MAN CITY 3 – 1 West Brom – PLAYER RATINGS

Objective achieved. Attention may have been elsewhere, focused on the staggering and hugely enjoyable struggles of our neighbours this season, but we produced an efficient display to ease to victory and secure the three points as we battle to maintain the pressure on Liverpool at the top of the table. Our hopes of reclaiming the Premier League title may be slim but there were enough glimpses of fluency last night to hint that we are not just going to crumble in the face of a challenging task.

An opening fifteen minutes characterised by intensity and rhythm led to a brace of goals, and following Martin Demichelis’s poach at the far post towards the end of the first half which once again established a two-goal advantage after West Brom had countered to great effect, the second half was played in cruise control. It wasn’t gripping but if was effective and, in the aftermath of a deflating week, it was just what was required.

Hart - Very vocal as the last line of defence, always organising the backline and letting them know of runners creeping forward which may not have been spotted. He wasn’t often called into action but maintained concentration throughout - 6

Zabaleta - Showed great anticipation to notch the first with a powerful flying header but then conceded possession which led to West Brom’s goal and played a few sloppy passes after that - 6

Kompany - Strong, authoritative and determined to stamp his bruising nature on the visiting side’s fleeting attacks. Showed some nifty footwork when moving forward with the ball on a couple of occasions - 7

Demichelis - His impressive form over the past few months continues. The timing of his tackles was once again magnificent and his composure in possession - his comfort in bring the ball out of defence with purpose – should not be overlooked - 8

Clichy - An all-action display, energetically pouring down the left and then bursting back to regain position. His crossing is far from his strength but rather than waste a delivery, he knows when to turn back and play the ball simply to those more creative players around him - 7

Garcia - Solid enough. It wasn’t a game where we needed him to occupy a position just in front of the backline, such was West Brom’s limited threat, but he did his job with the minimum of fuss - 6

Fernandinho - He has seemed fatigued in the past couple of matches but he was someway back to his charismatic, dynamic self yesterday, relishing the freedom to join attacks rather than operating in a more restrictive role. His touch wasn’t always there but there was plenty of intensity in his play which contributed to a quicker tempo - 6

Nasri - Bounced off Silva’s ingenuity with a strong showing, displaying his nimble feet and turn of pace in the final third. As the match wore on, and most noticeably after Silva’s early departure, he tended to drop just that touch too deep and that meant he couldn’t influence matters further forward - 7

Silva - The genius returned and reminded us – as if we actually needed a reminder – of his elegance. The way he finds space and time on the ball where others are congested and harried is remarkable and he was the shining light while on the pitch. We can only hope his ankle injury is nothing too serious as we have very little chance of reclaiming the title without him - 8

Aguero - His quick-thinking and negligible backlift, not to mention his enduring ability, enabled him to fire in his first goal since returning but whilst he did look sharper than against Sunderland, it looked like he was still a long way from full fitness. There were moments when he burst into life but for spells he was dejected and couldn’t have the impact he would have desired - 6

Džeko - Showed a decent turn of pace on the break when he had space to move into, but then let down by his decision making of knowing when to pass and when to take the opportunity himself - 6

Subs

Jovetic - Nifty footwork in tight spaces and his penchant for a shot from outside the box contrasts well with the more intricate nature of our others attackers - 6

Milner - Typically busy down the left - 6

Kolarov - Barely touched the ball - No time to mark

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