For the onlooking Noel Gallagher it was a clear case of definitely maybe as City finally exorcised the ghost of Goodison Park on Saturday evening. Across town Liverpool waited with bated breath for the outcome of a match staged at a stadium where City have the most miserable of records, winning there only once in thirteen visits and even then whilst the Toffees were awaiting a cup final appearance.
So the stage was set for the season’s final twist which would turn the tables back in favour of the mighty reds. And with the Pedmachine unable to watch, Martinez as predicted had set up his side to mirror the tactics deployed by Wigan in last year’s FA Cup Final.
Three centre-backs and the fullbacks pushed forward to seek to negate any wide threat from Manchester’s finest. And for a while it worked. But unlike the demotivated Mancini last May, Pellegrini used his on-board computer to provide a solution by getting Milner and Zabaleta into the spaces behind Baines in order to stretch the three at the back. It was this nervous game of tactical chess that held the day in what was to turn out to be an uninspiring game of football which did however yield five goals.
The pick of these was probably the opener and with all of the overseas talent on show how heart-warming it was to see it come from an Englishman, albeit one in a royal blue shirt and one who will hopefully exterminate any chance of the likes of Carrick and Cleverley getting even close to Brazil this summer. As Naismith drew the cover on the edge of the box, he unlocked the route for Barkley to hit an absolute peach of a shot which left Hart for dead as it simply flew into the back of the City net. The spectre of Goodison Park had risen. The sky-blue-and-white heads sank into the sky-blue-and-white hands as the Blue Mooners prepared themselves for the worst.
Thankfully City stepped up a gear and within ten minutes had equalised. Nasri in space in the centre circle picked out the run of Yaya who had already spotted Aguero storming into the right hand corner of the Everton penalty area. His pinpoint pass met the toes of the Mighty Atom who in turn had spotted Howard expecting the far post cross-shot, so he planted it exquisitely inside the near post to level up the scores.
Now it was time to press on. There would be no favours from Martinez’s men, so it would have to be earned, but with Aguero once again stacking his hand early, heading once again for the treatment table, it was a forlorn sight as he trooped off to be replaced by Fernandinho after twenty seven minutes.
In a strange way, this perhaps added a bit more steel and balance to City, as he slotted in alongside Garcia allowing Yaya to hopefully open the throttle and push further upfield. Ahead of the break, Fernandinho powered down the right and played in Dzeko who brought an excellent save out of Howard, one of the most underestimated net minders in the Barclays Premier League, but it was the briefest of respites as the ball went out to Milner again on the right and with time to size up his cross.
For once Dzeko had remained mobile, finding room in amongst the three centre backs and diligently nodded the cross back the way it came to wrong foot Howard and open up the title race. By now those poor fans who were suffering half an hour earlier were heading for near delirium.
But even the biggest City fans in the world know that something scary is always waiting around the corner and so it was to prove today. After the break Everton were still clearly in no mood to offer this up to City and continued to make a fight of it.
With City looking to add to the score, Barkley sprinted out of defence through the advanced City midfield and lined up Naismith, who had timed his run to perfection. His attempt to find the bottom corner was resisted by Hart with a save that Martinez had down as one of the saves of the season. City needed to get back on the front foot and within three minutes of the restart, Nasri was once again instrumental in creating space in David Silva’s normal channel and spotting Dzeko ahead of the defence. His pass was Swiss-watch accuracy and the big Bosnian accepted the pass and side-footed it home.
At 3-1 City were surely safe..weren`t they? Come on readers, you know and the Pedmachine knows that this just does not happen Chez City, so what better way to set up a long grandstand finish than to allow Baines the freedom of the left wing to eye up a cross and then to forget to mark Lukaku and allow him to plant an easy header past Hart, with twenty five minutes still to play? There was a hint of offside about it but it was too easy for him to get between Kompany and Demichelis to set the alarm bells jangling.
Zabaleta should have made it 4-2, choosing the near post option when put in by Nasri and Milner and Deulofeu went on a mazy run into the heart of City’s defence in the last minute, shooting wide with Garcia tugging at his arm.
A pretty match this was not, but as far as outcomes go for City it was picture perfect. A priceless victory at a place where they usually disappear into their shells. A performance where each and every one had a part to play right up to the ninety-fifth minute.
I thought Nasri had a good game and Dzeko who has been ridiculed at times in these pages, amongst others I hasten to add, showed yet again that he can deliver the vital goals at the vital hours. With Aguero’s fitness looking once again uncertain, City will need the big man to produce this twice more as they go now into two home matches where a win in each will secure the title for the second time in three seasons, provided Liverpool cannot mastermind a pair of minimum 6-0 victories in their remaining two matches. Tonight sees the first of those when they play Crystal Palace away.
As is often the case, it is difficult to give a man-of-the-match in an all-round team performance, but for his goals alone I’m going for Edin Dzeko. I never really expected to do this again, as I had him down for the exit chute a long time ago, but he continues to defy all football logic and once again his goals-per-game ratios are beyond belief.
We move on to play Aston Villa at home in the host broadcaster’s attempt to deny City a fair crack of the whip. We can’t wait!
UPCOMING DATES FOR YOUR FILOFAX:
all times East Manchester BST
We 07May 19h45, Aston Villa, The Etihad, PL
Su 11May 15h00, West Ham, The Etihad, PL
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