FA Cup
26 January, 2013
Stoke City
Thomas Sorensen
29
Ryan Shotton
30
Ryan Shawcross
17
Robert Huth
4
Andy Wilkinson
28
Michael Kightly
21
Glenn Whelan
6
Steven Nzonzi
15
Matthew Etherington
26
Jonathan Walters
19
Kenwyne Jones
9
Substitutes
Peter Crouch
25
Dean Whitehead
18
Cameron Jerome
33
Charlie Adam
16
Michael Owen
10
Matthew Upson
20
Carlo Nash
27
Manchester City
30
Costel Pantilimon
5
Pablo Zabaleta
4
Vincent Kompany
6
Joleon Lescott
13
Aleksandar Kolarov
14
Javi García
18
Gareth Barry
7
James Milner
32
Carlos Tévez
21
David Silva
10
Edin Dzeko
Substitutes
22
Gael Clichy
17
Jack Rodwell
16
Sergio Agüero
1
Joe Hart
11
Scott Sinclair
44
Karim Rekik
74
Marcos Lopes
Referee: Howard Webb
© 2013 STATS Europe BV. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS Europe BV is strictly prohibited.
An 85th-minute header from the excellent Pablo Zabaleta earned Manchester City a 1-0 FA Cup fourth round victory over Stoke at the Britannia Stadium. Both sides had chances throughout the game, but the visitors were narrowly the better side and deserved their victory. David Silva, superb throughout, hit the post in the first half with a super chip while Ryan Shawcross had a goal disallowed for Stoke. Early in the second half Glenn Whelan got away with a horror tackle on Javi Garcia to somehow stay on the pitch, and his team were to threaten several times with headers from Kenwyne Jones and Jonathan Walters. Roberto Mancini's men kept up their own pressure and went close through Carlos Tevez and Edin Dzeko before Zabaleta arrived late in the box to finish from Dzeko's flick. Stoke piled forward after that but couldn't make their pressure count. Roll on the fifth round.
A loud roar from the away end greets the final whistle. Manchester City are through to the FA Cup fifth round.
Stoke have one last chance to get the ball into the box with another Shotton throw. Who else but Pablo Zabaleta is there to clear the City lines with a thumping header.
Ryan Shotton's long throw into the box is knocked down by Crouch to the waiting Jerome, who sees his name in lights. Instead of finishing the job, the substitute leans back to sky his shot high into the stands from a position on the penalty spot.
Stoke pour forward in search of the equaliser, Crouch attempting to nod Matthew Etherington's cross backwards into the path of Cameron Jerome. Silva is on hand to hook it clear.
Jack Rodwell comes on for Tevez to make his first appearance since October.
Finally the goal comes! David Silva passes short into Aguero, whose pass is flicked on by Dzeko into the path of the arriving PABLO ZABALETA. The full back keeps a calm head to stroke the ball into the bottom-right corner with the outside of his boot. There's no man more deserving of that moment.
The tables are turned as the home side pile the pressure onto City with some impressive approach play. It culminates in Peter Crouch beating Lescott in the air to divert a cross from Shotton over the bar.
Milner comes in late on Matthew Etherington as the Potters break away, earning a yellow card in the process.
City are pressing hard now. Barry's reverse ball sends Sergio Aguero into the box, the striker cracking a snapshot into the side-netting.
Edin Dzeko receives the ball on the left-hand edge of the Stoke area, wrong-footing Shotton to send the ball through the defender's legs and agonisingly wide of the far post.
Stoke go for broke with a double change, removing Wilkinson and Jones in favour of Dean Whitehead and Peter Crouch.
Andy Wilkinson does well to dig out a cross from the byline with Silva in close attendance. It loops high into the air and drops to Jonathan Walters, whose header has the goalkeeper backpedalling furiously. In the end it drops just over the bar.
Tevez takes Sergio Aguero's ball into feet with his back to goal, spinning Whelan expertly to spank a shot over the bar from the edge of the area.
Tony Pulis replaces Kightly with Cameron Jerome.
A top quality pass from Silva finds Gareth Barry, who moves away from Shotton to control inside the area. The midfielder finds himself ideally placed to score, but is surprised by Sorensen's lightning-fast dive onto the ball.
Roberto Mancini makes an attacking change, sending Sergio Aguero on for Kolarov.
