or otherwise. Not all of the home side’s attacks were incisive, it was more a case of shots from distance being blocked by a packed defence or saved by the goalkeeper, until the second goal arrived courtesy of a mix-up between Myhill and Jonas Olsson.City’s attempts on goal tally moved beyond 20 before half-time, with West Brom allowing Joe Hart a rest after his midweek heroics by failing to register a single effort, on target or otherwise. Not all of the home side’s attacks were incisive, it was more a case of shots from distance being blocked by a packed defence or saved by the goalkeeper, until the second goal arrived courtesy of a mix-up between Myhill and Jonas Olsson.
When Eliaquim Mangala took out a defender to reach a Jesús Navas corner the goalkeeper appeared to have the loose ball covered, only for Olsson to scoop it out of his arms at the last moment to present Fernando with a chance he could hardly miss. It was the sort of defending to keep a coach awake at night and Pulis, the West Bromwich manager, cut a disconsolate figure on the sideline in the minutes before the interval, frequently turning away or kicking the ground in frustration. When Eliaquim Mangala took out a defender to reach a Jesús Navas corner the goalkeeper appeared to have the loose ball covered, only for Olsson to scoop it out of his arms at the last moment to present Fernando with a chance he could hardly miss. It was the sort of defending to keep a coach awake at night and Pulis cut a disconsolate figure on the sideline in the minutes before the interval, frequently turning away or kicking the ground in frustration.
Myhill helped keep the score respectable with two excellent saves from Silva and Sergio Agüero early in the second half, before Lampard set him an easier task with an underhit shot after Silva had picked up his run with a clever pass. By the time the hour came up City were finding ever more creative ways not to score.Myhill helped keep the score respectable with two excellent saves from Silva and Sergio Agüero early in the second half, before Lampard set him an easier task with an underhit shot after Silva had picked up his run with a clever pass. By the time the hour came up City were finding ever more creative ways not to score.
Agüero hit the post and Bony the bar on the same attack, before Navas crashed in a shot from a narrow angle to bring another fine save. That was something like City’s 36th attempt on goal, and the traffic was so one-way that when West Brom finally won a corner after 65 minutes their supporters leapt to their feet in ironic celebration. Had Saido Berhaino pulled a goal back shortly afterwards, instead of heading against the bar from a corner, the home side might have been seriously embarrassed; instead the chance was missed and Stevan Jovetic came on to make the margin of victory more flattering with a shot from the edge of the area that Silva managed to help into the net. Agüero hit the post and Bony the bar on the same attack, before Navas crashed in a shot from a narrow angle to bring another fine save. That was something like City’s 36th attempt on goal, and the traffic was so one-way that when West Brom finally won a corner after 65 minutes their supporters leapt to their feet in ironic celebration. Had Saido Berahino pulled a goal back shortly afterwards, instead of heading against the bar from a corner, the home side might have been seriously embarrassed; instead the chance was missed and Stevan Jovetic came on to make the margin of victory more flattering with a shot from the edge of the area that Silva managed to help into the net.