Sunderland entertain Europa League high flyers Stoke City looking to kick start their flagging season.
It’s been a right old slog for Black Cats boss Steve Bruce with two points from four games and the loss of key striker Asamoah Gyan to the United Arab Emirates putting him under some serious pressure. A huge recruitment drive in the summer has so far failed to produce the desired results with Bruce’s new look side yet to gel to full effect leaving fans frustrated. Defeat to fierce rivals Newcastle in the Tyne Wear derby last month hasn’t done much to help the boss’ cause and he must now work without Gyan. Nicklas Bendtner was brought in on deadline day on a loan deal from Arsenal and put in an admirable display against Chelsea last week but failed to find the net. A run of only three wins in 18 games has seen many supporters call for Bruce’s head. However at such an early stage of the season and with a squad boasting over 10 new faces it would only cause to further harm the stability that has been built during Bruce’s three year tenure. The visit of Stoke this weekend should see them break out of their slumber with the Potters failing to score at the Stadium of Light in their last three visits.
A tremendous 1-1 draw against Dynamo Kiev in the Europa League coupled with an unbeaten start to the Premier League season has seen confidence skyrocket at the Britannia Stadium. However the amount of time spent jetting off around Europe may come back to haunt the Potters who will need to be wary of fatigue that will undoubtedly creep up unannounced in the squad. A very good transfer window saw boss Tony Pulis bring in Peter Crouch, Wilson Palacios and Cameron Jerome along with Jonathan Woodgate and Matthew Upson giving the squad a few licks of experience. Their away record though isn’t the best and they picked up their first win on their travels against Stoke a few weeks ago.
Phil Bardsley starts his four-match ban after being charged with violent conduct in the week. John O’Shea could return after missing the Chelsea game last time out.
Matthew Etherington, Rory Delap and Marc Wilson all missed the tie in Kiev and are all doubts for the trip to the North East.
Key Players
Stephane Sessegnon: After the departure of Gyan fans are now looking to Sessegnon to provide some goals and inspiration to fire Sunderland up the table.
Kenwyne Jones: The former Black Cats striker is unplayable on his day and could come back to haunt his former employers if he’s selected.
Verdict: 1-0
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Have you bought your Goaldash ticket yet? Don’t miss out on your chance of winning a Million pounds this weekend!
Neil Warnock will be expecting his QPR side to bounce back from their 6-0 thrashing at Fulham two weeks ago with victory over troubled Blackburn.
The R’s were on the receiving end of a 6-0 hiding at Craven Cottage two weeks ago with Warnock unhappy with his side’s lifeless display. His side have been poor in their last two fixtures and were gifted a point by a Richard Dunne own goal in the 1-1 draw against Villa last month. Progress up until that point had been encouraging and they were certainly reaping the benefits summer signings Joey Barton, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Luke Young ‘s Premier League experience. Tony Fernandes’ takeover and subsequent spending spree had afforded Warnock a luxury few teams had in the transfer window and his squad looks better for it. Alarmingly though they are yet to win at home this term and will see the game against Rovers as the perfect way opponent to get themselves off and running at Loftus Road. Goal scoring is also a problem and despite scoring three on the road against Wolves in mid-September Rangers have failed to hit the back of the net four times in their opening seven games. New recruits Jay Bothroyd and DJ Campbell have one goal between them and Warnock will need address this issue if they are to remain a top-flight side come May.
They shouldn’t have any problem scoring against Rovers though who continue to lurch from bad to worse under Steve Kean. They were torn apart by Manchester City in the last game going down without a whimper as the billionaires scored four without reply in a rampant display. Kean is under increasing pressure to turn things round but it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen any time soon. Supporters are planning to protest again over the decision to keep Kean in the Ewood Park dugout. A mid-season trip to India failed to give the boss some much-needed respite. On a positive note though they do have a decent record against QPR and are unbeaten in 11 games against the Hoops. They’ve won the last three Premier League games 1-0 although those records do stretch back over 15 years when the R’s were last in the top flight. Eight defeats from the last 12 makes for painful reading for Rovers fans who must be wondering where their next point is going to come from.
Key Players
Joey Barton – Since his arrival from Newcastle on a free transfer the new captain has settled in quietly which is uncharacteristic to say the least. However his early performances have been dynamic and his experience will be key to securing another year in the top flight.
