Norwich 1 – 6 MANCHESTER CITY – PLAYER RATINGS
15 Apr
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Hart - Made a couple of routine stops before denying Holt superbly near the end, although he will be disappointed with his role in Norwich’s goal. Having made the early decision to punch, he needed to get the ball further clear but saw Surman volley home - 6
Zabaleta - Occasionally troubled by the pace of Pilkington in the first half but enjoyed more freedom after the break and was an offensive threat. Forced Ruddy into action a couple of times and was a very useful attacking outlet down the right - 7
Kompany - Seemed to relish the physical battle against Holt and Wilbraham, enjoying a tough tussle but he came out on top. His partnership with Lescott continues to give us a solid foundation - 7
Lescott - Beaten for pace on one occasion but for the most part was his reliable self. Dominant in the air, read the game well and made a number of clearance from crosses. Header on the line to deny Holt was tremendous - 7
Clichy - Continued his excellent form with another impressive display, full of energy, vibrancy and desire. Limited Norwich’s threat down our left and managed to get forward frequently, the highlight being his assist for Adam Johnson’s goal in the 93rd minute. The fact he had the will and capability to be on the end of Aguero’s cross that late in the game, and have the touch and wherewithal to pick out Johnson, says everything about his fitness levels. Immense - 8
De Jong - Influential in the first half as the game was stretched and the Dutchman’s ability to read the game and intercept danger became essential. Struggled in the early stages of the second half to gain a foothold in midfield, but recovered after that and was a strong presence in the centre - 7
Barry - Very similar to his midfield partner. Impressed at times with his passing, although when Norwich attacked shortly after the break, he found life much tougher. Picked up again towards the end - 7
Nasri - After a strong showing against West Brom, this was a return to the underwhelming Nasri. Threatened all too briefly and seemed on the periphery of our attacking play - 6
Silva - His strike in the last game, a delightful chip over Ben Foster, gave him some much needed confidence and Silva looked to be getting somewhere near his best in terms of his trickery on the ball. His final touch still wasn’t quite right but he is improving after a mid-season blip - 7.5
Tévez - His behaviour during his absence may have infuriated City fans, but if he continues to perform like he did yesterday, we may soon forgive him. Absolutely superb with regards to his workrate, link up play and ability to bring the best out of others, which makes it all the more frustrating he was playing golf in Argentina for most of the season. Took his goal superbly and was a key ingredient in linking midfield and attack - 9
Aguero - Every bit as good as his fellow Argentine striker and, for me, just edges man of the match. His movement, normally a strength, was even better than usual, drifting out wide frequently and completely stretching Norwich’s defence. His game intelligence and link up play with Tévez was breathtaking at times, both of his goals were utterly sublime and his pass to Clichy in the build up to the fourth goal rivals anything we’ve seen for pass of the season. An absolute joy to watch - 9
Subs
Y. Touré – Brought on when the score was 2-1 and his imposing presence and composed touch settled our nerves. Produced a number of fine passes and added an extra dimension to our play - 7
A. Johnson - Finished off the final goal clinically and looked livelier than normal in his cameo - 6.5
Richards - Went on one barnstorming run through the middle near the end but was thwarted by a superb last-ditch challenge - No time to mark
This is not to undermine the brilliant work of Augero, Tevez and Silva but I can not help not to mention that Clichy had yet another very solid game. He is one of the top left backs in the world.
Good performance by the Blues. This is the time for Mancini to minimise on his rotation policy. This must be our starting eleven serve for one or two changes. I LOVE IT WHEN OUR SCORING LEVEL IS SO HIGH – IT CAN HELP AT THE END.
A decent summary and not much to add, just a couple of minor points.
I thought Zaba had a very good game which justified his selection. Picky I know but you are a bit harsh on Samir who I thought undeserving of the ‘underwhelming’ jibe. When Yaya comes on and plays as he did, and against a tiring defence, anyone is going to suffer a bit in comparison;Samir and Silva had already done the hard yards. Finally, if Yaya was there long enough to mark then I’d respectfully suggest he was worth an 8
Oh and Siamack, I agree re Clichy and apologise if I was a bit tetchy in response to one of your recent posts. I fundamentally disagreed with you but could and should have been more polite!!
Keep up the good work.
Alph
at least you know you were out of order