Source: Daily_Mail
Darren Bent 1 Edin Dzeko 0: Aston Villa striker goes one up on Manchester City man
The two biggest signings of the January transfer window went head to head as Aston Villa - giving a debut to £24million Darren Bent - won 1-0 against Manchester City, who fielded £27m Bosnia hot-shot Edin Dzeko. NEIL MOXLEY was at Villa Park to analyse the two strikers... [LNB]GOAL THREAT There was only one winner: Bent. Described as a 'natural-born goalscorer' later by Villa manager Gerard Houllier, the club's record signing showed a goalscorer's instinct to score with the only touch he managed in the box all afternoon. Proof that it is all about quality, not quantity. [LNB] Villan of the piece: Bent celebrates scoring on his debut[LNB]Bent reacted quicker than defender Vincent Kompany for the 18th-minute goal and, later, was ready to pounce when City goalkeeper Joe Hart was dealing with another Ashley Young shot. He seems to enjoy waiting for scraps. [LNB]Dzeko also had to rely on a single chance, but City's signing from Wolfsburg glanced a late header wide from Adam Johnson's cross. Although he had been starved of service until that point, top strikers are normally on their game until the final whistle. [LNB]OVERALL PLAY Bent touched the ball just 23 times in 90 minutes, but he was eager to run the channels, work across the front line and hunt down defenders. [LNB]Dzeko was far more involved - particularly in the first half. Houllier said in the build-up that he has no obvious weaknesses. [LNB] Off target: but Dzeko showed glimpses of what he will bring to City in the coming months [LNB]Villa defender James Collins is no mug in the air, but Dzeko gave him problems. The Bosnian was also willing to drop deeper and bring others into play. He is clearly more of an all-round footballer than Bent.[LNB] Dzeko may not have netted this time, but showed enough to suggest he will score plenty. [LNB]VIEWS FROM THE DUG-OUT Houllier on Bent 'It's something you cannot teach - that composure in front of goal - that's what he's here for. 'At Liverpool I signed Emile Heskey. He made a difference for us. We started winning trophies.[LNB]Enlarge 'At Lyon, I signed (the Brazilian striker) Fred and he made a difference as we won two titles. Here, I thought we needed a striker - a fox in the box. Darren has got finishing class. He has good intelligence, a good work ethic. And he fights. [LNB]'He loves the game, works hard and he will improve. I was watching and I thought, "Yes, this is what we need". [LNB]'Every player has a level. Darren's challenge is to reach international level from that Barclays Premier League level.' [LNB]Brian Kidd on Edin Dzeko 'When I assisted Paul Hart at Portsmouth, they had just played Wolfsburg in the UEFA Cup and he raved about him. They actually put in a bid, but they couldn't afford him. [LNB]'From what everyone has seen today, there's no doubt he's a talented boy. Of course there is an adjustment to make to the Premier League - you have seen it so many times over the years, but it won't take him many games to adjust.[LNB] 'He's been super in training and his English is very good. And he's a really really good lad. I'm not just saying that - he goes about his work right.' [LNB]VIEW FROM THE FRONT LINEDarren Bent 'My only breathing space was out on the pitch after all that's happened this week. It was nice to get out there. My target before this game was just to score one! They say that the first goal is always difficult but luckily it has come quickly for me. [LNB]'The manager and (his No 2) Gary McAllister told me beforehand they didn't expect me to change the way I play - that I had been brought in to be a threat and to sniff out chances. [LNB]'For the goal, I thought Ashley Young's shot was going in. But when Joe Hart parried it, it's all about being on your toes and being in the right place at the right time. [LNB]'People were bound to make comparisons between me and Dzeko and I thought he was decent. It's always going to be more difficult for him than me because he is new to the division and I've played here a lot. But he has got good quality.[LNB] 'He looked good and showed some nice touches. I'm sure he'll be a good addition for them.' [LNB]THE VERDICT Villa have lacked a genuine goalscorer for the past 15 years. Bent appears to fit the bill. His critics knock his all-round game, but there are enough players of quality in Houllier's squad to make up for any deficiencies in those areas. As long as Bent keeps finding the net, it will be overlooked.[LNB] Dzeko has a different brief. He has been brought in to provide the finishing touches to a squad that should expect to challenge on all fronts. Houllier praised Dzeko's all-round game and he did enough to show that praise is merited. Once manager Roberto Mancini finds a way to harness his talents properly, Dzeko will shine.[LNB] Aston Villa 1 Manchester City 0: Money well spent as Bent nets winnerBlackpool boss Holloway dismisses 'disgraceful' Liverpool bid for AdamWho won £51m battle at Villa Park? Darren Bent or Edin Dzeko? [LNB] Explore more:People: Emile Heskey, Edin Dzeko, Vincent Kompany, Darren Bent, Joe Hart, Brian Kidd, Adam Johnson, Ashley Young, Roberto Mancini, Gerard Houllier, Gary McAllister Places: Lyon, Liverpool
