Blackburn Rovers 2 Manchester City 2     Late Late Show
Sunday 29th December 2008 : Dan Hardcastle for GYKO at Ewood Park

Manchester City scored two late goals to snatch a point at Blackburn.

Benni McCarthy had put Rovers ahead with a crisp strike on the stroke of half-time and Jason Roberts headed a second after 84 minutes.

But City substitute Daniel Sturridge drilled home after pouncing on a poor defensive header from Andre Ooijer.

Robinho, who earlier missed a good headed chance, then slotted home deep in injury time after Sturridge picked him out with a great pass.

The result means that Blackburn extended their unbeaten run under Sam Allardyce to three games but it will nonetheless feel like two points dropped for the home team.

Results earlier on Sunday meant that Rovers had started the fixture bottom of the league - and victory would have seen them leapfrog both West Brom and Stoke.

However, City's late riposte means that Rovers just move ahead of the Baggies on goal difference to go 19th in the table.

City's dramatic finish hints at a character and spirit that has often seemed to be missing over recent weeks but it does not detract from the fact that Mark Hughes's team have still only won once on their travels in the league - at Sunderland on 31 August.

And with City playing their last fixture before the transfer window opens it will be fascinating to see who arrives - and leaves - Eastlands.

With both teams desperate for points, the match not surprisingly started at a brisk tempo, with plenty of early action and controversy.

Richard Dunne, the last man in City's defensive line, could have been sent off after bringing down Roberts in the second minute but although Rovers were awarded a free-kick referee Howard Webb took no further action.

City later wanted a penalty after Robinho went down under close attention from Ooijer but Webb awarded a goal-kick.

However, Robinho only had himself to blame when he failed to end a blistering break with a goal after 11 minutes.

Felipe Caicedo delivered an excellent cross from the left and Robinho was completely unmarked but the Brazilian headed wide from eight yards.

The lively Roberts ensured the Rovers midfielders always had an option and Dunne had to make an excellent block to thwart the striker after he twisted and turned before shooting towards goal.

Rovers also looked to restrict the time on the ball enjoyed by City's gifted attacking players, with Robinho in particular the focus of constant attention.

Elano tried his luck with a free-kick from 30 yards but his effort was ridiculously wide and just when it seemed the half was starting to peter out McCarthy put Rovers in front.

Caicedo was guilty of surrendering possession but even so there seemed to be little immediate danger when Brett Emerton crossed from the right but Roberts' brilliant turn left Dunne and Nedum Onuoha floundering and McCarthy struck.

Shaun Wright-Phillips clipped the woodwork with a header that seemed to hit the back of his head and the previously ineffectual Stephen Ireland shot narrowly wide as City responded but they failed to mount any sustained pressure.

Robinho finally forced Rovers keeper Paul Robinson into action with a shot after 69 minutes but Hughes introduced Darius Vassell and Sturridge for Elano and Caicedo to try to improve his team's attacking threat.

Rovers retreated further towards their own goal as the minutes ticked down but appeared to have put the game beyond City when the impressive Roberts headed home Christopher Samba's looping pass from just outside the area.

Even so, City did not give up and Sturridge ensured a dramatic finish when he pounced on Ooijer's poor defensive header to smash the ball past Robinson and score the first goal against Rovers since Allardyce became manager.

Sturridge then turned provider to ensure a share of the spoils for City, with Robinho calmly converting from a tight angle.

Blackburn: Robinson, Ooijer, Samba, Nelsen, Warnock, Emerton, Kerimoglu (Mokoena 73), Andrews, Pedersen, McCarthy (Derbyshire 85), Roberts.
Subs Not Used: Brown, Khizanishvili, Vogel, Treacy, Olsson.

Booked: Kerimoglu, Nelsen.

Goals: McCarthy 45, Roberts 84.

Man City: Hart, Zabaleta, Onuoha (Richards 64), Dunne, Ball, Ireland, Kompany, Elano (Vassell 71), Wright-Phillips, Caicedo (Sturridge 71), Robinho.
Subs Not Used:Schmeichel, Jo, Garrido, Fernandes.

Booked: Ireland.

Goals: Sturridge 88, Robinho 90.

