"Most important today was to take the three points, and we took it, but we were lucky, and we are happy about that."
, Wilfried Bony – 12/12/2015.
On a day which epitomised a Manchester Winter, with driving wind and rain giving a cold wet start to fans and players alike, City put in a performance which epitomised the good and the bad of their play at the moment.
No one was really expecting a dead man's bounce from Swansea, despite parting ways with their manager only two days ago. The search for a replacement is on, but as caretaker boss Alan Curtis admitted in the run up to the match, Garry Monk's departure was still on the players' minds, and was all the more painful because Monk had been at the club for so long. So it was no surprise Swansea made a slow start. allowing City to dominate early possession, with City comfortable whilst not making any impact with the ball in the final third.
City's blunt start was highlighted by Swansea claiming the first chance with Otemendi being brushed off the ball by Wayne Routledge before placing his shot straight at Joe Hart on 5'. The first City chance came on 13', with Silva passing to Bony, who's swept left foot effort was straight into the arms of the keeper, Fabianski. The half continued in a similar vain, City's build up precise, but laboured, giving Swansea ample time to collect themselves, and the occasional break into the City half by Swansea enough to give City fans concern. It wasn't until the 24' that City's next real chance came, with Navas finally finding some space on the right of the box, and as the Swansea defender slipped, Navas's left foot shot deflected for a corner. But from that corner, finally came some decisive play, and as Bony was left with acres of space in the box he stooped to head and score against his old club.
The hoped for resurgence to put the game to bed, however, did not come, and despite continually excellent work by Fernandhino and Yaya to break up play and retain possession, the forward line was not making an impact. The only other notable chance of the half fell to Yaya on 39', but he unfortunately toyed with a possible shot for too long before driving his effort straight at Fabianski. So half time arrived 1 vs. 0, but without City never really getting out of third gear, and despite the 60% possession, Fernandhinho's break up play was the highlight.
The second half opened with Sterling making way for Delph, which was no surprise given the minutes played midweek against Borussia, and the long run of games ahead. The switch to a three in midfield somewhat dampened the extra closing and energy with which Swansea were approaching the game in the second half, but far from nullified Swansea entirely, and the game continued to be fairly even. The first chance came on 50' from a free kick on 25 yards outside the left post of the Swansea goal, which Yaya got over the wall but too near Fabianski to trouble the keeper. Two minutes later it was Yaya again, as he burst just inside the right of the 18 yard box, but sliced his effort. On 60' Swansea showed they were still far from out of the game, when following a wayward high kick from Sagna, Sigurdsson got his free kick up and over the wall, to be parried by Joe Hart.
David Silva's easing back into the City setup following injury, continued as he was replaced by De Bruyne on 67'. But it was Swansea's increased tempo which continued to cause concern. Swansea's increased energy was also being aided and abetted by some interesting decisions by the referee, and needless free-kicks being given away by City's defence, not least of which Mangala, who earned himself a yellow when diving in on the left touchline, giving yet another easy set play for Swansea to get the ball into the area on 76'.
By this time City were creating fewer chances of their own, with Delph's shot on 79' curling well past the right post, having been put in by a Joe Hart long kick, a rare effort. By the time Bony made way for Iheanacho on 83', it did appear some of the City build up play was going through the motions, and was completely devoid of any urgency, with either tiredness or complacency meaning even the slick passing from the first 60 minutes had gone. And then on 91', City paid the price, as the midfield opened up to spectate two simple Swansea passes taking the ball the full length of the pitch for Gomis to brush off Mangala and bang the ball over Joe Hart to make it 1 vs. 1. It wasn't surprising, but it was lackadaisical defending at best.
City "fight to the end" we sing, but few truly believed it at that moment. Luckily one of the few that did was Yaya Toure. As City pressed on the right following the restart, the big Ivorian decided to assert his presence on the game in the way only he knows how. Picking the ball up from Navas on the right edge of the 18 yard box he drove the ball left footed and it deflected off Iheanacho into the top left corner of the net ... 2 vs. 1 GAME OVER ... Yaya Toure take a bow!
And so it finished. The two sides to Man City's current interpretation of "typical City" there for all to see. Ninety minutes of playing within themselves, allowing a team on the ropes to play their way back into a game, with Swansea even claiming the most shots and shots on target, only for City to snatch a victory at the end.
@l0ngwayfr0mh0me
Etihad Stadium Manchester
