Source: Man_City
City 3 Wigan 0
Nightmare man Carlos Tevez kept City chasing their Champions League dream. The City front man struck a hat-trick just as the Blues looked like enduring another frustrating night against ten-man Wigan. And that brought the night terrors flooding back for Latics chairman Dave Whelan, who freely admits to being kept awake by thoughts of the little Argentinian running at his team?s defence. He was right to be afraid. Until Tevez intervened with a one-two-three inside 12 minutes, City had strived and struggled to break down a side which had Gary Caldwell unluckily sent off ? after a challenge with the irrepressible Tevez, naturally. But things were not all sweetness and light. Mancini is running the risk of being handed the ?Tinkerman? monicker which was afforded his countryman Claudio Ranieri at Chelsea, as he again rang the changes in the City ranks. Out went Gareth Barry and Micah Richards, while Craig Bellamy also stepped down ? whether that was as a result of his persistent knee problems, or his alleged words in the tunnel after the Everton game, remains unsaid. But Mancini at least showed some adventure in a game which City had to win, playing a two-winged attack of Adam Johnson and Shaun Wright-Phillips. Master The thing about making wholesale changes to your team is that when it works, you look like a master tactician. And when it doesn?t, you look like Ranieri. Wigan came to Eastlands with an enigmatic reputation. A team which has this year beaten Chelsea and Liverpool on their home turf, and yet has conceded nine to United over two games, and to Spurs in one game, could do anything. Whether they would relax, being pretty much clear of relegation worries, or whether they would see this as a chance to again thumb their noses at the moneyed elite, was the question. They certainly looked like they wanted to get noticed, kitted out in eye-watering fluorescent orange, like radioactive Jaffa Cakes. The concern for City is that for all the pace Mancini had given them in forward areas, the midfield duo of Nigel de Jong and Patrick Vieira looked very one-paced ? and that pace was ?slow?. That was shown alarmingly when Vieira was eased off the ball by Mohamed Diame and his ball to Marcelo Moreno found de Jong struggling to keep up. Warning The move ended with Paul Scharner whistling a shot past the post, but it was a warning. The problem for City is that for all the ability they possess in central midfield areas, they have no-one with a fourth gear. Last night, in the first half, it gave them a lack of energy in the centre of the park, both offensively and defensively. There was also a warning from Hugo Rodallega, who has repeatedly shown his prowess from range this season, but was obligingly presented with a huge gap in the defence, his shot being touched away by Shay Given. But at the other end City always had Carlos Tevez, who has made a habit of tormenting his team in recent years, with United and West Ham. He almost had a brace in the opening half-hour last night. Firstly, he got on the end of Shaun Wright-Phillips? pull-back from the touchline, his volley bringing a tremendous reflex save from Vladimir Stojkovic. The big Serbian international keeper got a late call for the game after first-choice Chris Kirkland cried off ill on the day of the game. Tevez was soon at it again, turning Mario Melchiot inside out on the City left before arcing in an improbably audacious shot which Stojkovic watched as it skimmed the post. But Given was equally busy in the first half, and had to be sharp to turn another Scharner snap-shot round the post. Mancini didn?t hesitate to change it at half time, Craig Bellamy replacing the ineffective Wright-Phillips, and it immediately pepped up the Blues. He brought the energy to midfield which had been lacking and set up Tevez?s grandstand finish. Outrage In fact, City had the ball in the net two minutes in, as a Tevez shot bounced off Stojkovic and was snapped up by Adebayor, only to be denied by the linesman?s flag. Blues fans were outraged again on 54 minutes when Bellamy?s shot found Gary Caldwell diving to block ? and clearly stopping the ball?s progress with his left arm. Again, no penalty, ruled ref Stuart Attwell. City?s luck finally turned on 56 minutes, when Gary Caldwell was unfortunate to be red-carded for a challenge on Tevez which was full-blooded, but a booking at most. In fact, it is a fair argument that Tevez jumped into the challenge two-footed ? a ticking-off for both men might have been a sensible option. Wigan were still a real threat, both Rodallega and Marcelo Moreno firing narrowly wide as City failed to deal with long balls through the middle. You sensed it needed a scruffy goal, and so it was, on 72 minutes. Tevez began it, driving at the defence and then slipping the ball to Vieira. The crowd had been demanding the Frenchman be hauled off, but he flipped the ball over the defence and with Adebayor?s raised boot distracting Stojkovic, the little Argentine nipped in to stab it home. Two minutes later he was there again, as the Blues re-discovered their mojo. This time Bellamy and Garrido combined on the left and when the Spaniard drove the ball low and hard towards the far post, Tevez darted in to apply the finish. The hat-trick was inevitable from that moment on, and he saved the best of the trio to complete it. Skipping past Maynor Figueroa on the right, he had Adebayor and Bellamy both screaming for the pass ? but he fancied that match ball, and delivered a peach of a shot into the far corner before heading off to celebrate in the crowd. It left City in raptures at the end of an uneasy night, and it left Wigan fans still casting the odd anxious glance over their shoulders ? and maybe hankering after a return for former boss Paul Jewell.| Submit Comments| Comments (6)| PrintWhat's this? Emaildel.icio.usDiggredditFacebookStumbleUponNewsvineGoogle BookmarksNetscapeTechnoratiWindows LiveYahoo! MyWebMa.gnolia