Att: 25,200

Ref: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire).

Manchester City 5 Hull City 1       The real City turn up
Friday 26th December 2008 : Phil Gates for GYKO at the COMSTAD

Manchester City looked a rejuvenated side as they destroyed Hull with a scintillating display to move out of the Premier League relegation zone.

Stephen Ireland had a superb match, setting up Felipe Caicedo for the first two goals, and then providing the third for the returning superstar Robinho.

Shaun Wright-Phillips set up Robinho's second to make it 4-0 before the break.

Hull sub Craig Fagan hit a consolation goal before Ireland had the final say, finishing off a move he had started.

Furious Hull boss Phil Brown gave his half-time team talk on the pitch. He spent three minutes with his players, in front of the fans who had travelled from east Yorkshire, wagging his finger at various individuals.

It had little effect on the second half, except for stemming the tide of Manchester City goals in what was generally a subdued period given added gloss by the two late strikes.

Mark Hughes had said in his programme notes that he had already identified players for his club to sign in January. But the current crop provided ample evidence that there is plenty of skill in the existing squad.

Robinho, fully fit for the first time in five weeks, was an invigorating presence for the whole of the first half, while fellow Brazilian Elano also returned after finding himself out of favour for the dispiriting loss to West Brom.

Meanwhile, Caicedo took the place of the injured Benjani.

Hull, looking to maintain their place in the top six, sprang a surprise by handing veteran striker Dean Windass his first start of the season.

But it was the home side's midfield and attack which did all the damage in a first half that must have provided a terrific tonic for the under-fire Hughes.

The game had barely begun when confusion in the Hull defence allowed Caicedo to set up Robinho, but he shot over.

As play surged breathlessly from one penalty box to the other, Hull then went close as Marlon King cut inside Richard Dunne before firing his shot too close to Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart.

Ireland was involved in most of the home team's attacks, but although he was the provider for Caicedo's opener, most of the set-up work had been done by Robinho.

The £32.5m striker played a wonderful lobbed pass into the path of Ireland, whose cut-back was blasted into the roof of the net by Caicedo.

Robinho continued to cause problems and completely outfoxed Bernard Mendy with a tricky run moments later before forcing Boaz Myhill into a save.

Two goals in as many minutes shattered Hull, who looked lethargic in comparison to the energetic display by the home side.

The hugely impressive Ireland produced an accurate pull-back from the right after pouncing on a loose header from Hull's Ian Ashbee, and the chance was again converted smoothly by Ecuadorian international Caicedo.

When Ireland then won a tackle in the centre circle, dispossessing George Boateng, he unfailingly picked out Robinho, who turned Michael Turner effortlessly on the edge of the area before firing past Myhill.

The fourth goal came from the profitable right flank when Wright-Phillips latched onto a through-ball to set up the red-hot Robinho, and at half time the match was all over as a contest.

The hosts could afford to see Wright-Phillips waste another golden chance just before the interval, and began the second half with Jo and Nedum Onuoha on the field, in place of Caicedo and Micah Richards.

Hull, who had already made one change before the break - Nathan Doyle coming on for Boateng - replaced Windass with Fagan, back for the first time since breaking his leg in September.

The visitors looked more composed but it was still the hosts who created the better chances with Wright-Phillips denied by a good tackle from Turner.

Elano beat Myhill with a long-range free-kick which took a huge deflection off Ashbee but the ball clipped the post.

Hull at least managed to salvage some pride with 11 minutes remaining when Fagan scrambled the ball home for a goal which will have given him some personal satisfaction.

But the visitors were still well beaten and Robinho reminded them of that fact when stealing into the area for Ireland to blast home the fifth.

Man City: Hart, Zabaleta, Dunne, Richards (Onuoha 46), Ball, Wright-Phillips, Ireland (Fernandes 85), Kompany, Elano, Robinho, Caicedo (Jo 46).
Subs Not Used: Schmeichel, Vassell, Garrido, Sturridge.

Goals: Caicedo 15, 27, Robinho 28, 36, Ireland 82.