Junior Hoilett – Despite Blackburns shocking form the Candian winger has been in fine form and has been their main attacking threat so far this season. His pace and trickery down the flanks is key to Rovers offensive strategy and he’ll fancy his chances up against Young or Armand Traore depending where Kean intends to play him.
Verdict: 2-0
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Joey Barton was once again QPR’s hardest working player, covering 10.9km, with an average speed of 5.56 miles per hour. Barton has put himself forward for the Euro 2012 squad this week, and he is the 8th ranked English midfielder in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index having won 77% of tackles, got 60% of shots on target, and averaging a pass completed in his opponents half every 6 minutes 4 seconds Blackburn’s Canadian striker David Hoillett has been the subject of transfer speculation this week, and is 10th most prolific crosser of the ball in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index with 20. He has also scored once from 4 shots on target, and is the 6th most successful dribbler of the ball having completed 22. Hoillett is Blackburn’s highest ranked player in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index in 74th place
Arsenal have been the whipping boys within the press this week as the media do their level best to unsettle the Red side of North London. Arsene Wenger has remained defiant this week, although has suggested that the title maybe beyond them week.
At FFC this week we have seen a mixed bag of Gunners blogs that include why I have sympathy for Arsenal; Greaves feels the tide has turned, while fans starting to vote with their feet.
We also look at the best Arsenal articles around the web this week
Why I have sympathy for Arsenal…it could have been us!
Caption Competition: Arsenal intruder invades training
Old Football Stadiums had a certain magic that is now lost
The Top TEN Arsenal tattoos…well sort of!
Greaves: Has the North London Derby tide turned?
Time at Arsenal for a re-distribution of income, wealth and talent
Arsenal simply in a referee induced crisis
Are fans starting to vote with their feet?
An Arsenal transfer that provides more questions than answers
Tale of two Russians – one’s a Flop and the other is out to cause a Battle! – Highbury House
Park Chu-Young 7 in 4 | Gourcuff in January? | Hazard concerns | Robin to Anzhi – Le Grove
The Irreplaceables – Online Gooner
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One Of Us Speaks: Increments of Aggravation – A Cultured Left Foot
Which will come first for AOC – An Arsenal or England first-team call up? – Gunnersphere
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To see what all the fuss about Luli Fernandez make sure you open up the gallery below
It has been confirmed that the Metropolitan Police have opened an official investigation into the race row that has blighted John Terry over the last two weeks.
The Chelsea captain was accused of racist comments by QPR defender Anton Ferdinand in the Loftus Road side’s 1-0 victory over The Blues on October 23rd, and the FA are currently looking into the claims.
However, the England skipper could be in even more trouble, as the law are getting involved in researching Ferdinand’s complaints.
“Police were notified of an incident on Sunday, October 23 involving alleged racial abuse. This is currently being investigated by officers from Hammersmith and Fulham,” an official police statement reads.
Meanwhile it has been reported that Ferdinand has been the subject of a racist comment from a Chelsea supporter on the social networking site Twitter.
Ferdinand is not the only one to receive such treatment, as Newcastle striker Sammy Ameobi has also been insulted on the site by a supposed fan, which his club are now looking into.
“Newcastle United are aware of a racist remark that was directed towards Sammy Ameobi via Twitter on Sunday evening. The club and Sammy have reported the matter to the police, who are now dealing with the incident.
“The racist comment is wholly unacceptable. Newcastle United will not tolerate racism of any kind and will take the strongest possible action against those responsible,” an official statement reads.
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The incidents are damaging the game in England, as controversy that many have worked hard to rid the game of keeps rearing its ugly head.
The Premier League is thought of as an overly physical division around Europe, but nobody can deny that it is by far the strongest and most competitive league in the world at the moment. With at least five teams believing they have genuine title chances and a whole host of clubs battling relegation down the bottom, it seems anyone can beat anyone on their day.
The Premier League is also host to many different styles of teams, so each side will face a different challenge to overcome each week, something that is completely engrossing about English football. Whether a team will park the bus or attack from the off, there is not one easy game in the top flight and to win this division should not be thought of lightly as a club will need a variety of skills to be consistently at the top.
Sir Alex Ferguson has dominated the Premier League era with 12 titles to his name; he has consistently used a mixture of youth and experience, new signings and academy players, to produce title winning sides on a regular basis. They have always been a good side to watch and have had some of the greatest players in the world pull on the famous shirt, including Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham and Wayne Rooney.
