Source: Daily_Mail
Manchester City 2 West Ham 1: Early goals keep Blues on track for fourth-place finish
This was an afternoon of opportunity for both teams. Not surprisingly, only one of them had the fortitude to take it and it was not the club at the bottom. [LNB]By squeezing out a victory that was more comfortable than it looked, Manchester City are close enough to a Champions League place to be able to smell it. West Ham, on the other hand, remain at the foot of the Barclays Premier League. On this evidence, that is precisely where they deserve to be. [LNB]We've got more gears! Joe Hart bullish as City edge towards Champions League[LNB] Bullet: Nigel De Jong (second left) scores Manchester City's opening goal[LNB] [LNB] In a week when West Ham owner David Sullivan questioned the commitment of some of his players, it was odd that none of the club's board bothered to come to Manchester. The table set aside in the Eastlands boardroom was empty. [LNB]Maybe Sullivan and DavidGold, who has been ill recently, didn't fancy the journey north. Betterthings to do on a Bank Holiday weekend, perhaps. Or maybe they are simply fed up of watching a poor team being pointed this way and that bya manager who has looked uncomfortable all season. [LNB][LNB]Off and running: De Jong celebrates his goal against West Ham[LNB] [LNB] With only Blackburn of the bottom group winning on Saturday and Wolves drawing yesterday, West Ham could have jumped out of the relegation zone with a win. The fact that manager Avram Grant saw his tactical notes blown from his grasp and all over the field with 10 minutes to go perhaps best summed up how it went. [LNB]In public, Grant will not give up the fight. The Hammershave some big games coming up - Blackburn, Wigan and Sunderland - and in theory their destiny remains in their own hands. On this showing, though, that represents their biggest problem. [LNB][LNB]Brave: Joleon Lescott (left) challenges West Ham's Robbie Keane during City's narrow win[LNB] [LNB] Grant said: 'I am taking positives. We started badly but recovered well. This is a team with lotsof players missing. That's important. But we need points now. We deserved more from our last two games but points are all that matters.' [LNB][LNB]Back in it: Demba Ba pulls a goal back for West Ham with a first half strike[LNB] [LNB] 'We are not relaxed yet,' said Mancini. 'We will relax on May 22. The games coming up will be very hard for us and we have to do all we can. If we do it then I think we will have deserved it. But there are four games left. The Champions League was our target. Now we have a great chance.' [LNB]Havingfinished strongly by scoring late at Blackburn last Monday, City began with similar vigour yesterday. [LNB][LNB]Too little: Ba celebrates his goal but his West Ham side were unable to find an equaliser[LNB] [LNB] At the top, the occupant of fourth position looks increasingly likely tobe City. They need two wins to make sure of a Champions League position. Over the course of the season, Roberto Mancini's team have deserved it, too. They have been more consistent than their closest rivals Tottenham and this win gave them breathing space. [LNB] [LNB]Break it up! Referee Howard Webb is quick to defuse a confrontation between Da Costa and Balotelli[LNB] [LNB] They went ahead early on and the goal said much about both teams. West Ham only managed to half clear a corner, Thomas Hitzlsperger made a rather limp attempt to close down Nigel de Jong and City's Dutch midfielder drilled the ball into the corner with a first time shot. [LNB][LNB]Penny for them? West Ham boss Avram Grant watched his side slip to another defeat[LNB] MATCH FACTSMANCHESTER CITY (4-2-3-1): Hart 6;Zabaleta 6, Kompany 7, Lescott 6,Kolarov 6; De Jong 7 (Milner 45min, 6),Barry 6; Johnson 6, Y Toure 6, Silva 7;Balotelli 6 (Vieira 85). Subs not used:Taylor, Boyata, Wright-Phillips, Jo. Booked: Barry, Kolarov. Scorers: De Jong 11, Jacobsen (og) 15.WEST HAM (4-4-1-1) Green 6; Jacobsen 5, Tomkins 5, Upson 4 (Da Costa 25, 6), Gabbidon 5; Sears 6, Spector 6, Hitzlsperger 6, Boa Morte 5 (Obinna 79); Keane (Cole 65, 6); Ba 6. Subs not used: Boffin, Reid, Kovac, Piquionne. Booked: Gabbidon. Scorer: Ba 33.[LNB]Man of the match: David Silva.Referee: Howard Webb 6.Attendance: 44,511[LNB]Four minutes later City scored again. Once more, West Ham were culpable. Left back Danny Gabbidon failed to track Pablo Zabaleta's overlap and when the Argentine shot weakly acrossgoal, Lars Jacobsen lashed the ball into his own net.[LNB]At this stage, the visiting team looked beaten. This impression only deepened when Robbie Keane broke clear and made a dismal attempt to beat Joe Hart, which the keeper saved with his knee. [LNB]In the 33rd minute, though, West Ham scored out of nowhere. Hitzlsperger crossed, Keane flicked on and when the ball rebounded off Joleon Lescott, Demba Ba poked it past Hart from 10 yards. [LNB]In the second half opportunity knocked for West Ham but they weren't listening. [LNB]Manuel da Costa did bring a save from Hart with aheader but Mario Balotelli also hit the bar for City while James Tomkins cleared another shot from the Italian after the excellent David Silva had led a break for the home team.[LNB]All as one: Manchester City fans celebrate as their side strengthened its grip on fourth place[LNB] [LNB] Matt Lawton interview: Mancini can make City great, by he who knows bestSulky Balotelli in training ground bust-up with City team-mate KompanyDogfight! The battle to avoid the drop looks set to go down to the wirePatrick Collins: If West Ham go down, it'll be taxi for Mr GrantAll the latest Manchester City FC news, features and opinionAll the latest West Ham United FC news, features and opinion[LNB] [LNB] Explore more:People: Joleon Lescott, Robbie Keane, Lars Jacobsen, Danny Gabbidon, David Silva, Mario Balotelli, Joe Hart, Thomas Hitzlsperger, Roberto Mancini, David Sullivan, David Gold Places: Manchester
