Premier League - Zaki spot-kick downs City

Eurosport - Mon, 29 Sep 07:33:00 2008

Wigan Athletic stretched their unbeaten run to six matches after beating Manchester City 2-1 at the JJB Stadium.

FOOTBALL 2008/09 Premier League Wigan's Amr Zaki scores a penalty against Manchester City - 0

A wonder-strike from Luis Antonio Valencia and a penalty from Amr Zaki came either side of Vincent Kompany's first goal for City to send the Latics up to 10th in the league.

City struggled throughout the first half to clear the ball from set pieces efficiently, and they paid the price on 16 minutes when Kompany cleared Olivier Kapo's free-kick only as far as Valencia, and the Ecuadorian had time to size up a shot and blast an unstoppable right-footed strike into the far top corner with City goalkeeper Joe Hart rooted to the spot.

Kompany - who also conceded the free-kick that led to the opener - made amends a few minutes later when he got on the end of Elano's free-kick after Maynor Figueroa's attempted clearance only steered the ball on to the Belgian's knee and it rebounded into the net.

Wigan regained the lead not long afterwards when Wilson Palacios made the most of a challenge from full-back Javier Garrido to win a penalty. The Honduras international won the race to a loose ball against Garrido, but as the Spaniard left his foot in Palacios sprang into the air to give himself to best chance of winning the spot-kick.

Referee Steve Bennett booked Garrido for the foul, and also Kompany and Robinho for dissent after they protested vehemently against the decision.

Egyptian striker Zaki sent Hart the wrong way from the spot to score his sixth of the season.

City began to push more frantically for another equaliser as an open and increasingly scrappy second half wore on, and they were up in arms with just under 10 minutes remaining when they felt they should have their own penalty.

Micah Richards sprinted down the left-hand side to reach Stephen Ireland's weighted pass, and collided with Wigan defender Titus Bramble just inside the area. Bramble did not get a touch of the ball and clumsily went into Richards, bet Bennett - who awarded six yellow cards in inconsistent fashion during the match - waved away the appeals.

In injury time as City committed more men forward, the highly impressive Zaki broke forward and had the chance to put the game beyond doubt, but his solid strike from distance after shaking off two defenders was tipped over the bar by Hart.

Tony Mabert / Eurosport

Comment 37 - 56 of 56

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  1. P.S. Atlantis G.................go to school, child.

    From D, on Tue 30 Sep 1:21AM

  2. mark hughes should be sacked, he is a @#$% manager and a united player and fan.city needs a good top class manager to win then trophies. with the money they have im shore they can get any manager they wnt. marks days are numbered. he now cannt afford to give fergie any free points to win the league because his job will be on the line......................................... now he needs to choose united or his job at city ,hope we lose to lfc on saturday. and hughes get sacked on monday................................................. ..........

    From atlantis g, on Mon 29 Sep 12:16PM

  3. doctorfeelgoodcanvey YOUR COMMENTS R @#$% WIGAN WILL BE FIGHTING RELLAGATION @ THE END OF SEASON YOU TW*T SO SHUT YA P USS .... CITY TILL I DIE

    From mcpluker, on Mon 29 Sep 8:22AM

  4. Great to see the bitters finding their level,still be awful if they were the richest club in the universe. Give it a couple more defeats and their new benifactors will be off on their toes.

    From doctorfeelgoodcanvey, on Mon 29 Sep 7:30AM

  5. How can the ref justify the penalty he gave? But even stranger when Bramble clatters a player on the ball the ref gives the foul in his favour, perhaps the rich City moguls have not got their feet under the table yet and are greasing the wrong palms.
    Refs must be culpable. Living overseas I get all my football on the box and watch the German, Spanish and Italian football as well as the English Premiership highlights. I can't understand the poor quality and lack of consistency shown by English refs, if you refereed a game in Italy like this the fraud squad would be checking you out and you would have questions to answer, why aren’t referees responsible for their poor decisions that can cost clubs millions in lost revenue, something stinks. Overseas commentators are always bemused and replay over and over all the controversial refereeing decisions that happen weekly in the premiership and imply the ref is on the take. Why can’t a club, a player or a manager criticize bad refereeing and bad decisions? Why does the FA usually support bad refereeing blindly and not right obvious wrongs? Offend a ref and you get a booking, end a players career or sideline him for months and months and you get a booking where's the justice in that?
    All refs should be above reproach and reveal their earnings and justify their assets.
    P.S I'm a Hammers fan with no axe to grind.

