Manchester City v Everton
Saturday December 13, 2008, 3pm
City of Manchester Stadium - Att: 41,344
Teams
City:
Hart, Zabaleta, Richards, Dunne (c), Ball, Elano, Wright-Phillips, Ireland, Kompany, Robinho (Vassell 82), Benjani (Jo 46).
unused subs: Schmeichel (GK), Ben-Haim, Onuoha, Fernandes, Hamann.
Everton:
Howard, Yobo, Lescott, Jagielka, Neville (c), Castillo, Arteta, Cahill, Pienaar, Osman, Fellaini.
unused subs: Nash (GK), Hibbert, Baines, Van der Meyde, Rodwell, Jutkiewicz, Gosling.
Goals: 0-1 Cahill 90
Bookings:
City:
Everton: Fellaini 90
Referee: M. Halsey
Pre-match
The
major news in the build-up is that Robinho is fit to take his place
in a starting XI that shows three changes from last weekend's 1-1 draw
at Fulham.
The Brazilian is joined in the team by his fellow
countryman Elano and Micah Richards is also fit enough to take on
Everton. Tal Ben-Haim, Didi Hamann and Darius Vassell are the players
to miss out, all three have to settle for a place on the bench.
For the visitors a striker injury crisis means that midfielder Tim Cahill is expected to play as a lone frontman.
The match
With
three former Evertonians involved in the game (Richard Dunne, Michael
Ball and Mark Hughes) added to the Manchester v Liverpool cross city
mix, the game kicked off to a lively atmosphere.
And six minutes
in Leon Osman almost gave those who had travelled along the East Lancs
Road more to shout about but his effort was pulled wide of Hart’s left
hand post.
City fans quickly leapt on the opportunity to join in with their now customary mocking ‘goal’ celebration.
The
City support were mocking again...but after a sigh or two of
relief...as Arteta's 20-yard free-kick slapped the crossbar and
Fellaini's headed follow-up clipped the top of the bar on the way over.
The
Blues had their first real opening on 13 minutes as Elano strolled
forward from midfield, played a neat one-two with Robinho before
finding Benjani, who set up Stephen Ireland but his shot from the edge
of the box was too high to trouble Tim Howard.
A minute later it
was Robinho who brought the best out of Howard in the Everton goal as
Benjani found him inside the box. The Brazilian turned and quickly got
his shot off but at full stretch Howard clawed it away.
On 20
minutes Everton manager David Moyes was incensed as Osman appealed for
penalty after claiming Ball had hauled him down off the ball.
City
then replied with an Elano blast from distance that stung the palms of
Howard as 25 minutes in the game had offered more than many in the
stands thought might have been the case.
Everton's main flair
player, Arteta, then hit a rocket shot which surprised Hart - although
the big keeper did well to get in the way of it and turn it away.
A
slight lull in the game followed, but four minutes before the break
Shaun Wright-Phillips left Howard's bar reverberating after a trademark
shot that had left the American keeper standing.
In a cup tie
ending to the half, Fellaini could have scored twice, firstly he was
inches away from connecting to a left wing cross then as play was kept
alive the Belgian's low shot was well kept out by Hart with a fine save.
HALF TIME: City 0-0 Everton
City
made the one half time change with Jo replacing Benjani - no word as to
whether it was due to injury or not - but the Brazilian had been
warming up in readiness for his arrival during the first half.
Chances
were at a premium during the opening stages of the second half and the
Manchester Blues had Pablo Zabaleta to thank on 58 minutes for keeping
the score at 0-0 after making a vital headed clearance from Phil
Neville's dangerous right wing cross.
Tim Cahill was waiting to
nod in as Richards and Fellaini both missed the cross but the former
Espanyol full back did enough to flick the ball out for a corner.
Wright-Phillips
threatened again on 64 minutes as he led Lescott on a merry dance down
the right before his low cross was scrambled over for a City corner.
On
72 minutes Jo won the header from Hart's long clearance and set up the
marauding Ireland who placed his shot low, looking for the corner of
the net, but Howard was again equal to the City attack.
Mark
Hughes made his second change with eight minutes left as Robinho was
replaced by Darius Vassell as City looked to break down a stubborn
Everton side.
Jo did well to win a header from SWP's corner on 86
minutes but it lacked direction and flew over. That chance pretty much
summed up City on the day and Everton held on to the point they had
come for.
But they managed even better than that as right on cue
Tim Cahill beat Richards in the air to head home an injury time corner
and steal all three points for the Merseyside Blues.
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