Some Premier League clubs have been less attractive to watch and are often criticised by fans and press alike for playing a negative style of football and using boring tactics. If the clubs are getting results, then surely they should not change their ethos just to please outsiders, and perhaps affect their club’s Premier League position.
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Under Sam Allardyce, Bolton Wanderers were a consistent top half side after promotion into the top flight, even with long ball tactics and physical play; they worked their way into Europe and earned some famous victories over Manchester United and Arsenal. The Reebok was a feared place to go for an away team and you would rarely bet against the Whites at home, no matter who their opponents were.
Allardyce did a fantastic job with a club on a small budget and with a relatively small fan base, which has meant the club have still not fully recovered from his departure. New manager Owen Coyle has changed the way the Trotters play, and the more attractive, attacking, big spending side has been praised by many as a more pleasant team to watch under the new regime.
However, it is not all good news for the fans of Bolton as since the departure of Allardyce their league positions have slowly slipped. The side currently sit in the relegation zone and have struggled for points this season, no matter what sort of style of play they set out with. The Wanderers fans would surely prefer to revert to the Allardyce time, with top 10 finishes, the odd European adventure and big-name players wanting to join the club.
Long gone are the days of Jay-Jay Okocha, Ivan Campo, Youri Djorkaeff and Nicolas Anelka, it’s now time for David N’Gog and Darren Pratley to lead the side out of the relegation trouble that they will almost certainly be in this season. If Bolton had stuck with what they knew best then it could have been a different story.
Continue to the NEXT PAGE…
A similar club, with similar ambitions this season are Stoke City, a club that are playing in Europe for the first time after a terrific run in last year’s FA Cup that saw them reach Wembley. A relatively new Premier League club that made the Britannia Stadium a fortress in their first year in the top flight but have slowly fallen from that light.
The long throw of Rory Delap was undoubtedly their main asset when promoted to the Prem and teams just could not deal with it, giving the Potters an edge before the game had even started with psychological nerves from the opposition visible to see at times. However this season the long throw has been less effective and the club have started to introduce players that are just as confident with the ball on the floor as they are in the air; something that was clearly missing 24 months ago. The neat footballers are regulars in the Stoke side and I feel they could be going along the same path as Bolton.
Hovering above the relegation zone, the Potters have finished with fewer points gradually in the last few years and they can’t afford to do that again. European football seems to have taken an effect on the side and they will need to pick up a run of form to avoid being dragged down with their relegation rivals. If they reverted to their style of three years ago, where they would physically dominate teams and make the Britannia Stadium one of the toughest places to go to in the league, then they should be fine. It may not be pretty to watch but success is the key in modern day football and board members, owners, fans and management alike are not happy if the side is losing.
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Other clubs are a lot more demanding that their sides play good football, something that is only possible if you have the players to do so, and if you attempt it with a group of mediocre players it could become disastrous. West Ham supporters always like to see good football played at Upton Park on a regular basis but it is not always possible and they have had to find out the hard way. Sam Allardyce has come in and installed some strength and a tougher mentality at West Ham this summer and they are now playing decent-ish football and winning games, something that must please the fans.
But the supporters were quick to make their thoughts on Allardyce’s appointment heard that he did not play the football they enjoyed to watch. Did they enjoy watching football last season? Losing week after week, humiliation after humiliation? A club must do whatever it takes to win a game or a league sometimes, West Ham will be promoted this season and the supporters will be happy. Success over style should pull through.
There is reverse situation to the before mentioned clubs. Arsenal; over the past decade; have been one of the best teams to watch on the pitch, free flowing passing with skill and flair all over the park, making them the Barcelona of England. But they haven’t won anything!
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The Gunners fans are desperate to win a major trophy but it appears that playing the football that they do, it may not happen any time soon. But surely they should not revert to the Tony Adams days of kicking anything in sight and looking for the ‘1-0 to the Arsenal’ chant to make a comeback. Their fans have wanted the club to sign defenders and holding midfielders for a few years now but would that not be a defensive move from the stubborn Arsene Wenger.
Arsenal will stick with what they know and Wenger will look to replace the departed Fabregas and Nasri but not with the sort of players that perhaps the side need. It would be ridiculous for me to say Arsenal should not play their style of football but with clubs such as Manchester City and United able to play in that style and win games it may be the only option for the falling Gunners.
