Tag Archive for Yaya Toure

City v Norwich (League) Sat 3 Dec [5-1 win]

Fifty weeks have now passed since the Blues last tasted the sharp bitterness of defeat at home – 24 wins, 2 draws and 71 goals scored – and by all sane measures, bar the law of Sod, the Canaries were never going to tarnish that proud achievement.

‘Typical City’ might have given another full house a few flutters but this is ‘Roberto Mancini’s City’ and that’s an entirely different beast to the ever so slightly schizophrenic versions of more recent times.

An instinctive strike from Sergio Aguero in the 32nd minute supplemented by a slightly comical effort from Samir Nasri set the seal on another three points and maintained City’s ferocious pace atop the Barclays Premier League.

The gloss to the result was added by Yaya Toure curling in a fine effort from just inside the box.

Even with Bayern Munich and Champions League D-day looming – Norwich famously know all about beating the Bavarian powerhouses in European competition – Mancini took no chances with his starting line-up.

Joleon Lescott, James Milner, and Mario Balotelli were, however, left on the bench, and Kolo Toure got a rare Premier League start.

On a raw Mancunian afternoon the Blues warmed the cockles of their followers’ hearts with a string of attacking moves that put observers in mind of a sleek, fit, alert cat in the prime of its life toying with a bedraggled mouse that had seen better days.

That is not to disparage in any way Norwich who have done well since arriving in the top flight this season and who play neat, attractive, well-ordered football but rather to emphasise the class of Mancini’s side which moves the ball with a calm, ruthless thoughtfulness that is the envy of many of their peers.

Central to this particular easy-on-the-eye success were Aguero and David Silva whose legs might not have been the quickest on the slick, Etihad Stadium turf but whose combined thought processes and football brains were yards quicker than their foes!

The dynamic duo skittered hither and thither with purpose and panache; a two-man assault team that was unstoppable. Aguero could have had three by half-time.

The Argentinian should have broken the deadlock before quarter time but somehow managed to side foot Nasri’s cross over the bar from seven yards, it was a glaring miss.

No matter, when Micah Richards made one of his trademark darting runs into the box just past the half hour mark, Aguero ignored shouts for handball against Leon Barnett and instead extricated himself from a maze of yellow socked legs and toe poked the matching coloured ball into the bottom corner.

Within three minutes it should have been 2-0 but Aguero this time blazed over the bar from a tight angle after again finding space where there appeared to be none.

Still none of that mattered as the game followed a familiar pattern in the second half with Nasri’s skidding, googly of a free kick fooling John Ruddy for the second and Yaya Toure, as has been his M.O. in recent weeks, side footing home a gem of a third from Silva’s pass.

Their work done Aguero and Silva retired to the side lines leaving Yaya and Gareth Barry to continue an afternoon-long master class in retaining and using possession.

Norwich’s consolation came ten minutes from time from the head of Steve Morison but even then there was time for Mario Balotelli to restore the three-goal margin and then fellow substitute Adam Johnson to roll home a fifth.

QPRv City (League) – Sat 05 Nov 2011 [2-3 win]

A mark of a title winning side it one that can increase the figures in the win and points columns whilst not at their best.

It’s Fireworks night and YaYa Toure doesn’t disappoint with a late winner.

Villareal v City (UEFA CL) – Tue 02 Nov 2011 [0V3 WIN]

Manchester City moved into second spot in Group A of the Champions League with a comfortable victory at Villarreal.

Roberto Mancini’s side will now qualify for the knockout stages if they win in Napoli in their next game.

Yaya Toure gave City the lead when he slotted in from just inside the area, before Mario Balotelli doubled the advantage from the spot after he was fouled by Mateo Musacchio in the box.

Yaya made it 3-0 when he jinked past Carlos Marchena before firing in.

It was as easy an exercise as the scoreline suggests, with City’s night boosted by Bayern Munich’s 3-2 win against Napoli which means their Champions League fate is in their own hands.

However, it did take the Premier League leaders 30 minutes to work out how to break Villarreal’s stubborn resistance.

The Spanish side are struggling in La Liga but looked unruffled during that opening period. They worked hard as a team to suffocate City’s dangermen of David Silva, Samir Nasri and Balotelli, who tried their utmost to conjure something out of nothing.

The opening goal came from City’s first good chance of the match. Silva finally managed to free himself from the shackles and squeeze a square ball to Yaya who shifted to his right before placing his shot low into the bottom left corner of the Villarreal goal.

The lead was doubled seconds before the break when Musacchio was deemed to have brought down Balotelli in the area. On first viewing, referee Pedro Proenca’s decision seemed rash, but the replay showed that the Argentine defender had nudged the Italian

Balotelli, making his first start in the Champions League for City, slotted in his spot-kick for his seventh goal in seven games.

Villarreal barely put up a fight after the break in a half that was played at the pace of a pre-season friendly.

City themselves rarely threatened, although their best attacking move of the match resulted in the third goal.

It began on the edge of their own area before Nasri passed inside to Balotelli, who in turn found Yaya.

The Ivorian powerhouse showed nimble feet to dance past defender Carlos Marchena and stroke in his shot from eight yards.