Barclays Premier League Review: Manchester City 3 – West Bromwich Albion 0

And so we have it: another commanding win by Manchester City at the Etihad. What a surprise, given the events of recent weeks.

But the game wasn’t played out scrappily; the game was completely dominated by City. An even more dominating display then Newcastle at home a month ago had City register a whopping 43 shots (16 on target) – compared to Albion’s 3 (none on target). City took control of the game from start to finish, with Gareth McAuley’s mistaken sending off setting the tone for the game.

McAuley tried to play a back pass to some point between Craig Dawson and 2^nd-choice ‘keeper Boaz Myhill. High-pressing Wilfried Bony intercepted it and took a touch past Dawson. Dawson lunged into the Ivorian forward and got tangled up with him. Without the illegal tackle, he would’ve been clean through on goal. The whistle was blown, but Bony kept on running, before being challenged again illegally, this time by Gareth McAuley. This caused the case of mistaken identity with a straight red card being shown to McAuley despite the foul-in-question (1^st foul) was committed by Dawson. This sent the Twitter world, the pundit’s galley, and the fans in the Etihad into silence and confusion.

That opened the door for some already-anticipated Blues dominance. Lateral rugby-like passes were the name of the game, and as they all say, patience is a virtue. City would pass the ball around the edge of the 18-yard box, before threading the odd through-ball or over-the-top ball or just having a go, constantly keeping Los Angeles-born Myhill on his toes. Corner after corner came, but nothing in the first 25.

Then Bony’s account was opened. One of many short corners was worked again to the edge of the penalty area before Fernando decided to have a crack. It was well blocked but only fell to Bony, who calmly lofted the ball over two defenders before smashing it into the top left. Goalkeeper no chance. Blues fans were ecstatic over this news: our new $30 million striker with high expectations has finally gotten off!

But the good news didn’t start there. West Brom needed to press forward to get anything out of the game, so gaps started opening up at the back. However, nothing really troubled Joe Hart in the first half with the Baggies registering no shots during that period. This is when the extra man really came into play – scared of being caught on the counter, Albion didn’t commit many men forward, which in turn sucked the venom out of the attack. I’ll take it, though.

 

City got another corner late into the opening period and this time it was whipped in. Mangala jumped towards the ball with a foot raised up high and the challenge for the ball should’ve resulted in a free kick going the other way. The referee had other ideas and waved play on, only for defensive mistakes by keeper and center half to let the ball drop kindly to an unmarked Fernando. From then on it was a simple matter of tapping the ball into an empty net. 2-0.

Into the half we went with plenty of controversy, as always, but the really highlight at the break for me was the Bony goal. It summed up what a player he is for me: strong, technical, and powerful.

 

The second half was less exciting, with the Blues still enjoying plenty of possession and chances, but with the score still at 2-0 and with around 20 minutes to go (I’d reckon), West Brom whipped in a dangerous ball from the corner. Last time out against City the Albion scored from a corner so they definitely knew what they were doing. Jonas Olsson headed the ball on to England youth international Saido Berahino who, at 2 yards out, somehow managed to smash the ball onto the post. That was the heart-in-throat moment for all inside the Etihad Stadium. It seems like that every game the Blues have to torture their loyal support in some way. But Joleon Lescott headed the following rebound high and the chance was gone. City escaped from a potential nervy last 15 minutes.

 

After bringing on Stevan Jovetic for Frank Lampard and deploying him on the wing, weirdly. Jovetic is not an out-and-out striker, but is he a winger? Jovetic shined anyways and it is really a shame that he isn’t being played as often. He was lively down the left, made a darting run into the box that resulted in a weak penalty shout, and set up Silva for the third inadvertently.

After winning another corner, City played it short again after realizing that the crosses don’t beat the first man more often than not. The ball was worked to Stevan Jovetic, before unlashing a shot that was heading towards the goal. David Silva then had the deftest of touches on the ball that confused Boaz Myhill. 3-0.

City closed the match out with relative ease and cut the goal difference gap between Chelsea to 1 goal. Three points behind Chelsea having played two games more. City are doing all they can to cut the gap and to hopefully reconstruct the cushion between themselves and the other teams from 3^rd to 7^th battling for those coveted Champions League spots. Overall a good performance for the lads right before the international break. Let’s build on this in two weeks on Monday afternoon when we travel down to take on Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. Until then.

By Rob Ming

Barclays Premier League Preview: Manchester City v. West Bromwich Albion

After a disappointing 1-0 defeat away against FC Barcelona that saw Manchester City crash out of the UEFA Champions League, the Blues have a chance to make amends against a West Brom side that have surely improved since last playing City on Boxing Day.

