Manchester City swat aside Stoke City as James Milner sets up comfortable win

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/feb/11/stoke-manchester-city-premier-league-match-report

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This ended as an emphatic victory, a first triumph in the Premier League since New Year’s Day and at this venue for Manchester City, though the scoreline does not tell how the champions wobbled until pulling away when the underrated James Milner scored 10 minutes into the second half.

City knew they must win to ensure no further ground was ceded to Chelsea. And with the leaders defeating Everton the champions closed the evening having maintained a deficit of seven points to at least let José Mourinho’s men know the title race is not yet a formality.

On the same day of last season City had notched 21 goals more than the 47 accrued in the Premier League before the start of this game. While they had played one match more then than the current term’s 24, this striking deficit offered a big clue as to why Manuel Pellegrini’s men are struggling.

An embodiment of this was shown early on. David Silva was clear and squared the ball to Sergio Agüero. The striker scuffed the shot and missed a chance to break a drought that stretched back to 3 December when the last two of his 19 strikes were registered.

Having turned the champions over 1-0 at the Etihad in the reverse league fixture, Stoke had no doubt they could repeat the feat tonight. Mark Hughes could hardly wait to mention how the club would be “gunning for our first double” in his pre-game notes, shoehorning this into the opening paragraph and the way his side pinned City back suggested this might be a matter of time only.

Joe Hart had one of those moments he seems capable of, spilling a fierce Victor Moses shot nearly straight into his goal. Instead it went for a corner and from this Peter Crouch had a free header and Stoke appeared to have a good shout for a penalty as James Milner’s arm connected with the ball.

If Lee Mason, the referee, was unsure, it was clearer still how City were continuing the poor form of Saturday’s draw with Hull City. Throughout this patchy period the visiting support sang, “We know what we are, we’re the champions of England” and, finally, their team performed like so.

Agüero cast off the doubt that was hampering him when he took possession near Stoke’s goal. With a shoulder-drop the striker made space, then drilled a sweet finish beyond Asmir Begovic.

This felt unfair to Stoke and justice was about to be served. Marko Arnautovic, the classy Austrian playmaker Hughes deploys on the right, swung in a menacing cross and Crouch again could head unmarked, this time to beat Hart.

City had the look of an outfit fighting a relegation battle, not defending the Premier League crown. On the stroke of half-time Agüero might have had a second with a finish into the open goal but his hand touched the ball, the strike was disallowed, and the 26-year-old was booked.

It summed City up so far. Fernandinho offered flashes of quality in the opening 45 minutes and another came at the second half’s start. The Brazilian’s clever pass split Stoke and allowed Kolarov to run at Begovic, but there was no finish. The problem was Fernandinho followed this with a clumsy ball that handed possession to Stoke in midfield to again illustrate City’s hesitancy. There was the sense that a match they had to win might slip away.

But Milner, the saviour with the late equaliser against Hull, stepped up. The midfielder’s emphatic header from a Samir Nasri delivery his fifth of the season.

City’s third came when Geoff Cameron fouled Silva in the area and from the penalty Agüero converted. Better came as Nasri belted home a peach of a finish from 20 yards.