Manchester City 4 Stoke City 0 Johnny On The Spot & Stats Link

Johnny Baguette

Johnny Baguette

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Johnny On The Spot:

#REASSURED. At the business end of a long campaign across 4 fronts that have thus far realised 54 football matches for Manchester City, there is nothing like having points and goals on the board ahead of your closest rivals for prizes. This timely win over an obligingly uncompetitive Stoke makes for a perfect day at the office for the Blues and gives Manuel Pellegrini's men more domestic breathing space ahead of Tuesday's titanic Champions League clash with Real Madrid...The great Zinedine Zidane will be aiming to mirror The Engineer's approach today towards the semi-final runners and riders and don't believe the hype, while Pellegrini rested his Nijinsky today, Zizou is only resting his Ladyboy Riverdancer for the Galacticos important contest with Rayo Vallecano...The job was done today without City ever truly getting out of second gear. Like a champion boxer fending off a wayward if punch-packing foe, The Blues did enough to keep the bet 365 Potters at arms length whilst playing firmly within themselves. That we have for once emerged from a game with Stoke without a raft of injuries outside of Toure's knock speaks volumes for the way that Leslie Hughes' numerous assassins did not appear to be up for a scrap...The icing on the steady as she goes cake for City this weekend is the calm brilliance exhuded again by Man of The Match Kelechi Iheanacho. He has a zip and menace that I am certain would have reaped greater rewards for us this year had he been deployed more often...And so to Tuesday. We can get at that Madrid defence. Wolfsburg showed the way. Ignore the ongoing agenda from the likes of the BT Bitters pundits. City are now unbeaten in 7 matches which boast 4 clean sheets, 5 wins, 17 goals for and only 4 against built upon the Otamendi-Mangala axis with Kun Aguero up front in the form of his life...Never say never, Blues.

Stats Courtesy Sky Sports - All Rights Reserved

http://www.manchestercity.vitalfootball.co.uk/stats.asp?a=565522
 
Great summary JB, our much maligned CBs did indeed complete another clean sheet and stand as 4th best defence in the League, whilst the other end the onion bag has bulged a whacking 66 times yet how many City players are in the PFA team of the year?
 
It was a strange scoreline for me, it wasn't a 4-0 performance.
The first 10 minutes in the second half was poor in the extreme, Stoke could, and probably should, pulled at least one back, or even levelled it.
Nacho excellent all afternoon, from the early effort just wide, to his positioning for his first (similar to Spurs), to his cool finish for his second.
Colin's right, nice play by Bony for the second, and Navas/Zabaleta for the first.
 
Fairly comfortable, Stoke not really up for it once the third went in. Well done KI72, looking forward to how he will be deployed next season - there was a telling shot of £49m sat on the bench, penny for your thoughts RS7...

 
We can take it that RS7 will play no part on Tuesday with no minutes v Stoke. As for KI72 I would start him v Madrid.
 
Oh I don't know, he probably won't start but he has made the difference for us in Europe this season( despite struggling for form in the league games ) I wouldn't be surprised if he does it again, whether that be from the bench or otherwise
 
Yes, I think he'll get a start against RM just looking a tad pensive, wasn't he. Made aware he has some competition.
A bit boring at times the game but ended up with a good result. Defence split wide open a couple of times caught napping. Won't be let off if they do it on Tuesday.
 
Kelachi Iheanacho

Starts 8
Goals 11
Assists 4
Shots on target 15

:005:

An outstanding record.

Interesting to hear Mark Chapman on MOTD ask the question as to why Rashford has been getting more headlines than this young man with this exceptional record. Quite happy for him to fly under the radar but nice to find that someone else has noticed the imbalance in coverage. Maybe he should talk to some of his colleagues in Salford Quays as they sit at their desks festooned in rag memorabilia.
 
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