Tevez inspires City win in difficult conditions at DW Stadium

WIGAN ATHLETIC 0

MANCHESTER CITY 2
Tevez, 43
Y. Toure 70

Report by Paul Chialton

Goals from Carlos Tevez and Yaya Toure secured all three points for Manchester City on a rain-soaked afternoon at the DW Stadium.

The conditions made it difficult for either side to grab a foot-hold on the game and even harder for Latics to find a way back into the game once going behind.

The opener came midway through the first-half after Joe Hart's long up-field kick glanced off Momo Diame's head and into the path of Tevez who flicked over Ali Al Habsi and into the back of the net to put the visitors ahead.

Try as they did Roberto Martinez's side just couldn't get themselves back into the game, just struggling to find that final ball and create a clear-cut chance.

Up-front Franco Di Santo was handed his first start for the club and started very brightly, working hard chasing the ball down, showing strength in possession and linking nicely with Hugo Rodallega.

The striker did test Hart before the break making a yard of room for himself inside the area and driving low goalwards. Hart however saved comfortably.

With conditions not letting up it was difficult for a real game of football to develop with referee Lee Probert having problems judging which tackles were accidental and which were intentional.

Nigel De Jong may very well find himself lucky to have completed the full 90 minutes after a couple of rash challenges warranted just the one yellow card all afternoon.

In the second-half Latics enjoyed a little more of the possession, but still fell slightly short inside the final third.

And with 20 minutes left on the clock Tevez conspired again to double the score-line. Pouncing in a defensive error the City captain squared across goal to the unmarked Yaya Toure to tap home into an empty net and effectively seal the game.

Steve Gohouri came within inches of getting the home side back in the game with ten minutes left, heading just wide from six yards after a whipped cross from the right.

A disappointing afternoon then for Wigan Athletic who struggled to get themselves going in difficult circumstances and couldn't quite find a way through Man City's defences.

Latics: Al Habsi; Boyce (Stam, 65), Gohouri, Alcaraz, Figueroa; Thomas, Diame (Watson, 86); N'Zogbia (Moses, 86), McCarthy, Rodallega; Di Santo

Subs: Kirkland, S. Caldwell, Gomez, Boselli

Man City: Hart; Richards, K. Toure, Kompany, Zabaleta; Silva (A. Johnson, 72), Barry, Y. Toure (Jo, 74), De Jong, Milner; Tevez (Wright-Phillips, 88)

Subs: Given, Boyata, Vieira, Santa Cruz