Hull: Myhill, Mendy, Zayatte, Turner, McShane, Boateng (Doyle 34), Geovanni (Cousin 70), Ashbee, Marney, Windass (Fagan 46), King.
Subs Not Used: Duke, Barmby, Hughes, Halmosi.

Booked: Geovanni, Zayatte, Fagan, Mendy.

Goals: Fagan 80.

Att: 45,196

Ref: Andre Marriner (W Midlands).

West Brom 2 Manchester City 1   Boing Boing going down
Sunday 21st December 2008 : Rick Partridge for GYKO at the Hawthorns

Bottom side West Brom won for the first time in three months when Czech striker Roman Bednar headed in an extra-time goal to see off fellow strugglers Manchester City

The win gives Albion hope they can stay in the Premier League while it piles the pressure on City manager Mark Hughes who has seen his expensively assembled side slump into the relegation zone.

City should have scored at the end of an uneventful first half, but Benjani Mwaruwari stole the ball off the toes of his team-mate Micah Richards and blasted over the bar.

The visitors went close again eight minutes into the second half with Shaun Wright-Phillips hammering in a right footer from 20 yards out that Joe Hart gathered in at the second attempt.

Mowbray brought on talented Scottish youngster Graham Dorrans for his first-team debut after 64 minutes and four minutes later Albion were ahead.

Midfielder Robert Koren was the architect sliding a perfectly judged ball through the centre of the City defence for Luke Moore who coolly kept his composure to stroke a right-footer under the advancing Hart.

West Brom had a couple of chances to put the game away but seven minutes from time City were back on level terms with a clever goal from Ecuador international striker Felipe Caicedo.

He found himself in possession of the ball eight yards out but with his back to the goal after a long throw-in from the left. His back-heel took the home defence by surprise and a slight deflection helped squeeze it in at the far post.

A share of the points looked on the cards but Bednar grabbed the winner two minutes into added time when he headed in a speculative cross from Abdoulaye Meite after losing his marker Richards.

West Brom: Carson, Zuiverloon, Meite, Olsson, Robinson, Morrison, Koren, Greening (Brunt 83), Kim (Dorrans 64), Bednar, Moore (Beattie 73). Subs Not Used: Kiely, Hoefkens, Barnett, Pele.

Booked: Robinson, Bednar.

Goals: Moore 69, Bednar 90.

Man City: Hart, Zabaleta, Richards, Dunne, Ball, Wright-Phillips, Ireland, Kompany, Fernandes, Mwaruwari (Caicedo 58), Vassell. Subs Not Used: Schmeichel, Onuoha, Garrido, Clayton, Hamann, Evans.

Booked: Dunne.

Goals: Carson 86 og.

Att: 25,010

Ref: Chris Foy (Merseyside).

Racing Santander 3 Manchester City 1   Euro Flops
Thursday 18th December 2008 : Carlo Ferrera for Get Your Kits Out in Spain

One team did nothing and got it all; the other did it all and got nothing. While Manchester City and Racing Santander met at the Sardinero in northern Spain, their Uefa Cup fates were last night decided on a foreign field — a sad starring role played by the former England manager Steve McClaren and his FC Twente team, who lost 4–0 to Paris Saint-Germain at Parc des Princes.

City finished top of Group A but left Spain humiliated by Racing, playing in Europe for the first time. Mark Hughes vowed that the team's performance will be better when City return to Premier League action at West Bromwich on ­Sunday, and it will have to be. They can never have expected their Christmas fixtures to begin with a relegation scrap, but on the evidence of last night it should come as no surprise.

City were lucky it finished only 3–1, Racing desperately unfortunate that Twente's defeat cruelly knocked them out. "We topped the group and we're grateful for that," said Hughes. Grateful is the word. Despite progressing, the doubts surrounding his side were only deepened by a dreadful display as the continental comfort blanket that has protected them from domestic drudgery was torn away.

Hughes claimed that, already through, City lacked motivation and that he will field a stronger side at the weekend, insisting that he will "not make so many changes against West Brom". One he may be forced to make is Robinho, who was withdrawn at half-time here with an ankle injury and was said by his manager to be a "big doubt". And yet this was still, by Hughes' own admission, a team boasting nine internationals and there were signs of deeper problems, here against a club desperate for victory. A first European adventure was close to being over for Racing. They needed to match PSG's score.

