Hull 2 – 4 MAN CITY – MY THOUGHTS

If it had been suggested, ten minutes into this absorbing contest, that the visiting supporters would be casting regular and increasingly anxious glances towards the clock during the closing stages, few would have believed such a notion. Instead, pegged back by a combination of their own side’s defensive mistakes and by Hull’s determination not to collapse in the face of City’s attacking thrust, the travelling Blues were somewhat on edge heading into the final few minutes. As is becoming habit, however, Frank Lampard delivered the decisive blow, scoring City’s fourth of the game and soothing considerable nerves.

Such a prospect would have seemed absurd after a quickfire opening burst which saw the lightning sharp Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko drive City into a two goal lead. It was as pulsating a beginning to the game as Manuel Pellegrini could have wished for, but any thoughts he may have had of cruising to a comfortable victory were interrupted by Eliaquim Mangala and his uncertain follow up to his standout debut just a week ago. Yet rather than limp to what would have been a deflating draw, City regained the momentum, took the lead once again and, in truth, it was only a collective lack of a clinical touch that gave the home side hope and the away fans a few worried moments.

For the most part, this was an impressive performance on the road. There was an electric start, Aguero in particular vibrant and dangerous, and the second half saw a controlled display, urgent when required and composed when closing out the game. With the win and valuable three points secured, it would be easy to forget the spell before the break when Hull recovered and fought back, but it would be no exaggeration to say that City, and Mangala, were thoroughly rattled as half-time approached.

Following such a powerful and aggressive debut performance against Chelsea, expectations of Mangala were understandably sky high. Faced with the considerable presence of Diego Costa last weekend, he was magnificent in the way in which he closed down, attacked the ball and nullified Chelsea’s threat. The contrast with his showing at the KC Stadium couldn’t have been more marked.

After diverting a cross into his own net, he crumbled. Physically, he was given a torrid time by Nikica Jelavic and mentally, he just seemed to fall to pieces. A lack of awareness gifted Hull a penalty and he never seemed to recover. That inconsistency is perhaps understandable from a defender who is still relatively inexperienced, but it was a concern nonetheless to see him struggle to bounce back from a mistake that all defenders make. In time, he will no doubt be an imposing partner at the back for Vincent Kompany, but those who believed Mangala’s arrival would signal the immediate end of Martin Demichelis’s career in Manchester may have been a touch hasty.

At the other end of the pitch, Aguero sparkled in the first half hour. Tormenting Hull’s backline with his movement, he popped up everwhere, dropping off and picking the ball up from deep before running at pace towards goal or bursting over the top and awaiting service from the ever-dependable James Milner and David Silva. He was scintillating to watch as City began at an electric pace, yet he tired towards the end of the half and then seemed hesitant in the second. He is clearly aware of being felled by heavy tackles and that meant he was just a little reluctant to put himself about after the break. It was noticeable that as soon as Dzeko scored the third goal to fire the Blues into the lead, Aguero trudged off.

Fortunately, as Aguero drifted out of proceedings, Dzeko continued his improved form this season. Whilst he has always scored goals, there have been plenty of question marks about his overall play, specifically his work rate and touch, yet he has shown an application this season to help the team that hadn’t consistently been evident in previous campaigns. With David Silva pulling the creative strings and James Milner shining once again, it meant that despite City’s defensive uncertainty, there was a constant attacking menace and that eventually told.

This was by no means a romp, but four goals scored and a bagful of chances created highlight what a strong away performance it was from the Blues. Tuesday’s Champions League tie with Roma promises to be a totally different challenge, but having scored eleven goals in the past two games, it is clear that Pellegrini’s lust for all-action, offensive football is being fulfilled.

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