FOOTBALL Live

Saturday March 1, 2008 Finished City of Manchester Stadium

Logo 0 - Wigan Athletic 0

Manchester City

Wigan Athletic

  1. City and Wigan play out bore draw

    City and Wigan play out bore draw

    Neither Manchester City nor Wigan Athletic took the chance to make significant progress up the table as they drew 0-0 at the City of Manchester Stadium. More

  • Live Commentary

    Time:90'
    • Manchester City
    • Wigan Athletic
    • 90+2 The final whistle goes and, to a small chorus of boos around the ground, both sides trudge off with a point each for there efforts. Dot hese kind of performances deserve European football? Switch over right now for Athletic Bilbao v Barcelona or Milan v Lazio!
    • 90+1 Scharner is standing ready to curl in a free kick as Wigan send everyone forward. It's a good one.. Hart punches clear with real conviction!
    • 89' Valencia chases after a long ball but Vassell tracks back well to put in a vital tackle and stop the play.
    • 85' Wigan are the ones with the upper hand now. Koumas bursts past three men and feeds Palacios on the right who sets up SIBIERSKI... Block AGAIN by Dunne!
    • 81' Palacios intiates a break forward and feeds Heskey. Heskey makes the return pass as PALACIOS IS IN SPACE... Saved by Hart! Dunne was breathing down Palacios's neck but the shot could still have gone in!
    • 74' Joe Hart comes out of his box but doesn't clear! Heskey knocks it past him but is forced wide. He rolls the ball inside for SIBEIRSKI TO STRIKE... He couldn't get a clean hit on it and the ball rolls harmlessly wide.
    • 70' Vassell is played in down the right by Gelson and he squares it to BENJANI IN FRONT OF GOAL... HE MISSES!! That was the chance of the match! Somehow he fired wide!
    • 68' Wilson Palacios has taken a nasty bump to the back, and trudges off for treatment, but is fit enough to come straight back on.
    • 66' Castillo and Brown have a little spat near the touchline, trading barges, trips and blows, but the result is a Wigan throw! The unimpressive Marlon King is replaced by former city player Antoine Sibierski.
    • 63' Stephen Ireland comes off to make way for Nery Castillo.
    • 61' Richard Dunne hacks away a long ball, but only as far as KING... Blocked by Dunne!
    • 57' Malchiot gets stuck in and turns defence into attack for Wigan. Unfortunately, Heskey only has King up for support and has to send play back again.
    • 55' Wigan take their turn to have a go. Valencia cuts in from the wing onto his left foot, then back onto his right, then completely miscues his pass across the box. A wasted chance there.
    • 53' Despite the loss of Elano, City have taken the initiative in this match, with some good play all across the midfield. Caicedo slips through a pass for BENJANI... A powerful shot with not much backlift, but straight at Kirkland!
    • 50' City have a free kick on the edge of the left side of the area. Johnson will take it, and Scharner blocks Onuoha at the far post. Well played by the Austrian defender.
    • 48' After finally beginning to get into the game, Elano goes down injured and is begging to be taken off . He will be replaced by Felipe Caicedo. Not a welcome sight for City fans as Elano is helped down the tunnel.
    • 47' Elano sprays a wonderful passout to Vassell, who slides the ball in for BENJANI... His attempted backheeled effort was blocked by Scharner.
    • 46' Right away Elano plays in Benjani to the byline, and the Zimbabwean gets a shot off from a tight angle! The deflected effort bounces comfortably into Kirkland's hands, though.
    • 46' No changes for either side during the break, and the second half is underway.
    • 45+3 Half time is blown and there are small but audible moans of discontent to greet it!
    • 45' Wigan have a free kick out on the right. Koumas whips in a dangerous delivery and HESKEY... Headed wide of the near post.
    • 43' Heskey tries for a one-two with Palacios, but as the return pass comes in he is crowded out by Dunne and Onuoha. He goes to ground, but the referee, or anyone else for that matter, is convinced.
    • 38' Edman and Vassell collide as they both go for a high ball. Edman did not see him and clattered right into the striker! City coach Derek Fazakerly has come out of his technical area to have a go at the Wigan players for their appeals to get Vassell booked, and fourth official Phil Dowd gives him a stern talking to!
    • 35' Michael Brown puts the reducer on Elano, and earns a yellow card for his troubles! The Brazilian limps off, but he'll be able to return, free in the knowledge that he can torment Brown a lot more now he's in the book.
    • 31' Elano slips a ball through for Benjani, who is onside and all alone! He's bearing down on goal, but his touch lets him down and Kirkland slides in to smother the ball! The goalkeeper takes a knock after clashing with Benjnani, and receives some treatment on the pitch.
    • 30' Michael Johnson sees nothing on with the ball at his feet, so goes on a run, riding two challenges and fires a shot... High and wide.
    • 25' The tempo is beginning to crank up here. Wigan have a good break on but Valencia releases the ball for King tool ate, and then Benjani is just offside as Ireland plays a long ball up to him.
    • 23' Elano swings in a dangerous corner that Heskey has to hack away. Elano gets another go and this time plays it short and it finds it's way to IRELAND... A decent effort from outside the box.
    • 20' Elano spreads a lovely pass out for Corluka. The Croatian hoists his ball over to the far post, and Benjani wins the header but can only nod it out of play.
    • 19' Good build-up play by City. Vassell's cross is half-cleared and Ball pounced on the loose ball to SHOOT... Way over!
    • 14' Valencia does very well to beat Onuoha and get to the byline. He rolls the ball back for PALACIOS... He came in too quickly and the first touch was too much.
    • 13' Harry Redknapp is in the stands, looking focussed as he chats on the phone. Someone should tell hime the transfer window is shut!
    • 10' City have a free kick in a good position. Elano may fancy his chances... It was well struck but not high enough to clear the wall. Wigan break forward but Koumas's ball forward for King is too strong.
    • 6' City make steady progress forward. Michael Ball sends a cross over to VASSELL... Kirkland saves but spills it and has to pounce on the ball with Vassell lurking for the rebound!
    • 4' It will be interesting to see how Jason Koumas does in what is a rare start for him under new manager Steve Bruce. The Welshman is probably the most technically gifted Latics player, but has been kept out of the side of late.
    • 2' Marlon King hounds down Onuoha and wins the ball, but his attempting curling shot was rushed and it's an easy catch for Joe Hart.
    • 1' Welcome to Eurosport's LIVE coverage of Manchester City v Wigan Athletic! City will be aiming to bounce back from their poor performance agains teverton and get their European bid back on track, whereas Wigan are just fighting to stay in the top flight! The match is underway!