Bad news arrived early with PSG scoring in the opening quarter-hour, but the reaction was swift. Peeling out to the left channel, Jonathan Pereira was blocked off by a defender's forearm. Out came the card and barely had the ­Belgian referee Serge Gumienny had time to write "Tal Ben Haim" in his notebook than he was adding that of his victim and the minute: 20. The free-kick evaded ­Schmeichel and Pereira pounced on the loose ball to score.

It was no less than Racing deserved. Nor were the two that followed. Ten minutes later a wonderful move between Oscar Serrano and Pereira saw them slice through the heart of the defence, a reverse ball on the spin presenting the chance for Serrano to poke in. Next, a penalty shout was turned down after a suicidal challenge from the hapless Schmeichel but the third arrived early in the second half. Watched silently and motionless by Schmeichel, Pedro Munitis lopped a cross towards the far post. Iván Marcano headed it back and Juan Valera finished from six yards.

Soon Mohammed Tchité got beyond the keeper's umpteenth clumsy challenge only to inexplicably shoot wide. Nobody would have rated four as excessive. What nobody though was that four would be necessary. With five minutes to go, it emerged it would be: PSG had scored on 84 and 86 minutes. And with Racing pouring forward for the result they deserved, City got a late goal they certainly did not.

Racing Santander: Coltorti, Valera, Garay, Cesar Navas, Marcano, Munitis, Colsa (Lacen 77), Luccin, Oscar Serrano, Tchite, Jonathan Pereira (Juanjo 83).
Subs Not Used: Mario, Goncalves, Pinillos, Christian, Bedia.

Booked: Marcano, Oscar Serrano, Colsa, Garay.

Goals: Jonathan Pereira 20, Oscar Serrano 30, Valera 54.

Man City: Schmeichel, Zabaleta, Richards, Ben-Haim, Garrido, Hamann, Fernandes, Vassell, Elano (Kompany 60), Robinho (Ireland 46), Evans (Caicedo 75).
Subs Not Used: Hart, Onuoha, Ball, Logan.

Booked: Ben-Haim, Hamann, Elano, Zabaleta, Kompany.

Goals: Caicedo 90.

Att: 18,360

Ref: Serge Gumienny (Belgium).

Manchester City 0 Everton 2               More Home Blues
Saturday 13th December 2008 : Barry Prior at the COMSTAD for GYKO

Tim Cahill was deployed as an emergency striker and for 90 minutes had nothing to show for his selfless toil. Then he rose to the challenge in stoppage time to head Everton’s winner and compound the sense of despair at Manchester City.

The irony, of course, is that City are clogged up with strikers. Alas, for their manager, Mark Hughes, almost all are devoid of the talent to fill the aspirations of the club’s owners.

Robinho looked like a man unconvinced of his fitness, while Benjani, and second-half substitutes Jo and Darius Vassell left scant impression on Everton’s unsympathetic defence.

Hughes will at least have the opportunity to lighten his pockets in the January transfer window. His opposite number, David Moyes, must scavenge for anyone he can pick up on loan to fill in for his injured front men.

What Everton lack in the way of financial resources they continue to compensate for with the wealth of their character and willpower. This was their sixth away win of the season and another tilt at European football remains a realistic objective.

City’s concern has to be the undignified squabble at the other end of the table. They have mustered only two wins in 12 Premier League matches and should not delude themselves they are better than their position suggests.

They are carrying too many players of modest ability and questionable commitment.

Even Stephen Ireland was strangely subdued and ineffectual for much of the match. He produced a late threat only for Tim Howard to respond.

Shaun Wright-Phillips alone offered sustained hope with his characteristically elusive running and audacious shooting. He went close for City, skimming the Everton bar.

Mikel Arteta struck the City bar with a free-kick and had a case for a penalty when Michael Ball appeared to pull down Leon Osman in the shadow of the crossbar.

Everton and Osman ultimately had their redemption. Osman swung in the late corner kick and Cahill outjumped Micah Richards to claim the points.

