Man City handle Hull 2-0

Man City handle Hull 2-0

MANCHESTER - Second-half goals by Alvaro Negredo and Yaya Toure paced Manchester City to a 2-0 win over Hull City in English Premier League action on Saturday.

Manchester City defender Matija Nastasic vies with Hull City striker Danny Graham during the clubs' Premier League match on Saturday at the Etihad Stadium. (AFP Photo)

Hull had their work cut out for them at the Etihad Stadium against a City side that had lost just four of their last 58 home Premier League games.

The visitors made the brighter start, and Sone Aluko should have done better than drag the ball harmlessly wide of the right-hand post after breaking clear in the eighth minute.

City appeared directionless and its defence a bit disorganised in the scoreless first half, and some of the fans let them know it by booing as the players walked off the pitch.

City manager Manuel Pellegrini introduced new signing Negredo in place of the ineffective Edin Dzeko at halftime.

Negredo made his skipper look like a genius in the 65th minute, heading home a Pablo Zabaleta cross from close range. Toure rounded out the scoring at 90 minutes from a free kick.

The home side's battered defence was boosted by the return of centre back Matija Nastasic following injury.

Last season's runners-up were looking to recover from a shock 3-2 defeat by Cardiff City last Sunday. In that match, City had to field a makeshift partnership of Joleon Lescott and midfielder Javi Garcia in the heart of defence with Nastasic and Vincent Kompany sidelined.

"I think Javi Garcia didn't do a bad job as he normally plays in midfield. But it is Nastasic's natural position, so of course it is better we have him there," Pellegrini said of the Serbian's return before Saturday's match.

Kompany is out for around a month with a groin injury suffered in City's opening match, a 4-0 rout of Newcastle United.

But against Cardiff a week later, City were undone by headers from corners.

Pellegrini said his side spent the past week working on ghat part of the game to avoid being tripped up by another of the promoted teams.

"Set pieces are very important and we must learn from last week," the Chilean said. "It was a bad game for us in that way, but we must improve for our next game."

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT