West Ham 0 – 0 MAN CITY – PLAYER RATINGS

Hart - Saw Benayoun’s strike hit the crossbar and was helpless as Carroll screwed one effort wide of the post, but was otherwise hardly called into action. Handling was crisp and his distribution was quick - 6

K. Touré - Given an opportunity with Zabaleta not quite fit enough to start and did well. Jarvis could have been a tricky opponent but Kolo handled him with relative assurance. Sadly, lacks a natural instinct to bomb forward, a la Richards, Zabaleta and Maicon, which hindered out attacking endeavours but did his primary job well - 7

Kompany - Handled the physical threat of Carroll successfully, winning headers and looking back to his usual authoritative self. Better in possession than in recent matches, too - 7

Nastasic - Continues to impress with his languid style, stifling the home side’s attacking threat with his reading of the game and composure. Elegant on the ball, although he did switch off momentarily when Nolan scored but the goal was ruled offside - 7

Clichy – A hugely energetic display, providing a constant option out wide on the left whilst completing his defensive duties with aplomb. Plenty of neat footwork when in tricky situations and linked up well with those around him in the final third. My man of the match - 8

Barry - A late inclusion in the side following James Milner’s withdrawal in the warm-up but he slotted in seamlessly, operating in a slightly more advanced role than normal. Kept play ticking over but really ought to have scored from his one chance - 7.5

Y. Touré - Tried to impose himself on the game using his physicality but couldn’t make any impression where it mattered. Passed the ball neatly but there was no drive or incisiveness to his play - 6.5

Nasri - Worked hard in a deeper role, trying to get forward as much as possible and some of his link-up play with Tévez and Balotelli was exquisite. Couldn’t quite find the breakthrough, however, and was replaced late on - 7

Balotelli - His first touch, vision and control were at their sublime, intricate best but his end product was sadly lacking. Wasted a couple of opportunities as he continues to search for a goal but every other element was excellent - 7

Tévez - Tried his hardest and showed flashes of neat footwork, but like the rest of the team, lacked the ingenuity to break down the West Ham backline. Dropped deeper as the game wore on but we needed his touch near the penalty box - 7

Džeko - Awful. Lacks the technical ability to interact with our other creative players, meaning that numerous attacks broke down because of his absent first touch. Far more suited to coming off the bench late on to provide an aerial threat. He’s nothing more than an effective substitute at the moment - 4

Subs

Aguero – Brought on to find the breakthrough but saw his chances limited to a couple of hopeful shots from outside the box - 6

Garcia – Committed one foul in his brief cameo - No time to mark

Sinclair - Brought on in injury time - No time to mark

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