The pressure on managers to play a certain style of football is wrong and a club should play to its strengths not adapt to please the media and narrow minded fans. If your side is winning games, you are happy, not many fans will go away from their stadium disappointed with a 1-0 win, if so you may need a reality check.
Arsenal will be hoping to keep their top four aspirations alive on Boxing Day by beating struggling Wolves at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners recovered from their defeat against Manchester City with a win over Aston Villa to move to within a point of the Champions League places. Arsene Wenger’s side have been in tremendous form for the last couple of months seeing their season turned on its head following a run of seven wins from eight games seeing them rise from the bottom three and into the top five. The goals of Robin Van Persie have played a huge part in their renaissance whilst the performances of Theo Walcott, Mikel Arteta, Aaron Ramsey and Alex Song have been equally as important. However reservations still remain over the back four with injuries decimating Wenger’s defensive options. Per Mertesacker and Thomas Vermaelen still seem susceptible to mistakes with the former at fault for Villa’s goal last Wednesday. It’s still an area of concern for Wenger that will need to be addressed if he is to achieve the goals set out at the start of the campaign and beating Wolves would certainly be a start.
Mick McCarthy’s men once again find themselves battling to beat the drop after a torrid run of form that saw them win just two from their last 15 games. Wanderers have endured another tough season in the top flight and find themselves hovering perilously close to the drop zone with just one point separating them and third bottom Wigan. The return to form of key striker Steven Fletcher has given them an extra dimension up front but it’s at the back where their weaknesses lie. Winning games away from Molineux has also proved to be difficult with McCarthy’s managing to take just four points from a possible 24 on their travels. Traveling to face Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium won’t have been the Christmas present Wolves supporters will have been hoping for although they will be buoyed by the fact that the three teams below them all face tough Boxing Day fixtures.
Arsenal 5th : 32 points
Team news: Arsenal are without nine first team players although defender Johan Djourou could return from a groin strain in time to face the Latics.
Key Player: Robin Van Persie
What a year it’s been for the Dutchman and he’ll be doing all he can to match and beat Alan Shearers goal scoring record in a calendar year. Finding the net has become relatively simple for Van Persie in 2011 and he’ll be keen to continue his fine run of form going into the New Year
Wolverhampton Wanderers 17th : 15 points
Team news: Key midfielder Jamie O’Hara will be out till February with with a groin problem but David Edwards could be in line for a comeback at Arsenal.
Key Player: Steven Fletcher
Since returning from injury the Scotland striker has scored three in four games including a winning brace against Sunderland. Fletcher has proven his predatory insticts in the penalty area and will be crucial to his side chances of claiming some points at the Emirates Stadium.
PREDICTION
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Arsenal are in blistering form at present and haven’t let their defeat at Man City knock them out of their stride. Wolves, on the other hand, can’t seem to buy a win a the moment and it’s more than likely they’ll be heading back to the Midlands on the back of another defeat.
Carlos Tevez’s agent has revealed that his client wants to join AC Milan rather than Inter Milan this January, as his exit from Manchester City gets closer.
The Argentina international has had a controversial last 12 months at the Etihad Stadium, and following his refusal to enter the field of play against Bayern Munich in the Champions League and decision to return to his homeland without consent, will be sold during the transfer window.
Scudetto holders Milan have been locked in negotiations with City over a deal for the last month, with the Premier League leaders already turning down a loan offer for the South American attacker.
However, Inter have also stated their interest in the temperamental forward, and reports in Italy stipulate that Claudio Ranieri’s men have made an offer for him.
Despite this, Kia Joorabchian, who has been the architect of Tevez’s last two transfers, has stated that the chance to play alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic at the San Siro would be his ideal solution.
“Carlos told me that he wants to play with Ibrahimovic at AC Milan,” the representative told Sportmediaset.it.
When asked about the latest news regarding Tevez’s future, City boss Roberto Mancini admitted that he was unsure where the Argentinean would end up.
“Maybe it could be Inter that is interesting because the revenue is better and Milan the same but I don’t know the latest news,” the Italian coach told reporters.
“Maybe we can find a good solution in January. It is important for Carlos because it is three months that he has not played,” he concluded.
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Newcastle have confirmed that they will be without Sammy Ameobi for the foreseeable future, after the attacker picked up an injury in a reserve fixture.
The 19-year-old suffered a knock in a reserve team game against Wigan on Tuesday night, and was forced to leave the field of play after a heavy challenge.
