Tottenham 1 Manchester City 5

English Premier League

Sunday 28 August 2011, 13.30 KO

City: Hart, Zabaleta (Richards 64), Lescott, Kompany (c), Clichy, Nasri, Barry, Silva, Y Toure, Aguero (Savic 75), Dzeko
Unused: Pantilimon, Milner, A Johnson, Tevez, Balotelli
Goals: Dzeko (35, 41, 55, 90+2), Aguero (60)
Booked: Barry, Zabaleta, Y Toure, Savic

Referee: Phil Dowd
Man of the Match: Edin Dzeko

Tottenham could have taken the lead inside 30 seconds as, from kick-off, a neat one-two between Bale and Assou-Ekotto sent the full back clear down the left wing. He pulled the ball back across Hart's goal, but it missed everybody until Lennon picked it up at the back post. He shot through Clichy's legs, but he dragged the shot wide. Krancjar then curled a shot wide from the edge of the box.

Nasri then burst through the Tottenham defence to lay the ball off to Silva, who smashed a shot at goal from the edge of the box, but Friedel was equal to it and palmed it away. The rebound fell to Nasri, but he stood on the ball as he tried to get his shot away. Dzeko's effort was then deflected wide by a red and black shirt, in an offside position.

With nine minutes played, Van Der Vaart turned neatly on the edge of the box and forced a nice save from Joe Hart at his near post, as the game continued in its furious opening pace. Assou-Ekotto then tried to nick the ball but sliced through Aguero as he was played through on the right flank and found himself in the book. Dzeko then finished a neat passing move slicing a shot wide of the post.

It took a good tackle from Corluka to deny Nasri a shooting chance in the box, after some neat one-touch passing between Silva and Dzeko on the edge of the box. Silva then forced a brilliant save from Friedel after another City passing move released the midfielder on the edge of the box. He shot low at the far post and the veteran goalkeeper flicked it wide. Dzeko then had a turn on shot blocked by Dawson.

Van Der Vaart then won a free kick from Barry and stood up to take it himself from the left side of the box. He curled it towards Hart's near post, but the England international got across well to push the ball away for a corner. Zabaleta then saw yellow for a late challenge on Bale.

Gareth Bale then missed a sitter for Tottenham, after some good build up from the home side. Lennon cut the ball back across goal from the right wing and it fell to the midfielder on the back post. With Hart bearing down on him, he skied his shot high and wide. Gareth Barry then went close to adding to his tally for the season as Dzeko let the ball run to him on the edge of the box, but his first time shot for the top corner was just wide.

After a possible handball in the City box, City broke away neatly down the left. Clichy and Nasri linked up well, before Nasri played a lovely one-two with Aguero to set up the crossing opportunity. Nasri then found Dzeko in the box and he found the back of the net, stealing in to get his tow on the end of the ball, giving the away side the lead.

Peter Crouch should have pulled Tottenham level with a diving header as he was unmarked at the back post, after Van Der Vaart had an effort brilliantly blocked by Lescott. Clichy then blocked a Corluka cross for a corner, which Lescott cleared. From that clearance, Yaya Toure broke away with Silva and Nasri, before the cross found Dzeko in the box and he doubled the visitors' lead with a brilliant header.

Dzeko almost had a first half hat trick after he unleashed a fierce shot from the edge of the box, but it was well pushed away by Friedel, before Silva shot just wide of the American's post, as City looked for their third goal before the break. Bale tried to pull one back on the break from a City corner, but it was deflected wide and Hart claimed the resulting corner from Van Der Vaart.

Tottenham began the second half the brighter, with early pressure, but attacking moves were undone twice by Crouch. First, he handled inside the box before he could get a shot away and then he was caught offside as he tried to break through on goal. Huddlestone was then lucky not to go into the book for a late challenge on Zabaleta.

Dzeko was then inches away from his first City hat trick, as he nodded a cross towards goal from the edge of the box. Friedel through himself at it, couldn't get to it, but fortunately for the Tottenham keeper, it landed just wide of the post.

But then, from a City corner, Dzeko did get his third. The initial cross was cleared by the defence, but it was picked up by Barry, who found Aguero on the edge of the box. His pass sent Toure clear and the Ivorian's low cross was smashed into the net from two yards by the Bosnian.

Aguero then got himself on the scoresheet with an hour played. He picked up the ball on the left flank and nipped in past the defender. Faced with Friedel, he smashed the ball into the top corner and gave City a four goal lead at the Lane. He could have had his second pretty soon after, but his effort from the edge of the box whistled just wide of the post.