Moyes said: “We rolled up our sleeves and didn’t feel sorry for ourselves. That was a fabulous performance.”

 Man City: Hart, Zabaleta, Richards, Dunne, Ball, Ireland, Kompany, Elano, Wright-Phillips, Mwaruwari (Jo 46), Robinho (Vassell 82).
Subs Not Used: Schmeichel, Onuoha, Fernandes, Hamann, Ben-Haim.

Everton: Howard, Neville, Yobo, Jagielka, Lescott, Osman, Pienaar, Fellaini, Castillo, Arteta, Cahill.
Subs Not Used: Nash, Hibbert, Baines, Van der Meyde, Rodwell, Jutkiewicz, Gosling.

Booked: Fellaini.

Goals: Cahill 90.

Att: 41,344

Ref: Mark Halsey (Lancashire).

Fulham 1 Manchester City 1          A point won??
Saturday December 6th 2008: Chris Derwant for GYKO at Craven Cottage

If anyone can tell Mark Hughes how to work the fraught January transfer window, then it is Roy Hodgson. Dropped into a seemingly doomed mission on 30 December last year, the Fulham manager bought well 11 months ago to the extent that they are now reaping the rewards of a hard-working and settled squad. Patience is, of course, a virtue and whether Mark Hughes will be afforded that luxury is open to conjecture.

City remain a work in progress and the nay-sayers, particular those supportive of rebel Brazilians and José Mourinho, will continue to make mischief. Shorn of 11 players, most notably Robinho, they were more artisan than artist at Fulham.

Before this game, Hughes talked of the need of points to 'calm everyone down'. This 'decent' point may not allay all City fans, but Hughes does at least remain unflappable. 'We're not unduly concerned,' he attested. 'Our attitude is that we're looking upwards not downward.'

He can do that with the comfort of a hefty transfer budget, but even Hughes is not relying wholesale on the events of next month. 'I don't think there will be many clubs spending a great deal in January and maybe it's a competitive advantage that we have,' he said. 'But at the end of the day clubs can refuse to release players, so it's not an exact science.'

Neither are lunchtime kick-offs: notorious for their first-half lethargy before the game jolts into life in the second period, this was the reverse, when an early goal set the tempo for the opening 45. It was a beautifully effective team strike; Pablo Zabaleta's quick one-two and a whipped-in cross let Benjani steal in between John Pantsil and Aaron Hughes to steer a header past Mark Schwarzer.

Hodgson noted that Fulham could have been out of the game in the opening 15 minutes, but was emboldened by their fightback. They did not let a clear penalty shout, when Richard Dunne moved his arm to deflect Andy Johnson's pass, or the five-man City midfield defeat them - in the 27th minute they beat City with football.

From just inside their own half, Fulham worked the ball to the right wing, where Bobby Zamora played a delightful reverse pass, completely wrong-footing the City defence, into the path of Jimmy Bullard. He took advantage of no one closing him down to lash across Joe Hart for his first goal of the season.

A flurry of chances came before the end of the first half - Clint Dempsey twice went close and Benjani saw a turn and shot zip past the post. The second period was less of a spectacle. Zamora and Zabaleta both fizzed daisy-cutters wide and Hart tipped over a screaming 30-yard free-kick from Bullard. It is a sign of Fulham's progress that Hodgson was the more unhappy manager.

'Good draws are only mildly satisfying, so I can't be totally content,' he said, before reflecting more kindly on his progress since last December. 'If I'm going to take some positives from this it's that a year ago teams like Manchester City, with the quality of players they have, might have been coming here thinking they would beat Fulham quite easily. Now at least they're affording us the respect that they have to be happy with a point.'   It was a point not lost on Hughes or this web site.

Booked: Pantsil, Bullard.

Goals: Bullard 27.

Man City: Hart, Zabaleta, Dunne, Ben-Haim, Ball, Wright-Phillips, Kompany, Hamann, Vassell, Ireland, Mwaruwari (Evans 77).
Subs Not Used: Schmeichel, Berti, Onuoha, Logan, Jo, Caicedo.

Booked: Ireland.

Goals: Mwaruwari 6.

Att: 24,012

Ref: Rob Styles (Hampshire).