The Citizens have had a serious slump in form in recent weeks, having lost four out of their last five and only won three in their last eight. Those include a 1-1 home draw against Hull, two 2-1 defeats against Barcelona at home and Liverpool away respectively, before City pulled off the undoable: they lost 1-0 against a Burnley side that are staring relegation straight in the face. The performance was uninspiring and the Clarets certainly deserved the three points. Now six points behind league leaders Chelsea with the Londoners having a game in hand, winning all nine remaining games has to be accomplished if City wants to put up a fight.

After losing at Turf Moor, City went to the Camp Nou hoping to overturn a 2-1 home deficit suffered in the first leg. The Blues played like the underdogs they were, constantly being outclassed by the Blaugrana, and in particular 4-time FIFA Ballon d’Or-winner Lionel Messi. Fernandinho and James Milner were both nutmegged (and humiliated) numerous times by the Argentine in the first half. City’s backline, inexplicably containing second-string fullback Bacary Sagna, was eventually penetrated by a Messi chip, with Ivan Rakitic looping the ball over an outstretched Joe Hart to furtherly increase manager Manuel Pellegrini’s woes.

City fought back in the second half, but it was too little too late. Navas darted to the by-line before cutting the ball back into the box. That ball somehow missed three men in Blue shirts, and has been frequently listed as City’s second-to-best chance to get one of the two goals they needed to force extra time. A string of unbelievable saves from Joe Hart just about kept City in the game, with the Shrewsbury-born No. 1 having arguably the best game of his career.

The best chance was a penalty taken by Sergio Agüero. His penalty was at the perfect height for Marc-Andre ter Stegen to save, and that sucked what little blood was remaining from the Citizens. It was saddening to watch: once again Manchester City had been knocked out of the Champions League at the Round-of-16 in disappointing fashion. Don’t get me wrong – there is no shame in losing to Barca; the manner in which we were comprehensively outplayed and defeated over two legs was the most concerning.

On to the West Brom lunchtime fixture at the Etihad. The last time we played the Baggies, we were 3-1 victors at the Hawthrons on Boxing Day. Fernando, Yaya Toure, and David Silva all scored within 35 minutes in Alan Irvine’s second-to-last game in charge, before Brown Ideye equalized late on from a corner. The game was played in dominant fashion by the blues, who, ironically, played the game two days before we gave up a 2-0 lead at the Etihad against the Clarets to eventually draw 2-2. It was toward the end of our 14-game unbeaten streak which included 12 wins. That stretch of form was definitely the best the Blues had played, when we had no fit recognized strikers and just before Yaya Toure left us to go on Africa Cup of Nations duty.

The Baggies have changes dramatically since. Tony Pulis has taken over in Birmingham, guiding the team from hovering over the relegation zone to 13^th in the Premier League, in a good position to avoid the drop. They also made it to the quarterfinals of the FA Cup, only to be halted by Aston Villa, also under a new boss in the shape of Tim Sherwood. West Brom have bounced back from back-to-back losses against rivals Villa in league and cup to claim a 1-0 home victory against top-half-of-the-table Stoke City last time out, grabbing an early goal and defending for their lives at the end. That may well be their strategy at the Etihad on Saturday: defending and hitting us on the counter. Having pulled a 1-0 victory over Europe-seeking Southampton out of the bag three weeks ago, this team is no foreigner to the upset.

The Citizens need the three points from this game more: not only to they have Chelsea to chase at the top of the table, but Arsenal and Man United are breathing down the Blues’ backs. A draw could see City drop to third behind Arsenal (1 point behind) and become level on points with Manchester United, although they have the superior goal difference. Needless to say, a victory is what we need.

But how can that be achieved? West Brom play a 4-2-3-1 rigid at the back, with former Blue Joleon Lescott leading the back four. Prying the team apart by flooding men forward and with intricate passes might just work, like in the game against Crystal Palace in mid-December. Both teams also can hit us on the counter with loads of pace, with Saido Berahino and Brown Ideye the men on fire at the moment. This shouldn’t be a stroll in the park for City, but I, along with the millions of Blues all around the world, will certainly be expecting a sound victory right before an international break.

Both sides have injuries to worry about too. On the home side’s front, vice-captain Yaya Toure, Aleksandar Kolarov, and James Milner are all looking to miss the clash, while for the Baggies starting No. 1 Ben Foster will be the most apparent absence on the teamsheet, with replacement Boaz Myhill looking to impress. Jonas Olsson and Brown Ideye face late fitness tests, while Victor Anichebe and Callum McManaman definite absentees.

Having no more room to slip up, the Citizens need to win this game. West Brom will be a tough test, but shouldn’t prove too difficult for them to handle. With the backing of an unfilled stadium, City will run out 3-0 victors tomorrow, proving to be too hot to hand by Alan Irvine’s men.

My XI: Hart; Zabaleta, Demichelis, Mangala, Clichy; Nasri, Fernandinho, Lampard, Silva; Jovetic, Bony

By Rob Ming