Joe Hart had to be alert to tip a Defoe effort over the bar as he smashed a shot from range. Kaboul then pulled a goal back for the home side with a free header from the resulting corner, as the Tottenham man found space in the box. Joe Hart then denied another strike from Defoe from outside the box.

Savic then picked up a bizarre booking for coming onto the pitch before the referee was ready, before Nasri pulled out a brilliant pass for Silva inside the box, lifting it over the back line to the Spaniard. He tried to take it first time, but his effort was just wide of the post. Edin Dzeko was then denied his fourth by a good save from Friedel.

Dzeko then rounded the game off in style by adding his fourth goal of the afternoon. He played a nice one-two with Barry, before side-footing a wonderful left footed effort into the top corner. Tottenham were well and truly beaten and City turned in one of their best performances ever.

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Bolton 2 Manchester City 3

English Premier League

Sunday 21 August 2011, 16.00 KO

City: Hart, Richards, Lescott, Kompany (c), Kolarov, Milner, Barry, Silva (Zabaleta 89), Y Toure, Aguero (Tevez 68), Dzeko (A Johnson 80)
Unused: Pantilimon, Clichy, Savic, Balotelli
Goals: Silva (26), Barry (37), Dzeko (47)
Booked: -

Referee: Mike Jones
Man of the Match: David Silva

It was a bright start to the game that saw City with an early corner, but Lescott committed a foul in winning the header, before a Bolton free kick caused Joe Hart some trouble in the visiting goal. He parried it and it was left to Lescott to clear the ball from the six yard box. Silva couldn't find Aguero from the resulting breakaway.

Kompany was then on hand to clear from the penalty spot as Steinsson got a low cross into the box, before Knight reacted to a defensive header from a corner. He prodded the ball towards the post, but it was just wide of the post. Lescott was then needed to deflected a Davies header over the bar.

A neat ball from Silva then put Kolarov in behind the Bolton defence, who smashed the ball across the six yard box. Milner got the touch, but Jaaskelainen managed to block and collect the ball. Dzeko then couldn't force his way through the back line, as he looked to get a shot away and Silva hit at shot straight at the goalkeeper.

Dzeko then found Milner on the break and the Englishman returned the ball to the forward. He worked his way into the box and delivered a low cross into the back post where Aguero was waiting. The new signing got the ball and hit it first time, but skied it when he probably should have scored.

Bolton looked to have rode the storm as City pressed, but after some good work from Richards breaking into the box, the visitors took the lead. The right back found Silva on the edge of the box and the little Spaniard took a shot and it went straight through Jaaskelainen and into the net. City had the ball in the net again four minutes later, but it was ruled out as Richards had fouled Petrov in the build-up.

Aguero should then have doubled City's lead with 10 minutes of the first half remaining. A ricochet took the ball into Dzeko's path down the left and he got there before the covering defenders. His cross was met by the Argentine with a free header, but he nodded it wide of the far post. City began to pile on the pressure, as Barry couldn't find a red and black shirt in the box, before Milner's low cross was deflected into the side netting.

From that corner, though, City did get their second goal. The ball was played straight to Barry on the edge of the box and, from 25 yards, he fired it into the top corner with Jaaskelainen left flapping at thin air.

But the home side responded immediately. Petrov fired in a low cross towards the penalty spot after he was found by Cahill. Klasnic was first to it and he fired it straight into the back of the net on the volley, reducing the deficit back to one goal. City tried to do the same, but Milner's ball over for Dzeko was just too far and Aguero couldn't get to the rebound off Jaaskelainen first.

The first action of the second half saw Dzeko get himself on the scoresheet and restore City's two goal lead. A ball was knocked on by Milner to Dzeko and Robinson committed himself to the challenge, but didn't win the ball. It broke to the Bosnian in the box, as he beat Zat Knight, and he made no mistake in smashing it past the home side's keeper.

City were immediately on the hunt for the fourth: Dzeko won the ball back in midfield and set Aguero away. He found Milner, who returned it to the Argentine with space to run into. He broke into the box, but couldn't find room for the shot. Instead, he found Silva, who found Milner, who curled a shot straight at Jaaskelainen.

Some neat Bolton interplay should have seen Eagles do better as he broke unmarked into the box. Petrov knocked the ball past Kompany to the midfielder and, instead of delivering the ball to the middle, he elected to take a shot and sliced it wide of Hart's near post. City responded with some of the same, as Dzeko put Milner through, but his shot from the edge of the box was deflected wide.

