WBA 0-2 Manchester City F.C.

live text replay





this was really depressing, and made all the worse by the unfortunate away loss to blackpool on the previous monday. if we'd gotten a result at bloomfield road, it wouldn't have been as important for the baggies. but they now run the risk of losing ground in the table and having some of thier good early results in the league undone somewhat. this was also the sorry end of an unbeaten home run for the baggies at the hawthorns dating back to last january.

there's certainly no shortage of talent at manchester city these days, but they haven't looked much of a team so far this season and were coming off three straight losses going into this encounter at the hawthorns. there was public in-fighting amongst the team during matches and rumours that roberto mancini had lost control of the dressing room. the problems of managing the world's most expensive set of footballing individuals were becoming painfully evident. as well, wolves hadn't done the baggies any favours by beating manchester city in the league last weekend, and the italo-mancunian millionaires club absolutely needed to win this one - in every sense and for every practical reason.

looking more like s.s. lazio than manchester's favourite footballing sons, they went about doing so in a very professional manner. the sky blues scored twice early on, before they went about slowing things up and shutting the game down. it was very continental in both in style and pace and i felt a bit like i was watching a SERIE A match. i thought it sad that this is the future of english football.

the baggies started off well enough with chris brunt coming close to creating a goal in the first few minutes. the northern ireland international split the city defence with a clever run and got on the end of through-ball from marc-antoine fortune that required a desperate last-ditch clearance from city's right-back, kolo toure, which was very nearly an own-goal, just going past the outside of joe hart's left-hand post for a baggies' corner-kick.



the skill of carlos tevez was in full evidence and it was he who really made the first goal. the argentinian linked up with striker mario balotelli showing a straight forward piece of skill, taking on and beating his defender from a dangerous position and sending in a low ball accross the face of goal for the £24-million italian to knock in at scott carson's near post. it was a casual enough score for the young striker, and just about what you'd expect from players of manchester city's class, cost and caliber.

the second goal was a bit of good fortune with balotelli getting a lucky bounce of the ball which had gabriel tamas turned the wrong way. it looked a bit soft and albion's romanian centre-half might've been more quick thinking and physically resolute in dealing with balotelli.

simon cox came close to a goal as he sent a 25-yard belter screaming back off the sky blues' goal-post. it was probably the best effort by the baggies in the match, and might have heralded the possibility of a comeback had it gone in.



this was a really pretty ill-tempered affair which produced ten cards and two sendings off, including the goal-scorer balotelli, who, despite his obvious talent in leading the line, scoring goals and being worth loads of money is a petty, unpleasant individual. youssouf mulumbu also got himself ejected for a second yellow-card - and subsequent mandatory red - and will be out for the mid-week clash with west ham.

this was just a cruel reminder that life in the PREMIER LEAGUE is going to be tough. historic results and heroic victories are not always going to be the order of the day; and while the beginning of the season has been a a bit gilded and might have had the albion faithful dreaming of glory just a little more than they really have a right to at the moment, it's going to be a long haul with more than a few disappointing results. while it was nice for awhile to dream about being in the top-six and european nights returning to the hawthorns, a mid-table finish would be a monumental acheivement this season.

this was a nasty reminder of that very fact.