Premier League - Man City cruise past Blackburn
Manchester City extend their lead at the top of the Premier League to five points with a straightforward 3-0 win over Blackburn at the Etihad Stadium.
City enjoyed over 80 per cent possession, and Blackburn did not manage a shot on target until the 90th minute in an almost comically one-sided affair.
Mario Balotelli marked his return from suspension by scoring the opening goal, before revealing a t-shirt declaring his love for girlfriend Raffaella Fico.
The Italian also grinned broadly after volleying left-footed past Paul Robinson, flying in the face of his reputation as the purveyor of the Premier League's most sullen goal celebrations.
Second-half strikes from Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko rounded off a victory that takes City five points clear of Manchester United, who take on Norwich at Carrow Road on Sunday.
Roberto Mancini made four changes to the side that beat Porto in the Europa League with Balotelli returning along with Pablo Zabaleta, Aleksandar Kolarov and Adam Johnson. Yaya Toure made his first Premier League appearance since returning from the African Nations Cup.
Meanwhile, Steve Kean started life without Christopher Samba - sold to Anzhi Makachkala on Friday - by bringing Marcus Olsson and Radosav Petrovic into his midfield.
The home side attacked from the kick off and almost took the lead after just two minutes in a move started by Toure. The midfielder switched the ball from left to right, finding found Johnson with a pinpoint pass. The winger whipped in a cross which Balotelli hit first time only to be denied by a great reflex save from Robinson.
The opening 45 minutes was played out almost exclusively in the Blackburn half, and although City were not at their most threatening, they created numerous chances only to be denied by some great saves by Robinson.
City finally found a way past the Blackburn defence on the half-hour mark. Junior Hoilett lost the ball on the attack and the home side broke quickly. David Silva raced forward and laid the ball off to the overlapping Kolarov whose first-time cross was guided into the net by a delightful touch by Balotelli.
The second half continued in the same fashion and just seven minutes after the restart City doubled their lead. Adam Johnson's corner looked harmless enough but Robinson flapped at it, diverting the ball straight to an unmarked Aguero who smashed a half-volley beyond the hapless keeper.
Even at 2-0 down, Blackburn showed no intention of attacking as the game slipped away. City become more and more dominant as the game went on. Kean's side were swamped inside their own half, with Ayegbeni Yakubu stranded up front, marked out of the game by Vincent Kompany and Joleon Lescott.
Balotelli was replaced with 20 minutes to go after taking a minor knock to the face, with Dzeko coming on. The Bosnian made an instant impact, scoring in the 80th minute. David Pizarro, himself a replacement for Johnson, picked up a loose ball in midfield before spreading it out wide to the impressive Kolarov. The Serbian international whipped in a perfect cross which was headed home by Dzeko, leaping in between Scott Dann and Grant Hanley.
Roberto Mancini could not have wished for an easier game after their European exploits against Porto in midweek and the Italian will be delighted to have seen his side lay down the gauntlet to United.
Comment 152 - 171 of 171
Ronsenglish post #143 may well be right about the development of a European Super League. it was the threat of that forced the FA's hand into agreeing to the EPL, and look where that has got us. The development of the EPL despite its promises has done little to improve English players.
If football really wanted to have a league then they should do something about the disparity in incomes in football. whether that money is coming from TV, merchandising, tickets & advertising or wealthy backers thje current structure is unsustainable.
UEFA's financial fair play has nothing whatever to do with fair play (its really about locking in the wealth to those who have been getting UEFA TV money for years). UEFA (along with Sky) is a large part of the problem and no part of the solution. But UEFA won't do anything about the problem because they generate so much cash for themselves off the back off their competitions.
