Aguero strikes late to sink Yellow sub

ON the day that Manchester rockers — the Stone Roses re-formed and vowed to ‘take the world by storm’, Manchester City’s hopes of doing exactly that were transformed by a dramatic last-minute Sergio Aguero goal against Villarreal in the Champions League.

Roberto Mancini’s side, who had already lost at Bayern Munich and been held at home by Napoli in Group A, were facing the prospect of European failure as a disappointing match looked to be heading for stalemate.

But when James Milner crossed low for fellow substitute Aguero to slide home an injury-time winner, securing a precious 2-1 victory with the very last kick of the match, their world began to look very different.

City are now only three points behind leaders Bayern, who were held to a 1-1 draw in Napoli, with a home match against the German champions still to come; and Aguero’s goal also puts them in the perfect frame of mind for Sunday’s Manchester derby against United at Old Trafford.

Mancini said: “I said before the game it was important to win and I think we deserved to because we had a lot of chances to score.

“But Villarreal were very dangerous on the counter-attack because they play football very well.”

On Aguero’s winner, the Italian continued: “It was an important goal because it is now open for first place (in the group).

“When you play in the Champions League for the first time you need to improve game after game. We needed to win and I think tonight after this game we can do better.’’

Last night’s game could have been very different had Villarreal defender Marchena not turned an Aleksandar Kolarov cross into his own net to equalise a fourth-minute Cani strike from the visitors — who went into the tie with no points, no goals and facing a relegation battle in La Liga.

But who will remember that after the way City ended the night?

Even so, Mancini’s side were strangely subdued for long periods and seriously lacked energy and pizazz until those final moments, even prompting manager Mancini to replace Adam Johnson with Gareth Barry after only 40 minutes.

It was quite a contrast to events in London earlier in the day where rock legends the Stone Roses, credited as the band that inspired the ‘Madchester’ movement, made a dramatic return to the public eye after 15 years on the sidelines amid much pomp and many a drum roll.

If you’re wondering why there was no celebration at the Etihad Stadium and no excited tannoy announcement to provide details of forthcoming concerts in Manchester’s Heaton Park next summer, it’s because the Roses line-up — headed by lead singer Ian Brown – are very much of the red persuasion. So much so, in fact, that United run out to the strains of one of their greatest hits. So City stick to Oasis (and maybe a bit of Morrissey despite rumours the great man is a secret red himself) and concentrate on their own attempts at world domination.

Unfortunately, they certainly weren’t hitting the right notes for long periods in a match that Mancini had described as a ‘must win’ fixture following a slow start to their debut season in the Champions League and there was none of the fervour and attacking fluency that had characterised last weekend’s 4-1 victory over Aston Villa that took City to the top of the Premier League.

Maybe it was tiredness, maybe it was lack of experience in a competition that provides a very different challenge to domestic action but City were expertly kept at bay by Villarreal for most of the second half.

One wasteful header, when Dzeko was completely free just eight yards out in the 80th minute, was greeted with such frustration by the home crowd that many turned and headed for the exits in one swift movement. And how they must regret that now!

Those that did stay to see Aguero’s winner were at pains to remind the world there is more than one team in Manchester capable of scoring winners in the dying seconds; and there are certainly growing signs that this City team is learning how to win when it really matters — no matter how frustrated they become.

So when the Stone Roses go head to head with Oasis at Old Trafford on Sunday, you can be certain of one thing; the place is really going to rock.

MAN CITY: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott, Kolarov, De Jong (Aguero 62), Toure Yaya, Johnson (Barry 39), Silva, Nasri (Milner 81), Dzeko.

VILLARREAL: Diego Lopez, Zapata, Marchena, Rodriguez, Catala, Valero, Bruno, Perez (Wasako 80), De Guzman (Gullon 88), Cani (Perez 82), Rossi.

Referee: Pavel Kralovec (Czech Republic).