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| The Edin Dzeko show Photo: Matthew Lewis/Getty Images Europe |
City's garden of Edin
By Dave Walker
Manchester City’s thoroughly deserved 2-1
win at The Hawthorns was undoubtedly the late Edin Dzeko show as 10-man
City persevered in adversity.
But it was a victory built on resilience,
self belief and strength of purpose stemming from that memorable, last minute,
title-clinching win over QPR last May.
Has there ever been a team more aware of
the rewards to be had by keeping going until the final whistle, than Roberto
Mancini’s men – I think not.
This was as dramatic a win as you’ll see
all season as City kept their composure, stayed patient and ultimately
triumphed after being a man down for 75 minutes of play.
At first glance James Milner’s 20th
minute red card for sending Shane Long tumbling seemed harsh. However, replays
showed that the industrious Milner was City’s last man when he downed the
Albion forward.
It was unjust in that Milner paid the price
for his captain’s indiscretions, after Vincent Kompany was dispossessed at the
half way line leaving the England man exposed in a foot race he was never going
to win.
With Mario Balotelli already booked for a
relatively innocuous challenge, City seemed destined to be closer to 5-a-side
team by the time ref Mark Clattenburg had completed his afternoon’s work.
The controversial official from Tyne &
Wear does a good impression of a cabaret magician such is his propensity for a
showing of cards. Rightly or wrongly he is loathed by Manchester City fans for
his handling of City matches over the years.
In fairness, the home side was seeing
enough yellow to paint a submarine as Clattenburg continued his first half orgy
of bookings. Balotelli could conceivably have been sent off after Long’s
theatrical reaction to a mistimed challenge, but thankfully not on this
occasion.
A man down, City manned up and dominated
the first half with that man, Mario, coming closest to scoring following a mazy
dribble past four Albion defenders and forcing a save from keeper Ben Foster.
City had come for the win and, such is the
ability and confidence that comes from being champions, they continued their
quest even with 10 men.
Mancini marshalled his men at half time and
resumed their task with composure and purpose.
Carlos Tevez forced a superb flying save as
Foster clawed away the ever busy Argentine’s shot from the edge of the 18 yard
box. It was from a Tevez free kick that Mario and Yaya contrived to miss two
great opportunities before City suffered more misfortune.
The Baggie’s forward Marc-Antoine Fortune
handled in the Albion penalty box but calamitous Clattenburg saw fit to award a
free kick, despite the protestations from City.
Within minutes City were one down, against
the run of play. It was looking like ‘one of those days’ for the champions.
Substitute Odemwingie’s shot was doing nothing until Long sprang City’s offside
trap, nipped in behind Joleon Lescott and guided the ball past a helpless Joe
Hart.
Suddenly it was boing boing Baggies as the
home support finally came to life having been comprehensively outsung by City’s
2,600 massed ‘choir’.
With Sergio Aguero already on for Balotelli,
Mancini showed his tactical prowess and ambition and sent Dzeko on for the
chronically understated Gareth Barry.
Within a minute the man who hates the label ‘supersub’ had worked his
magic once again.
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| Dzeko grabs City's equaliser just a minute after replacing Barry Photo: Matthew Lewis/Getty Images Europe |
Gael Clichy was felled by Zoltan Gera out
wide on the City left flank. Tevez whipped in a pacy free kick and Dzeko rose
to flick his header over Foster with the keeper flailing at thin air. 1-1 and
game most definitely on!
Albion boss Steve Clarke introduced Belgian
striking prodigy Lukaku into the fray and he could so easily have taken the
plaudits from Dzeko had he been more clinical with two goal attempts.
First he put a point blank header into
Hart’s midriff rather than the net. Hart then foiled him a second time with a
sensational save from an equally spectacular overhead kick.
The ensuing corner sowed the seeds of
City’s success as Mancini’s three substitutes linked up for a glorious winner.
Aleksander Kolarov launched a lightning counter attack to Aguero across the
halfway line.
Sergio surged down the right side and
placed a precision pass perfectly into the barnstorming Bosnian’s stride
pattern.
Dzeko dispatched a beautifully placed low
drive past Foster producing a lovely bulge in the back of the Baggie’s net. Cue
euphoria on the pitch, on the City bench and in the stand among the wonderfully
vocal and, strangely ever optimistic, travelling support.
Dzeko bared his lean muscular frame,
Clattenburg bared a yellow card for the shirt-shedding and Manchester City, the
champions of England, bared their teeth to one and all.
Scintillating City had dug in and dug out a
win that could become a defining moment in a season of massive promise and
probabilities. If any critic, pundit or jaundiced anti-City journalist thinks
Manchester City lack team spirit, they can think again.
(c) The Sky Blue View 2012
Your comments regarding Clattenburg's performance are accurate, however, there are two sides to his performance. For example, Gera's challenge for the free kick that lead to the equaliser was fair and cleanly won the ball. Other examples, several challenges by Tevez went unpunished, why, when Clattenburg was readily handing out yellows Willey-Nilley? Granted City performed admirably and kept possession excellently even with 10 men. From an Albion perspective, proud that we are no longer in fear of playing teams with astronomical budgets or the traditional big four. Come on you Baggies.
ReplyDeleteFair play City. Felt we held back too much first half and showed a wee bit too much respect, and in fact your sending off seemed to galvanise you.
ReplyDeleteWhat a pity Odemwingie and Lukaku didn't come on earlier, cos from where I was sitting, every time Pete got the ball and ran at you lot, you looked frightened to death.
On another day - and with better Lukaku finishing - we could have easily won that game 2-1.
I just think you have to give us some credit for at least going for it with 10 to go. Not many teams will come to The Hawthorns this season and win - and I count the top four in that.
See, we no longer Boing between divisions these days.
We Know What We Are ie somehwere between the 7th and 12th best team in the Prem.
Regards