  • Summary

    • 85' Wigan are the ones with the upper hand now. Koumas bursts past three men and feeds Palacios on the right who sets up SIBIERSKI... Block AGAIN by Dunne!
    • 81' Palacios intiates a break forward and feeds Heskey. Heskey makes the return pass as PALACIOS IS IN SPACE... Saved by Hart! Dunne was breathing down Palacios's neck but the shot could still have gone in!
    • 74' Joe Hart comes out of his box but doesn't clear! Heskey knocks it past him but is forced wide. He rolls the ball inside for SIBEIRSKI TO STRIKE... He couldn't get a clean hit on it and the ball rolls harmlessly wide.
    • 70' Vassell is played in down the right by Gelson and he squares it to BENJANI IN FRONT OF GOAL... HE MISSES!! That was the chance of the match! Somehow he fired wide!
    • 53' Despite the loss of Elano, City have taken the initiative in this match, with some good play all across the midfield. Caicedo slips through a pass for BENJANI... A powerful shot with not much backlift, but straight at Kirkland!
    • 31' Elano slips a ball through for Benjani, who is onside and all alone! He's bearing down on goal, but his touch lets him down and Kirkland slides in to smother the ball! The goalkeeper takes a knock after clashing with Benjnani, and receives some treatment on the pitch.
    • 23' Elano swings in a dangerous corner that Heskey has to hack away. Elano gets another go and this time plays it short and it finds it's way to IRELAND... A decent effort from outside the box.
    • 14' Valencia does very well to beat Onuoha and get to the byline. He rolls the ball back for PALACIOS... He came in too quickly and the first touch was too much.
    • 6' City make steady progress forward. Michael Ball sends a cross over to VASSELL... Kirkland saves but spills it and has to pounce on the ball with Vassell lurking for the rebound!

Live Team Line-Up

  • Referee: Stephen Graham Bennett

  • Manchester City

    Manager: Sven-Göran Eriksson

    Captain: Richard Dunne

    On the Field

    • Hart
    • Corluka
    • Dunne
    • Onuoha
    • Ball
    • Vassell
    • Gelson
    • Johnson
    • Ireland Substitution Out (63′)
    • Elano Substitution Out (48′)
    • Benjani

    Subs

    • Hamann
    • Isaksson
    • Castillo Substitution In (63′)
    • Garrido
    • Felipe Caicedo Substitution In (48′)

    Injured

    • Richards

    Suspended

    • Petrov

  • Wigan Athletic

    Manager: Steve Bruce

    Captain: Mario Melchiot

    On the Field

    • Kirkland
    • Melchiot
    • Boyce
    • Scharner
    • Edman
    • Valencia
    • Palacios
    • Brown Yellow Card
    • Koumas
    • Heskey
    • King Substitution Out (66′)

    Subs

    • Sibierski Substitution In (66′)
    • Bramble
    • Bent
    • Pollitt
    • Olembe

    Injured

    • Taylor

    Suspended

    None