Glenn Whelan gets a sight of goal 25 yards out and hits a shot with some venom. It takes a small deflection off Gael Clichy but Pantilimon is equal to it.
Steven N'Zonzi's square ball finds Whelan, who shows great vision to chip a ball over the defence for the sprinting Walters. The Irishman is pursued all the way by James Milner, who does just enough to stop his opponent from reaching the ball. City then go straight up the other end, where Milner's low cross from the right is turned wide by Dzeko.
Some fancy footwork from Silva gifts Tevez a chance on the edge of the box but the usually surefooted striker miscontrols. Kolarov picks up the loose ball to shoot wildly over the top.
Whelan's short free kick sets up Michael Kightly to knock a ball into the box. Shawcross arrives at the back stick but can't steer his header on target.
Ryan Shotton gets himself booked for a tackle from behind on Tevez.
The Potters launch a trademark flurry of high balls into City's box, but the defence stand firm. In the end one clearance falls to Kightly, whose half-volley from 18 yards out lacks the power to trouble Costel Pantilimon.
As Jonathan Walters goes up for a high ball, Kolarov comes from behind to meet the ball and also give the Stoke man an accidental crack on the back of the head. Walters goes down for a moment but is made of sterner stuff and is soon back on his feet.
Tevez collects the ball on the left wing and plays it into the path of the overlapping Kolarov. The Serb fires a low cross in towards the near post, where Edin Dzeko fires first time into the side-netting.
Javi Garcia writhes in agony following a dangerous jumping two-footed tackle from Glenn Whelan. It's clearly a red card offence, but inexplicably Howard Webb gives no punishment. The ref's view may have been blocked by the players' bodies.
The teams are back out and we're underway in the second half.
Neither side has managed to score a goal as yet here at the Britannia Stadium, but it hasn't been for want of trying in a consistently entertaining first half. David Silva has again been the best player on the pitch, creating most of City's opportunities with some silky skills. The best of these came when the Spain midfielder himself crashed a sumptuous chip off the inside of the post. Edin Dzeko and Carlos Tevez have also come close, with the visitors enjoying the lion's share of possession. When Stoke have managed to get the ball they've also threatened, Robert Huth and Kenwyne Jones sending headers over the bar and Ryan Shawcross sticking the ball in the net only to be pulled back for offside. Vincent Kompany's departure through injury has forced a change of formation, so the Potters may be able to take advantage if things continue as they are. Let's see what happens in the second half.
We've reached the break with the score tied at 0-0.
As we head towards half time the game seems at a stalemate. Neither side can hold onto the ball for very long with tackles flying in left right and centre.
A David Silva foray forward leaves three defenders trailing in the playmaker's wake. Eventually he slips a pass through for Dzeko, whose shot is low and across the face of goal. Carlos Tevez pops up at the back post but can only steer his effort into the side-netting.
Fully five minutes after the departure of Kompany, and after much discussion between Roberto Mancini and David Platt, Gael Clichy comes on to play at centre back in a three with Lescott and Zabaleta.
Ryan Shotton's studs-up challenge leaves Tevez rolling on the ground. The ball was in mid-air and it seems unlikely that Shotton's intention was to hurt the Man City player. Howard Webb deems a free kick sufficient punishment.
Aleksandar Kolarov picks up the first booking of the day for a cynical bodycheck on Walters. Kightly is on free kick duties 30 yards out and plants his shot straight at Pantilimon.
It's bad news for Man City as Kompany lands awkwardly on his ankle and instantly signals to the bench. The skipper hands his armband to Pablo Zabaleta, but Roberto Mancini for some reason waits to make the change.
Michael Kightly cuts inside from the right and goes for goal, Vincent Kompany getting his head in the way of the shot. The clearance falls to Whelan, who hooks a volley wide of the left-hand upright.
The hosts have the ball in the net as Huth meets a free kick into the City area with a volley that hits Ryan Shawcross. The England defender pokes it past Pantilimon, but is rightly flagged for offside.
Shotton gets the chance to hurl in his second long throw of the game, but the defender isn't quite Rory Delap and fails to beat the first man.
It's chaos in the Stoke area as the ball smashes back and forth. Finally it falls to Tevez, who tries to belt it into the back of the net from an awkward height and succeeds only in clearing the angle of post and bar.