The Tyneside club have stated that the England under-21 star will be on the sidelines for a few months.
“Sammy Ameobi will be sidelined for a period of time, likely to be a number of months, as a result of an injury sustained in the reserves’ win over Wigan,” an official Newcastle statement read.
The news will be a blow given the fact that Demba Ba is away on African Cup of Nations duty, and may force Alan Pardew to consider buying a new attacker in the transfer window.
Meanwhile, Andy Carroll’s agent has rubbished claims that the striker could be on his way back to Newcastle.
Reports in the British tabloids have linked the under-performing Liverpool forward with a move back to his former club, but this will not be the case according to agent Mark Curtis.
“Andy is happy at Liverpool,” the representative told BBC Sport.
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25 years is an astonishingly long time in football. But that’s how long Sir Alex Ferguson has been in charge of Manchester United. His success is obviously well publicised, but something often missed amongst his pile of major trophies are the number of people who have graduated from Fergie’s players to Fergie’s opponents. Evidently their former mentor had a significant effect on their career paths, but to what success? Steve Bruce, an early Fergie fledgling, became the first managerial casualty of the new Premiership season and whatever you think of Sunderland’s kneejerk reaction to remove their manager, results at the Stadium of Light have just not been good enough. It is clear that Ferguson had a profound influence on his time in management. The pair have a strong relationship, something highlighted by Bruce’s use of the loan market, dipping into United’s reserves on a number of occasions, with Danny Welbeck providing the best example of the merits of this policy. Sir Alex has been publicly critical of Bruce’s removal from Sunderland, lamenting the lack of patience the Black Cats’ fans showed to his former captain. So what impact have Sir Alex’s protégées had on the managerial world?
Sir Alex has mentored a lot of current managers.
Steve Bruce
A regular on the managerial merry-go-round during his early days, taking charge of Sheffield United, Hudderfield, Wigan, Crystal Palace and Birmingham, all in 3 years. However, his time in charge of the Blues saw Bruce really prove his worth, guiding them back to the top flight in 2002 for the first time in 16 years, then finishing higher than city rivals Villa the following season, a feat no Birmingham manager had achieved since the 1970’s. Mid-table mediocrity, relegations and promotions kept Steve on his toes, until Wigan came calling after a fall-out with the board. A decent couple of seasons followed at the DW Stadium in the Premier League, before he stepped up the ladder again, replacing Ricky Sbragia at Sunderland in 2009. Although there were signs of promise, indeed at the turn of the New Year, Sunderland looked set to mount a European challenge, the loss of prolific strikers Darren Bent and Asamoah Gyan left Sunderland short up front, prompting a shocking run of form that left them hovering precariously above the drop-zone. So poor Steve suffered the ignominies of modern football, as chairman Ellis Short took swift action in the wake of a brewing crisis as the supporters felt out of love with their adopted Geordie.
Fergie’s School Report Says: (B-) A lot of potential already, but still needs work. Should bounce back soon.
Roy Keane
The ultimate gladiator in Fergie’s all conquering Treble team, but aside from one decent promotion with Sunderland, his exploits with the Black Cats didn’t match the extravagant amount of money he spent. And the less said about his time at Ipswich the better. Being out of a job probably suits Roy better, as it gives him more time to walk those beloved dogs.
Fergie’s School Report Says: (D-) After one good result,Roy has declined beyond all recognition. Needs to control his temper.
Bryan Robson
Captain Marvel himself was one of Sir Alex’s golden boys, but he is a walking disaster at managerial level that teams have finally learnt to avoid. Fans of Middlesbrough, Bradford City,West Brom or Sheffield United will not be providing him with a decent job reference any time soon. He even resigned from that oh-so-difficult Thailand job this year.
Fergie’s School Report Says: (E)Bryan’s efforts are nothing but disastrous. Needs to think long and hard about whether he is up to the challenge.
Paul Ince
His larger-than-life personality ensured he and Ferguson never saw eye-to-eye during his spell at Manchester United and it seems such character traits have been transferred into management, lasting just 177 days in charge of Blackburn, ruining Ince’s hopes before they had even begun. Failure at MK Dons and Notts County has since followed.
Fergie’s School Report Says: (U) Expelled. Simply not good enough and never will be.