Its unbelievable that we could have a club from seemingly nowhere doing well in European competitions.. no more the likes of Nottingham Forest. or Aberdeen
unless there is sopme form of revenue limiting (dont' care if its the US model or some other regulation but the very idea that the top 3..4 teasm can spend like loons and the others live on a shoestring. if there is a genuine wish to have a league format then all the participants have to accept that you cannot have the anomolies where for most of the last 20..30 years United's net profits were higher than many other premiership sides gross turnover
the expenditure at City has been ridiculous, as a City fan I look on in amazement at what the petrodollars have done and am glad that if they had to spent in the EPL, thank (*&^& they were spent at our club. its unsustainable, but then again the owners have long said they have to do a heck of a lot to get to where the Arsenal, United, Chelsea and so on have got to, andthey have to do it rapidly if they are to achieve tha
if any body want to be happy pls watch city's games
2-3
if people want to have a go at City buying their way to the title ..is not what Barca or Real Madrid do in La Liga or previously a lot of the Italian clubs do in Serie A before the recession now
Also with Man U yes they've invested in youth players but they won the treble after splashing out £30m to get Staam, Yorke and Blomqvist to strengthen the team that season
Man U can still afford to spend £30m on players like Rooney, Berbatov, Ferdinand...and this season they've spent £60m getting Jones, Young and De Geaa..thats a lot of money for most premiership clubs except Man City at the moment
People obviously forget Man U actually are a club saddled with debts thanks to their owners in the chase for success and greed.
SO [please don't make it out that Man U are some poor club..they've not really had any youth players from the academy go into the first team since Jonny Evans..they can't even replace Scholes and Giggs !
Picking up the leftovers of Ronaldo.
Just read one of these comments, "man city play like barca" haha, its goin to be really funny for the rest of us when your season goes t.i.t.s up.
City are definately the best team in the premiership this season but remember it took alot of man u titles to acquire their level of arrogance and lack of humility
Donney, shut the feck up. You come on here with more drivel than the Sun, it's just fecking tedious. Do us and yourself a favour and switch your twunting computer off...
Martin S, I agree. Throwing money at a club will win you ONE league title, but then the the debts pile up and you find the said club selling thevery players they bought to win the title to get them out of trouble. City can't follow United's example. Yes, Fergie invested in players down the years, but the majority of players were youth academy products.
170, it ain't over until the fat lady sings. So stop crowing until city HAVE won it.
Blackburn the original money bags..
Not a crack at chelsea and City but others have bought leagues before them although still think utd will get it soz blue men
Donney, does that make you a Saint then, compared to Rupert?
159, I was wondering @#$% he reminded me of. So now City have Frankenstein, (Kompany) Pinocchio, (Dzeko) check out the size of the hooter! Ya Ya Binks (Ya Ya Toure) and a troll who went AWOL/ on strike, (Tevez). Oh not forgetting the manager, Mancini, the biggest turncoat in the Prem for forgiving said troll. A lamb in wolfs' clothing indeed!!! Nice to see Paul Robinson dutifully dish the ball out to @#$% Aguero so he could give it hm back by way of the net.. Wake up the rest of the teams left to play these pretenders. Stop them passing the ball and you stop them. Simples. Ch.
164 Dominic- Unable to understand why idiots like you ,who obviously support some other team than Man City would bother to read let alone post some rubbish on another club's news. Now you're on about 19! Remember the 35 banner!! THE CITY IS BLUE... C.T.I,D ......
Blackburn, how low have you sunk? From a former league champion and a tough team to beat, to true minnows. With no proper manager, your best players sold to other clubs, and those that remain are unmotivated.
This young boy has been through a lot in life and he lived to tell the tales. You can see the tales of his tough childhood on his body: abandoned by parents, intestinal and spine problems, hardcore racist mugging, mental issues yet he pull through! he is an inspiration that whatever happened if you work hard, make it, you will get any woman you wanted especially the italian models. Same with Zeal the muscian
man city will win nowt - they haven't a clue like their deluded mushroom fans( only come up when needed)
David - i disagree on all of your points but in particular the last one, its clear to see that you are the tosser here.
"an almost comically one sided affair" - yep, thats what happens when a bored arab gives a no-hope no-history club a bottemless pit of money to spend. It allows a team who has done nothing to deserveit the oppurtunity to cherry pick players without bothering to have done any of the work cultivating them. They just keep sticking £10m on untill the club buckles. So errr, yeah well played Man City - you've worked hard over the last twenty years for this....
Wait untill the arab gets bored or the mecenerys leave you....sure you'll win some trophies over the next few seasons but you won't surpass Utds 20 years of dominance, and will remain in the shadow where you belong :)
good work balotelli
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