What an effort! David Silva picks up the ball way over on the right of the Stoke box and chips it over Sorensen beautifully, the shot cannoning back off the inside of the opposite post and away from danger.
A brilliant burst of pace from Carlos Teves sees the forward speed down the left and centre to where two teammates are waiting. Barry elects to leave it for Edin Dzeko, whose drive is brilliantly blocked by the sprawling Ryan Shawcross.
City are back in control of the ball now and the Potters can't get a sniff of it, but as soon as Mancini's men reach that Stoke area there's no way through.
Whelan blocks a shot from Javi Garcia and spreads the ball out to Jonathan Walters on the right, the former continuing his run to drive a volley against Joleon Lescott from Walters' eventual cross. The ball bounces out for a corner, from which Huth nods an effort inches over the bar.
Kolarov, arriving in the box late, almost takes advantage of a weak clearance by Robert Huth but ends up swiping at thin air.
Gareth Barry draws the foul from Ryan Shotton 25 yards out, granting Aleksandar Kolarov a chance to shoot. The full back, making his first start since December 1st, gingerly curls an effort comfortably over the crossbar.
Silva's clever ball down the channel sends the scampering Carlos Tevez into the area, the Argentine drawing a smart save from Thomas Sorensen at the near post from an acute angle.
Glenn Whelan looks up to find Matthew Etherington on the left flank with a lovely chipped pass. The winger's instant lofted cross drops to Kenwyne Jones, who leaps above the pack but can't generate any power on the header, allowing Costel Pantilimon to claim with ease.
Things have been a lot calmer following that blistering start; the visitors are enjoying a monopoly on possession so far without looking to penetrate.
City threaten early on as Gareth Barry takes a corner short to David Silva, the Spaniard cutting inside to fire a shot over the bar from outside the area.
Referee Howard Webb blows the whistle and Manchester City get us underway at a rocking Britannia Stadium.
As the players wait in the tunnel, reports are coming in that David Silva has been sent back to the dressing room to remove some inappropriate clothing. We can only wonder.
Thomas Sorensen starts in goal for Stoke, while Ryan Shotton comes in at the back and Michael Kightly starts on the flank. Kenwyne Jones partners Jonathan Walters up front. Roberto Mancini has picked a full-strength City line-up, although Sergio Aguero is on the bench with Carlos Tevez and Edin Dzeko playing in attack. Joleon Lescott starts at centre back with Aleksandar Kolarov on the left of defence.
Samir Nasri is struggling with a virus and may be forced to sit this one out, but Pablo Zabaleta has recovered from a foot injury. Maicon and Micah Richards remain on the treatment table.
Ryan Shotton is available once again after recovering from a hamstring injury, but Andy Wilkinson's back complaint keeps the defender out. Thomas Sorensen is set to win a rare start in goal.
Of all Manchester City's star turns, David Silva remains the man who can produce the most dazzling moments of them all. The Spain playmaker has had a tough time with injuries of late but is starting to once again produce the sparkling performances we all know he's capable of. City will need his abilities if they're to unlock Stoke's formidable rearguard.
Mario Balotelli is going nowhere according to Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini. The controversial Italian has been strongly linked with a move to AC Milan before the close of the transfer window, but Mancini has finally broken his silence on the issue to assure fans that no approach has been received. Whether the fans are pleased to hear it is another matter entirely.
Tony Pulis has been eyeing up PSV Eindhoven's Erik Pieters with a view to making the Holland defender a January signing. A problem has arisen, however, after the left-back damaged his hand by punching a window after being sent off against PEC Zwolle. Anger management classes would presumably be included in any contract to be signed.
It's an all-Premier League clash at the Britannia Stadium today as Manchester City travel to take on Stoke in the FA Cup fourth round. On paper the Premier League champions should be confident of securing their passage to the fifth round, but this is the FA Cup and anything really could happen. Not to mention the fact that Stoke will give any team a game at fortress Britannia, bar none. The Potters can play a bit these days, but we can still expect the visitors to be subjected to a barrage of high balls and physical challenges. City, for their part, will look to take their hosts apart with the skills of their world-class stars. With any luck we should be in for a real cracker, laced with the enduring magic of the FA Cup.