City faithful believe, even if Mancini has doubts

It took just 90 minutes — along with two goals from Sergio Aguero and a purposeful return to the starting line-up from Carlos Tevez — for Manchester City to re-ignite a Premier League title race that, as of last Sunday evening, looked to all intents and purposes to be over.

In truth, City’s effortless victory over a listless and disinterested West Brom was not the significant action of the evening. Rather, a few miles across Lancashire, it came at the DW Stadium where Manchester United’s surprising defeat to Wigan allowed City to cut the deficit at the top of the table to five points.

City supporters, who had appeared as unmotivated as the Albion players before kick-off and in the opening stages of the game, suddenly burst to life in the second half as news from Wigan filtered through and City helped themselves to three goals — improving their goal difference over United in the process — while instilling new belief in their fans.

Now, with five games remaining, including a Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium, the required task of making up a five-point deficit over the rest of the campaign appears highly possible.

Perhaps, what was simply required all along was for manager Roberto Mancini to stop his indulgence of volatile forward Mario Balotelli, suspended for last night, and show faith in Tevez, Aguero and David Silva.

Ridiculously, however, Mancini tried to claim a five-point gap is still too much for his side to overhaul.

“The title race is finished because United is a fantastic team and they have a fantastic spirit. I think five points is too much,” he said.

“But I think it is important for us to finish the season well. This is the best season for 50 years and I am proud of the players.

“It was important because I think West Brom are a good team, with a good manager and for that reason it was difficult.

“And I’m happy for him, Carlos, and his performance. He is not ready to play one game. He played 60 minutes. He can improve in the last five games.”

The trauma of the last six games, which had seen City collect just eight points and lose crucial ground to United in the title race, was quickly forgotten as they took a fifth-minute lead through Aguero’s 18th league goal of the season. The Argentinian forward surged, unimpeded, all the way to the edge of the penalty area where, with defenders backing off, he planted an accurate right-foot shot into the bottom corner of the goal.

It was the sort of start City needed after recent dramas surrounding the club in general, and Balotelli in particular, and, in the absence of the controversial Italian, Tevez, starting his first game since September, was starting to look a threat. After 12 minutes, he exchanged passes with Aguero before unleashing an 18-yard shot that sailed over the crossbar as City maintained their dominance.

Halfway through the period, Micah Richards’ clever pass played Silva through on goal, with keeper Ben Foster rushing from his line rather rashly to make an excellent tackle just inside his area. Tevez soon played in Richards who rounded keeper Foster but saw his shot cleared off the line by Craig Dawson.

The second period continued to be one-way traffic and, as news arrived from Wigan, Aguero doubled his team’s lead as the title race took what may yet prove to be a pivotal twist.

The crowd, so quiet in the first period, was now suitably inspired and Tevez’s pass to Samir Nasri saw the City forward roll a shot inches wide of Foster’s left-hand post.

A Richards cross caused panic in the Albion defence, Aguero’s header was cleared off the line by Youssouf Mulumbu and, just after the hour, City were three goals to the good.

Nasri again played a key role, his pass through the square Albion defensive line sending Gareth Barry to the by-line where he pulled the ball back for Tevez to convert emphatically from a dozen yards.

The game was a rout and it took City just three more minutes to score a fourth after Albion lost possession just inside their own half and Aguero sparked a counter-attack, resulting in a pass to Silva who lifted a text-book finish over the body of the advancing goalkeeper.

Tevez was substituted — to a standing ovation from City supporters — but the chances kept coming. Aguero might have claimed his hat-trick but headed just over at full-stretch and a cross from substitute Adam Johnson had to be saved well by Foster.

MAN CITY: Hart 7; Richards 7, Kompany 8, Lescott 7, Clichy 7; Barry 8, De Jong 7; Silva 7 (Zabaleta 79, 6), Tevez 7 (Johnson 63, 7), Nasri 7; Aguero 9 (Dzeko 74, 7).

WEST BROM: Foster 6; Jones 5, Dawson 5, Olsson 4, Shorey 5; Mulumbu 7 (Fortune 68, 6); Cox 5, Andrews 6, Scharner 6, Dorrans 5 (Tchoyi 78, 6); Long 6.

Referee: Kevin Friend.