Maybe Mourinho Wasn’t So Far Off?, City 0 vs 0 Everton

"Everyone in the stadium could see it, it was so near the referee and so clear,” Manuel Pellegrini - 13/1/2016

Goals;None
Line Up (4-2-3-1); Hart, Glichy, Otamendi, Demichelis, Sagna, Sterling, Toure, Fernando, Navas, Aguero, De Bruyne (Silva 74')

Last night marked round two of this three piece affair against the Toffees, and so far, it is the Merseyside club who are by far the happier campers.

City lined up with a fluid 4-2-3-1, that adapted to a 4-4-2 when going forward, with Raheem Sterling being the furthest forward to accompany Sergio Aguero. The atmosphere was subdued at kick off, due to travel delays from heavy traffic, and metro link problems. Just when it seemed the boys needed all the help they can get to kick up a gear, it was only around the half hour mark that all fans could get to their seats and cheer along.

Much like the traffic, both sides were slow to get moving, and despite City having the majority of possession, only a few clear chances were made by City's attack in the opening 20 minutes. Toure played in Sterling on 8’ allowing De Bruyne a chance, but he was too far right to create a decent shooting angle.

On 17', Sterling, relishing his ‘free’ role to roam, and always providing an option, worked well with Navas and danced past Funes Mori and Leighton Baines. Sagna's eventual lofted inch perfect cross for Yaya’s header on the six yard box was brilliantly saved by Tim Howard (who of course had the game of his season last night).  

As the first half went on, City thankfully became much more direct with how they used the ball. Soon after Yaya's header, Aguero almost found himself clean through after running down the right wing on the break from an Everton corner, only to be brought down from behind by Besic on the edge of the box. If this was anywhere else on the pitch a foul would certainly have been given, Besic got a foot to the ball but going through the back of Aguero in the process. This was the first example that the Ref did not bring his bottle to the Etihad.

From then on, clear chances were few and far between, Toure found KDB out on the left on 19' only for Aguero’s effort and Sterlings rebound to be snuffed out. Otamdendi had his headed chance from a corner caught comfortably by Tim Howard on 28’. Everton’s best chance of the half came from fantastic hold up play from Lukaku, who found Osman with a lofted pass across the City box, who’s first time volley sailed just wide of Hart’s left hand post. Sighs of relief all around.

Aguero, who is looking sharper with each game, contributed well with bursting runs forward but just couldn’t quite squeeze in any shots to trouble the American keeper. His last chance of the half coming on 40’ where KDB came provider, but  Howard again claimed well.

The second half saw no team changes for either side, however Everton well and truly parked their bus. Setting out to try and attack City on the counter. As a result the half was almost all City.

The first of a number of corners on 52', fell to Navas on the edge of the box who pulled his effort well wide.  Sterling made it a miserable night for John Stones, but after he dispossessed his fellow Englishman and ran menacingly into the box but again on 54', he couldn’t finish. Seconds later Sterling again had a chance after KDB pulled the ball back to the penalty spot from the right hand side but Sterling’s effort was blocked by Funes Mori and Howard scooped up with ease.

The remainder of the half continued in similar fashion, lots of chances, but Yaya, KDB, Sergio and Sterling all seemed to have left their finishing boots at home, and Tim Howard made sure that his net would remain untouched. KDB made way on 74’ for Silva, after what seemed to have been just one of those nights for the Belgian. Silva’s introduction injected a final burst of energy into his surrounding team mates. His introduction almost paid dividends with a move on 80’ into the right hand side of the box, interlinking with Aguero who cleverly turned inside the Everton defence, but his heavy touch wide left an impossible shooting angle and in the end was blocked. 

It was by this point that the introduction of Iheanacho might have been made. After Manuel’s comments midweek, praising the young Nigerian, it was this sort of game that, in my opinion, he gives us that diversity in attack that could really have made the difference. Hopefully, we will see him feature in the mirror fixture in the second leg of the Capital One cup Semi-Final.

On another night, City would have brushed past Everton with ease who posed no real threat throughout the game. It’s a shame that the game had to come to a point where City were reliant on a penalty decision. After the number of chances that city had created, this should not have been as pivotal as it turned out to be. However, City once again turned to the referee in absolute despair after another clear cut penalty was waved away by the officials in stoppage time (this one probably the most obvious of this Seasons denials). When @l0ngwayfr0mh0me and I started this blog, we did not want to make it an outlet for ranting and raving about referee’s, but more and more its looking as if these decisions may cost City dearly come May. Having looked back at the John Stones tackle on Sterling in the last minute I still can’t fathom how on earth that is anything less than a foul.

These points always divide fans, some siding with the view that we should have had the game wrapped up way before that decision. I agree completely. But when in a slump in form, it is those decisions that can get you out and reignite a season, or leave you out in the cold of a title race.  City are in the fortunate position where it seems no one want’s to take this season by the scruff of the neck and find some consistency, and the first team that does will definitely win the title. However, when you know that those sort of decisions will definitely go in favour of Arsenal at the Emirates. Something just doesn’t add up, and while noone would want the Club to take up a Moanrinho full blown ‘campaign’ stance, something surely has to give.

@PatrickElano