Superb Yaya Toure goal secures three points
By Aaron Leggott
Despite it being almost a whole calendar year since we beat Queens Park Rangers in the final game of last season, the team named by Roberto Mancini to play West Ham was identical to the XI that won the title in dramatic fashion.
Think of this what you will, but it is a bold statement from the Italian to show just how little we strengthened last summer and despite the capture of teenage sensation Matija Nastasic - a lot of the purchases by the club were clearly inadequate for a successful title challenge.
However, this City team, who have only dropped seven points at the Etihad Stadium this season, produced a performance similar to those deserving of them becoming league champions last season.
The moments of May 2013 will never be forgotten in the blue half of Manchester, but it is time to move on - and City produced an emphatic display against West Ham as the rebuilding started in preparation for next season.
There have been a number of names linked with the Blues such as Edinson Cavani, but he won't be needed if Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez are to be putting in similar performances every weekend from August onwards.
The link up play between themselves, David Silva and Samir Nasri was a joy to watch during the game and this kind of football resulted in City taking the lead through Aguero as he finished off a move which opened the Hammers' defence up with ease.
Aguero was unlucky not to open the scoring earlier after his scuffed shot bounced off the post and clear, but just before the half hour mark, his goal was a joy to behold. The build up play to feed the Argentinian was brilliant as Nasri finished off the move with a simple pass in the area and Aguero wasn't going to miss from close range.
The stand out moment from the opening period was the applause in remembrance of Marc Vivien Foe - a fitting tribute held brilliantly by both sets of fans. Unfortunately for the away following, their team rarely pushed City in the first half, with the only chance of note falling to Mohamed Diame who struck a fine effort from just outside the box.
There was an expectation within the stadium that City were going to go on and win comfortably but West Ham improved significantly in the second half and in truth were the better side.
However, their inability to create clear cut chances probably cost them in the hunt to gain an unlikely point, and apart from a strike from James Collins which flew past the post, they rarely tested Hart.
City, and in particular Tevez, were largely wasteful throughout the second half but Yaya Toure let him off the hook with an unbelievable strike with ten minutes to play as he curled in his effort from 20 yards.
And with minutes to play, following Joe Hart picking up an unexpected back injury, he made a big mistake in dealing with Andy Carroll's shot from close range as it rolled underneath him and into the back of the net. It was merely just a consolation goal but we will have to hope that the injury is nothing serious.
Here are some highlights from City's comfortable victory against the Hammers:
Think of this what you will, but it is a bold statement from the Italian to show just how little we strengthened last summer and despite the capture of teenage sensation Matija Nastasic - a lot of the purchases by the club were clearly inadequate for a successful title challenge.
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| Yaya Toure celebrates scoring City's second goal against West Ham Official MCFC Facebook |
However, this City team, who have only dropped seven points at the Etihad Stadium this season, produced a performance similar to those deserving of them becoming league champions last season.
The moments of May 2013 will never be forgotten in the blue half of Manchester, but it is time to move on - and City produced an emphatic display against West Ham as the rebuilding started in preparation for next season.
 |
| Aguero celebrates his goal Official MCFC Facebook |
The link up play between themselves, David Silva and Samir Nasri was a joy to watch during the game and this kind of football resulted in City taking the lead through Aguero as he finished off a move which opened the Hammers' defence up with ease.
Aguero was unlucky not to open the scoring earlier after his scuffed shot bounced off the post and clear, but just before the half hour mark, his goal was a joy to behold. The build up play to feed the Argentinian was brilliant as Nasri finished off the move with a simple pass in the area and Aguero wasn't going to miss from close range.
The stand out moment from the opening period was the applause in remembrance of Marc Vivien Foe - a fitting tribute held brilliantly by both sets of fans. Unfortunately for the away following, their team rarely pushed City in the first half, with the only chance of note falling to Mohamed Diame who struck a fine effort from just outside the box.
There was an expectation within the stadium that City were going to go on and win comfortably but West Ham improved significantly in the second half and in truth were the better side.
However, their inability to create clear cut chances probably cost them in the hunt to gain an unlikely point, and apart from a strike from James Collins which flew past the post, they rarely tested Hart.
City, and in particular Tevez, were largely wasteful throughout the second half but Yaya Toure let him off the hook with an unbelievable strike with ten minutes to play as he curled in his effort from 20 yards.
And with minutes to play, following Joe Hart picking up an unexpected back injury, he made a big mistake in dealing with Andy Carroll's shot from close range as it rolled underneath him and into the back of the net. It was merely just a consolation goal but we will have to hope that the injury is nothing serious.
Here are some highlights from City's comfortable victory against the Hammers:
Stats
City West Ham
61% Possession 39%
16 (10) Shots (on target) 9 (6)
9 Corners 4
9 Fouls 7
I thought we were quite careless at times with our passing in the final third of the field. Several times the last pass was either under or over hit.
ReplyDeleteYes, we were wasteful, but credit as well to the West Ham defence, who several times denied Tevez and Aguero with last ditch tackles and blocks.
There's no denying the two goals were crackers, the first demonstrating there's no side like us in the PL when we get it together, and the second Toure's awesome power.
Second place in the league is nearly there.