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Continued on Page TWO
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Gordon Strachan
He had a decent start to his career, building solid regimes at both Coventry and Southampton, before stepping up to the Celtic job, whereupon he gained six major honours including three successive titles. His tenure was impressive, but his time at Middlesbrough was less inspiring, lasting just a year in the role.
Fergie’s School Report Says: (B-) Some impressive work, but has slacked recently. Needs get back to his best quickly.
Alex McLeish
A firm Ferguson favourite at Aberdeen and his transition into management has been reasonable. Spells at Hibernian and Rangers helped underline the potential that eventually landed him the Scotland job, a reign that provided a historic victory in Paris, remember James McFadden’s spectacular volley? Birmingham then came-a-calling, where he enjoyed a mixed bag of results, including winning the League Cup last season, only to suffer a disastrous relegation the same year. This prompted a controversial switch to Aston Villa, one that left a sour taste in the mouths of both sets of rival fans and he is yet to win over the Villa Park Faithful this season.
Fergie’s School Report Says: (B) Consistent achievement with a couple of blots on the copybook. Solid performer.
Mark Hughes
Almost took Wales to the 2004 European Championships in his first job, before transforming Blackburn Rovers into a solid Premiership outfit. Thaksin Shinawatra then decided Hughes was the man to head up his new City Regime, a challenge the Welshman readily accepted. However, he faced enormous pressure following the Arab takeover, especially when he splashed a cool £32.5million on Robinho. His sacking in December 2009 did seem rather harsh though, particularly given successor Roberto Mancini failed to improve on the fourth position City occupied at the time. An odd year followed at Fulham, where he and Mohamed Al-Fayed failed to see eye-to-eye and Hughes resigned this summer citing lack of ambition as his reason for leaving.
Fergie’s School Report Says: (B) Proven quality at the highest level. Needs to continue the good work.
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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
The game’s first real super-sub sealed the 1999 treble with his goal off the bench in the Champions League final. He cut his teeth managing United’s reserves, before moving back to his homeland in Norway to take charge of Molde, where he won the Tippeligaen in his first year in charge. Very promising stuff from the baby-faced assassin, who has also turned down the Norwegian national job, meaning he could well be Fergie’s heir apparent.
Fergie’s School Report Says: (C+) Terrific start to his education. Well on the way to stardom.
Laurent Blanc
The current French manager, can hardly be counted, given that he only made 48 appearances under Sir Alex at the twilight of his career. But he has made a cracking to life in the hot seat, winning the French League with Bordeaux and now hopes to turn England over in next summer’s European Championships.
Fergie’s School Report Says: (B+) Already hitting the heady heights. Watch this space for further glory.
So who of the current crop could do it? Well, Ryan Giggs is the obvious answer. Many people have suggested he is the perfect man, not just for management in general, but to replace Sir Alex himself. Giggsy would definitely have the right temperament and he more than anyone has had long enough to see how Ferguson does it. David Beckham? Not so much. He has already ruled out the possibility of going straight into management, stating that “at the moment I have no interest in being a coach or becoming a manager.” It is looking increasingly likely that Sir Alex Ferguson’s skills and talents have been wasted on those he brought to fruition as players and there is a worrying correlation growing between playing under Ferguson and failing as a manager. He needs somebody to step up to the plate and inherit his unbelievable talent. The challenge is on. Let’s hope it’s one that Eric Cantona takes up…
Manchester City have come back from a goal down to beat Chelsea 2-1 on Wednesday night, with Carlos Tevez inspiring the hosts to victory from the bench.
Gary Cahill had struck to send the resurgent visitors into the lead on the hour mark, and the Argentina international entered the fray after 66 minutes.
Sergio Aguero got the Etihad Stadium side back to parity with a 78th minute penalty, before Tevez played a sublime through-ball for Samir Nasri to finish and give the hosts the three points late on.
City boss Roberto Mancini has stated that his side deserved to win, and has reserved praise for Tevez upon his return to action.
“I think we deserved to win this game because we had three or four chances in first 20-minutes we missed, we have chances but we didn’t score,” he told Sky Sports.
“When they scored their goal, we didn’t deserve to go down 1-0, but we wanted it and desired to win this game.
“I think we are back on track and this game is worth more than the points.
“I am happy with Tevez, I am happy because he did well – he is not in good form, I don’t think his feet were 100 per cent but he knows football,” the Italian concluded.
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City travel to take on Stoke at the Britannia Stadium on Sunday in their next game.