Pre-Match
After an impressive start and only one defeat all season City go into a dangerous looking North West derby against the Jackyll and Hyde Wigan Athletic.
After overcoming the bogey team bug last term City must face the Latics without the mercurial Robinho, talismanic Bellamy influential captain Kolo Toure. Add to that list the likes of Nedum Onouha, Benjani and Garrido and it is a testament to this new City squad that they an field such a strong side.
Wigan in contrast have no real injury worries or suspensions and will be looking to turn their topsy turvy start into a good one by overcoming City and turning the DW Stadium into a fortress.
City must be buoyed by the fact that three once in a Blue Moon occurrences happened on the same day yesterday. Both Chelsea and Liverpool were beaten and Richard Dunne scored for the second game running with a header from a set piece.
Things are set up nicely and with another game in hand the City side must be feeling confident of taking three points.
Line Ups
City (From)
Given, Richards, Bridge, Zabaleta, Lescott, Wright-Phillips, Petrov, Barry, De Jong, Adebayor, Tevez
Substitutes Taylor, Sylvinho, Kompany, Johnson, Ireland, Weiss, Santa Cruz
Wigan (From)
Kirkland, Scharner, Boyce, Bramble, Melchiot, Figueroa, Thomas, N'Zogbia, Diame, Scotland, Rodallega
Substitutes
Pollitt, Cho, Koumas, Gomez, Sinclair, Kapo, King
Match
A lively affair this turned out to be, with both sides looking to play quick passing football. The first half was pretty even with City perhaps just edging the play before being stung just before the break.
The lively Figuerola picked up a knock down by Paul Scharner on the left hand side and sent a hard low shot across the face of goal that Given could only parry. The rebound was turned in by the tricky Charles Nzogbia a just reward after showing more hunger to get to the ball than Wayne Bridge.
If City were guilty of switching off at the end of the first half, then Wigan were just as guilty at the beginning of the second. For within minutes of the restart an equalizer was scored when Martin Petrov was afforded far too much space in the box, after a sweeping move by Shaun Wright Phillips. It was a great finish by the Bulgarian who chose to pass the ball past the diving Kirkland instead of blasting it.
It was very much a blood and thunder derby and both sides saw players go into the book for hard challenges. Zabaleta for City and both Honduran internationals, Figueroa and Thomas, for Wigan. It was only a matter of time before a player was to be made an example by the cautious but impressive Alan Wiley. And when the next player went to ground on the edge of the City box a yellow was immediately brandished. Although there was minimum contact the intent was there and Zabaleta was awarded a second yellow and left the field of play.
Full of passion and always playing on the edge, like his Dutch team mate De Jong, Zabaleta is always likely to be red carded and should really have stayed on his feet after already being carded. That rash moment meant that the Blues were down to ten men for the last half hour of the game.
After the sending off City tried their best to keep their formation as Wigan attacked down the both flanks trying to stretch the numerically disadvantaged Blues. A generally disinterested Emmanuel Adebayor limped off with a poorly ankle and was replaced by the returning Vincent Kompany.
With Richards pushed out to right back and Kompany slotting into the right side of central defence City defended resolutely for the last quarter of the game, as Wigan ditched their football for an aerial bombardment.
Hughes also ate up some of the clock by sending on Steven Ireland and Roque Santa Cruz as City played out the last five minutes for a draw.
Verdict
Wigan turned up today and showed us why they have beaten Villa and Chelsea. Thomas, N'Zogbia, Diame and especially Rodallega were immense causing all sorts of problems for the Blues defence, while Titus Bramble looks back to his best. They have pace, team work and power which allied with Martinez's passing style, will see them comfortably in mid table this year. They need a better striker than Scotland to finish higher up the table though.
City showed that they can compete with the more physical sides in the Premier League on this performance. What is even more impressive is that they managed it with ten men and away from home. Talk of fielding our best eleven is irrelevant as our result was achieved without arguably our 3 best players.
Success however, will be measured on how strong and ready to perform our bench is this year. So take a bow Martin Petrov who came in and scored another vital goal. Hats off to Shay Given again for saving the point at the end of the game with another top class save.
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