    From Ronsenglish, on Mon 29 Sep 6:43AM

  6. How can the ref justify the penalty he gave? But even stranger when Bramble clatters a player on the ball the ref gives the foul in his favour, perhaps the rich City moguls have not got their feet under the table yet and are greasing the wrong palms.
    Refs must be culpable. Living overseas I get all my football on the box and watch the German, Spanish and Italian football as well as the English Premiership highlights. I can't understand the poor quality and lack of consistency shown by English refs, if you refereed a game in Italy like this the fraud squad would be checking you out and you would have questions to answer, why aren’t referees responsible for their poor decisions that can cost clubs millions in lost revenue, something stinks. Overseas commentators are always bemused and replay over and over all the controversial refereeing decisions that happen weekly in the premiership and imply the ref is on the take. Why can’t a club, a player or a manager criticize bad refereeing and bad decisions? Why does the FA usually support bad refereeing blindly and not right obvious wrongs? Offend a ref and you get a booking, end a players career or sideline him for months and months and you get a booking where's the justice in that?
    All refs should be above reproach and reveal their earnings and justify their assets.
    P.S I'm a Hammers fan with no axe to grind.

    From Ronsenglish, on Mon 29 Sep 6:40AM

  7. ah comment 40 dteacher1uk you know nothing. zaki has been taking diving lessons? you do know that he didnt draw the penalty kick right? and the guy is nicknamed the bulldozer for his embrace of physical contact. know the facts before you talk and quit being bitter.

    From football4life, on Mon 29 Sep 4:59AM

  8. dteacher1uk
    Can you honestly say that that list compares to Chelsea's spendngs over the past few years? We bought Ronaldo, Nani and Anderson when they were complete unknowns, and Van Nisterooy wasn't the sar he is today before joining Man Utd. And can you put Hargreaves and Carrick on the same page as Deco and Bosingwa? Berbatov had been wanting to join Man Utd for some time. Fergie taught Rooney and Rio to be who they are today, owing to his keen eye to spot talent.

    From srb4life21, on Mon 29 Sep 3:32AM

  9. do any you have lives by any chance?

    From kupfer_stephen, on Mon 29 Sep 3:25AM

  10. I find it quite amusing to see those so called rich clubs fall prey to what they regard as Sunday league outfits. Another example of this week has been London Arsenal crashing to Hull City B-)

    From sappercommando25, on Mon 29 Sep 3:17AM

  11. Manchester City are being to arrogant ever since Abu Dhabi United took control over the club . Besides , you can't win the title just because you have a lot of money . Its about teamwork , passion , control and many more . Well even Robinho made the same mistake by joining Manchester City thinking they can win the English Premier League , FA Cup , Carling Cup and UEFA Cup . Haha , Chelsea for life !

    From afeeqnadzrin8, on Mon 29 Sep 2:48AM

  12. yes you can buy the leauge, Blackburn bought it as have Chelsea

    From desfls2000, on Mon 29 Sep 2:08AM

  13. Jak.Jones - how utterly naive of you!

    WTF do you think Chelsea and Man Ure have been doing all this time?

    Oh look, Man Ure spent NOTHING on:

    Berbatov
    Rio Ferdinand
    Ruud Van Nistlerooy
    Wayne Rooney
    Tranaldo
    Nani
    Anderson
    Carrick
    Hargreaves

    etc etc etc

    Some people are just soooooooooo stupid.

    From D, on Mon 29 Sep 2:02AM

  14. I really cant see what all the fuss is about, Wigan are a tidy team, they have held their own in the Prem for a while now, for all the momey Man C have they are not going to win the Prem, get over it.OK you have a lot of money to spend but we all know you cant buy the Premiership title.

    From the guvner., on Mon 29 Sep 1:41AM

  15. MUFC for life - or at least till Chelsea win this year and then it's Chelski 4 life, innit?

    You silly, little, ignorant child.

    Manure will win NOTHING this season.

    The future is bright. The future is BLUE.

    From D, on Mon 29 Sep 12:36AM

  16. Keith R, you deluded, ignoramus of a total numpty - HART will be the Number 1 England keeper in the next year and for the next 12 years.

    From D, on Mon 29 Sep 12:33AM

  17. No, amremad2001 - Zaki was NOT man of the match.

    That CHEATING bas**** of a referee was your 'man' of the match.

    Oh and I see Zaki has been taking lessons off Tranaldo in DIVING.

    From D, on Mon 29 Sep 12:32AM

  18. Amr.............man of the match.Again.

    From amr, on Mon 29 Sep 12:10AM

  19. The funniest thing about this game was watching Joe Hart shouting at Zaki as he was about to take the penalty.... trying to put him off..... then having the ball rammed into the back of the net as the stupid t*sser dived the wrong way.... who does he think he is?? apart from a joke !!

    From Keith R, on Sun 28 Sep 11:18PM

  20. man city might have all the money but there still city lol =p

    From swell23, on Sun 28 Sep 10:42PM
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