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 1 - 16 of 56

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  1. look at the city fans now blaming the ref cause they­ got played out of the game. i cant see robinho scoring­ more than 12 this season, and that will still be the­ most he has scored in one season, what a waste of­ money. its shame for the city fans now they have been­ given this false hope, by a bunch of arab buisness men.

    From upthevilla, on Sun 28 Sep 6:33PM

  2. Amr Zaki is the Man. He Has heart. God bless him.­ Ameennnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

    Ya Amr Ya­ Gammmmmeedddddddddddddddddd

    From Mokhles A, on Sun 28 Sep 6:32PM

  3. so much for city being on the up, and they have got­ liverpool next week. while im on here could someone­ give zaki a call and get him to take richards and dunne­ out of his back pocket.

    From upthevilla, on Sun 28 Sep 6:27PM
  4. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    BENNETT ANTHOR REF WHO SHOULD BE DEMOTED. RICHARDS GETS­ FOULDED YET FREE KICK GIVEN AGAINST HIM, BENNETT YOU A­ F@@@KING JOKE.

    From Mike C, on Sun 28 Sep 6:22PM

  5. personally,I think Man City will flounder this season­ and be relegated

    From Richard H, on Sun 28 Sep 6:21PM

  6. go ZAKI GO

    From minafmina, on Sun 28 Sep 6:16PM

  7. Was Robinho recommended by the bloke that conned Graeme­ Souness into taking that lad who had never played­ football in his life? £32 million for that @#$%,­ someones having a laugh. Steve Bennett - oh dear.

    From Ian H, on Sun 28 Sep 6:15PM

  8. 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.

    From Ronsenglish, on Sun 28 Sep 6:15PM

  9. ZAKI..ZAKI..ZAKI

    From 3.14, on Sun 28 Sep 6:14PM

  10. not nice...divers -.-

    From Fahmi, on Sun 28 Sep 6:14PM

  11. 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.

    From Ronsenglish, on Sun 28 Sep 6:14PM

  12. About 79 pence, there must be a moral in this somewhere­ ?

    From B4ts, on Sun 28 Sep 6:12PM
  13. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    When oh when will a referee be consistent in this­ league-City cheated yet again by a referee. Penalty­ given against them for no reason yet a blatant trip on­ Dunne is not penalised. Pure hypocrisy by Bennett!

    From Chas C, on Sun 28 Sep 6:09PM

  14. Good Job Zaki =D

    From khorly, on Sun 28 Sep 6:09PM

  15. Well done Wigan. City yet to beat us in the league.­ Look forward to another three points when we visit­ Eastlands.

    From quatt47, on Sun 28 Sep 6:08PM

  16. Nice one WIGAN.

    How much did your TEAM cost?

    From shingler473, on Sun 28 Sep 6:07PM
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