Hull 0 – 2 MAN CITY – MY THOUGHTS

On the face of it, a side of City’s quality travelling to Hull and obtaining a comfortable victory wouldn’t normally rank as a particularly memorable result, yet in the circumstances this was one of the Blues’ most impressive performances of the season. One battling display, two superbly crafted goals and three valuable – potentially defining - points. This was the perfect antidote to a demanding week.

Coming less than three days after the valiant, but draining, loss in Spain, this fixture acquired extra importance. It’s hard to know precisely how much the encounter with Barcelona affected the players, but both physically and mentally, it would have been sapping. So to produce such a gritty display, characterised by togetherness and belief, says plenty about the character of our squad and the resilience they possess.

Our recent form has been poor, chances have been created but profligacy has been ripe and the fluency which was so dazzling in the first half of the season has given way to a lethargy which punctures our effectiveness. Our strikers have been wayward, our midfielders fatigued and the defence has recently seemed to be an accident-in-waiting. To overcome those factors and demonstrate the enduring ability that courses through the squad is testament to the spirit of the players.

Vincent Kompany is our captain, the inspirational leader who drives the team forward from the back, his aggressive style setting the tone for others. To lose him so early in the game – and to a debatable decision at that, such was the foul that was committed on Kompany before his offence - was a crushing blow. It would have been easy for the players to buckle. It would have been easy for them to offer up the excuse of fatigue, stroll around for the rest of the game and suffer a defeat. There is too much pride for that to happen, however.

Up stepped a series of powerful figures, often maligned ones, to accept greater responsibility and push us forward. One moment of pure magic from David Silva handed us control of proceedings. One more moment of magic from him in the final minutes handed Edin Dzeko the opportunity to secure the points. That chance was taken and just as doubts may have started to creep in after a rough past month, the players proved once more what a determined bunch they are.

Silva, as is so often the case, was the architect. This was one of the finest individual performances I can remember, containing everything in abundance and he was the all-powerful wave amidst a sea of City excellence. At times, as our other attackers appeared leggy and lethargic, Silva was a one-man band, leading Hull’s defence on a merry dance, teasing them, turning them, taunting them. All his delightful attributes of touch, control, vision and the like were manifest, his ability to wriggle away from tight spaces whilst retaining possession captivating.

Yet he harnessed all of that elegance with an ethic that typified his selflessness. He hassled, he harried, he darted, he prodded, he covered ground aplenty to help the team. He was a tireless worker, impacting play in both halves and producing the two standout swishes of brilliance. His first goal suggested that all we had learnt about him during his time at City – that he could do everything but shoot – was a fallacy: a delightful, curling effort swerving in the corner to send the travelling supporters delirious. His pass to release Dzeko to clinch the victory was pinpoint, timed and weighted to perfection. It was classic Silva. The whole performance was classic Silva. It was world-class.

If he was the superstar who attracted the limelight, then Martin Demichelis, Gael Clichy and Javi Garcia were somewhere in the background, easily forgotten and overlooked but essential to the production. All three have been slated to varying levels throughout this season, yet all three were vital cogs in the defensive resilience which saw us cruise to the points.

Ridiculed and scapegoated for his contributions this season, Demichelis was imperious, leading the resistance with his intriguing blend of sauve and rugged defending. Cultured on the ground and dominant in the air, he was just the experienced, battle-hardened presence we needed following Kompany’s departure. Alongside him, Garcia slotted seamlessly into a role in the back four, covering the flanks, stepping out of defence and shackling Hull’s infrequent endeavours. Out on the left, Clichy was a focused, dynamic warrior, supporting his centre-backs and midfield with a committed, concentrated display.

This was a collectively outstanding performance. In the face of adversity, the players grouped together to highlight their strengths. The title may seem a little distance away, but should we reproduce this togetherness and spirit on a regular basis, it would be naïve to write us off. The charge is most definitely on.