Silva did well to win a corner as he was crowded out in the box. A short corner routine could have gotten City further in front, as Silva and Milner worked the crossing opportunity, but Dzeko couldn't quite direct his header on target. Kolarov then smashed a shot just wide, with the aid of a deflection.

But, as City were dominant in the game, they conceded a second and Bolton, once again, reduced the deficit. Davies climbed higher than Lescott from a free kick and nodded the ball towards goal. Joe Hart threw himself at it, but couldn't reach it, and it flicked off the post and into the net.

Tevez then joined the action and created a great chance for Silva as he cut the ball back to the Spaniard. But Knight was in quickly to block the fierce effort from the edge of the six yard box. Milner then smashed a ball across the box looking for Dzeko, but Jaaskelainen was there first.

City could have sealed the points with seven minutes to play as the some possession play ended with Johnson picking up the ball just inside the box. He took on and beat Knight and tried to roll it into the back post, but it was just wide, with Tevez slightly too far away to connect. Tevez then had the chance to smash a shot in from level with the penalty spot, but it almost cleared it out of the stadium instead.

Bolton began to press the City defence, but, as the board went up for stoppage time, City's midfield took control of the ball and the visitors were able to see out a victory to send them top of the Premier League.

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Manchester City 4 Swansea 0

English Premier League

Monday 15 August 2011, 20.00 KO

City: Hart, Richards, Lescott, Kompany (c), Clichy, de Jong (Aguero 60), Barry, Silva (Milner 82), Y Toure, A Johnson (Savic 75), Dzeko
Unused: Taylor, Zabaleta, Kolarov, Balotelli
Goals: Dzeko (57), Aguero (68, 90+1), Silva (71)
Booked: -

Referee: Mike Dean
Man of the Match: David Silva

It was a slow start from the home team, who appeared to be struggling to get their possession game going, as Swansea tried to keep City quiet and the home side were miss-placing passes. Despite this, it was the hosts who had the first chance, with a Yaya Toure piledriver being blocked by a Swansea body.

But then the game ground to a halt. Swansea managed to have some possession without troubling Joe Hart, who had nothing to do but pick crosses from the air, while City couldn’t find their final ball. It took until 24 minutes for the next decent chance, as a Silva shot from the edge of the box forced Vorm into a good one-handed save.

The little Spaniard then hit the bar, after he was found from some neat right wing play by Adam Johnson. Silva’s side-footed effort beat the goalkeeper, but it didn’t beat the frame of the goal, and the visitors were off the hook. Yaya Toure then stormed into the Swansea box with a trademark run, finishing with a fierce shot that was tipped wide and Silva shot over from the corner. City began to dominate.

As the game headed for half time, Dzeko hit a shot straight at Vorm before a corner was cleared only as far as Barry on the edge of the box. The former Villa man took a touch and shot for the top corner – again the keeper was beaten, but he was relieved to see the effort come crashing back off the crossbar.

The second half began slowly, but soon City were back into their stride. Ten minutes in, a half-shout for a penalty was rightly turned down by the referee as Silva lost the ball in the Swansea box, before Dobbie forced a good save from Hart, who was also able to prevent the corner from the loose ball.

But then City stepped up a gear. David Silva turned well in his own half to keep the ball. He then found Johnson who broke into the Swansea box and fired a shot across goal. It was well saved by Vorm, but only to the feet of Dzeko, who knocked the ball back into the empty net to give the hosts the lead.

Aguero joined the action immediately for a troubled de Jong, who hobbled straight down the tunnel. The new signing’s first shot came soon after: a snap-shot from the edge of the box on the spin, but it was straight at Vorm. He was looking bright and raring to go.

And it didn’t take long for the Argentina international to get off the mark at his new club. Eight minutes after joining the action, he was on hand at the back post to convert a Richards low ball across the six yard box, much to the fans’ and his delight.

The new boy then had a hand in creating a goal for the man of the match. Dzeko nearly kept the ball on the right flank, before knocking it on to Aguero steaming into the box. He flicked it over the goalkeeper and managed to then extend his leg to keep the ball in play and cross to the back post. Silva was arriving late into the box and he made no mistake in hitting the net.

With just over ten minutes left, Yaya Toure drilled a free kick into the wall after Vorm had picked up a backpass. It spun towards the corner, but the keeper reacted very well to stop the ball on the line and prevent the visitors from falling further behind.

But there was nothing he could do about the final goal of the night – which would be the icing on the cake for the debutant Aguero. He picked up the ball mid-way into the Swansea half and knocked it out of his feet. With nobody closing him down, he decided to have a hit from 25 yards and it whistled into the top corner, completing a fine opening night display from the blues.

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