Manchester City only just managed to edge past a determined West Brom side to come away with all three points at the Etihad overnight.
Stephane Sessegnon opened the scoring inside the initial five minutes with a wonderful strike that beat Joe Hart at his near post. It did not take too long for City to respond though as they pushed for the equaliser. Aleksandar Kolarov was brought down inside the penalty area and Sergio Aguero dispatched the resulting spot kick to score his 130th goal for the Sky Blues in his 200th appearance for the club.
City continued to dominate possession thereon but lacked the creative vision in the final-third. The Baggies also had a handful of efforts in the second-half, although they failed to finish off their chances. Manuel Pellegrini brought on Kevin De Bruyne and Yaya Toure on the hour mark and they had an immediate impact on the game. De Bruyne’s darting run down the right resulted in a good chance for Aguero, whose shot was initially saved but the ball fell right in the path of the incoming Samir Nasri for a simple finish.
Manchester City
Joe Hart – 4: Should have done much better to cover his near post for the opening goal after he was beaten far too easily by Sessegnon’s powerful effort. Did not have much to save thereon.
Pablo Zabaleta – 5: Let James McClean get the better of him on more than a few occasions after being beaten by his pace. Managed to perform better as the game progressed.
Nicolas Otamendi – 7: A much better performance than we have seen from the Argentine so far this season. Did extremely well to make up for Mangala’s mistakes. City will need more defensive efforts like this from the 28-year-old.
Eliaquim Mangala – 5: Made far too many errors as the Frenchman still has not adjusted to speed of the Premier League. Could have easily given away a penalty after a poor challenge.
Aleksandar Kolarov –8: One of City’s best player on the night. Moved forward with great attacking intent, winning a penalty while also having a fair go at the Baggies goal. Did well to keep Sessegnon under wraps following the opener.
Fabian Delph –5: The English international returned to the starting XI following a long injury lay-off but failed to make any sort of positive impression on the game.
Fernando –6.5: Was very good on the ball, rarely making any mistakes. Sat deep to provide defensive cover but also moved forward when he got the chance.
Jesus Navas –6: Threatened down the right-hand side with his pace and whipped in a few testing crosses. Was involved in the build-play that led to City’s winning goal.
Samir Nasri – 7: The Frenchman had a decent outing after returning to the starting XI after almost seven months. Scored the winner and was heavily involved in almost of the Sky Blue attacks. Combined well with Kolarov on the left-wing.
Wilfried bony – 4: The Ivorian could not get into the game and evidently struggled up front. Was substituted on the hour-mark.
Sergio Aguero – 7: Converted the equalising penalty on his landmark appearance for the club. Was given a slightly different role in the No.10 position and did a good job. Tested Ben Foster on a few occasions and it was his pass that found Nasri for the winning goal.
Substitutes
Kevin De Bruyne – 6.5: Changed the game after he came on, providing a creative spark from midfield.
Yaya Toure – 6: Replaced Delph to get some much needed minutes under his belt before the crucial Champions League tie. Did well to hold possession well from the centre of the park.
Gael Clichy – N/A: Replaced Aguero in the final minutes.
West Brom
Ben Foster – 6: Could not do much more for either of the goals he conceded, while he made a few good saves to prevent City scoring more.
Craig Dawson – 6: Had a tough task of dealing with Nasri and Kolarov and did a decent job of curtailing the threat.
Gareth McAuley– 6: Frustrated City attackers for most parts of the game along with Evans.
Jonny Evans – 6: Solid defensive display from the Northern Irishman, who will be disappointed to have conceded two goals in an otherwise fine performance.
James Chester – 5: Had to deal with Navas’ speed and made no mistakes against the Spaniard, but De Bruyne caused him a bit of worry when he came on.
Darren Fletcher – 6.5: A spirited performance from the Scottish international, who did extremely well in the middle of the park.
Sandro – 5: Did well in a defensive sense but did not offer much going forward.
Stephane Sessegnon – 7: Although Hart was easily beaten, Sessegnon’s shot was struck with venom and accuracy. He did a good job in attack, but was a bit unfortunate to give away the penalty.
James McClean–6.5: Was proving to be a handful for Zabaleta and provided the cross for Sessegnon’s opener. Nearly snatched the equaliser with the last kick of the game, but his shot went narrowly wide of the post.
Saido Berahino –6: Moved into the striker’s position after Rondon came off and got himself into good positions, only to be let down by poor finishing.
Salmon Rondon – 5: Suffered an injury in the opening 10 minutes and could not shake it off, forcing a substitution in the first-half.
Substitutes
Graig Gardner – 5: Had a number of shots on goal but was a bit wayward with his finishing. Tested Joe Hart with a fine effort from a free-kick in the second-half.
Jonathan Leko – N/A: Came on for Sessegnon for the final 10 minutes and tried his best to get involved in play. A promising few minutes for the 16-year-old.
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