BOURNEMOUTH, England (REUTERS) - Substitute Riyad Mahrez scored the only goal as Manchester City beat Bournemouth 1-0 at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday (March 2) to return to the top of the Premier League.
The home side showed champions City plenty of respect in the opening 45 minutes, defending deep and forcing their opponents to probe patiently for openings, and they conceded little in the way of goalscoring chances.
City manager Pep Guardiola was forced to replace the injured Kevin De Bruyne with Mahrez at halftime, and he was quickly followed by defender John Stones, who was substituted early in the second half with a thigh problem.
The visitors continued to probe and their patience finally paid off when David Silva teed up Mahrez, who lashed home a shot with his right foot to break the deadlock 10 minutes into the second half.
Bournemouth were unable to raise their game and goalkeeper Artur Boruc pulled of a number of fine saves.
He was quick off his line to thwart a breakaway attempt by Raheem Sterling and Aguero clipped the underside of the crossbar before Boruc beat away a close-range header from Mahrez.
"We made one of the best performances we have played. They were very organised, but they didn't have one shot. We created a few chances. People should understand how difficult it is to attack 11 (defending) players," Guardiola said.
Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe was disappointed to see his side's defensive efforts undone by what he termed an "ugly" goal.
"You want to be competitive and that was the way for us to make the game tight, show toughness and mentally hang in. The only frustration is their goal was ugly, which is very unlike them," he said.
The win put City top on 71 points, two ahead of Liverpool who face Everton in the Merseyside derby on Sunday. Bournemouth, who have lost four of their last five, remained 12th on 34 points.
Mourinho´s huge pay-off fails to dent Manchester United´s record quarter Woodward paid tribute to former youth coach Eric Harrison, who died on Wednesday evening aged 81, describing him
Man Utd spent £19.6m on sacking Jose Mourinho and backroom
up
Synonyms for keep up at Thesaurus.com with free online thesaurus, antonyms, and definitions. Find descriptive alternatives for keep up.
Neymar walked off in tears after landing awkwardly on his ankle against Strasbourg. Paris St-Germain boss Thomas Tuchel says it will be "super difficult" for Neymar to be fit for their Champions
PSG news: 'Super difficult' for Neymar to face Man Utd, says
Football: Warnock says Sala tragedy is most difficult week of his career. I've been in football management for 40 years and it's been by far the most difficult week in my career, by an
Warnock says Sala tragedy is most difficult week of his career
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer boosted by Jose Mourinho's work, claims Louis van Gaal Description: Van Gaal's claims seem at odds with the more entertaining football played by United since Solskjaer started a reign that looks set to bring him the manager's job on a permanent basis.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer boosted by Mourinho's work, claims Louis
The Priority and Priorities of Youth Ministry The most unchurched Americans are Millennials, so it comes as no surprise that youth ministry is a priority for many churches. Six in 10 (61%) senior pastors say youth ministry is "one of the top priorities" of their church's ministry, and 7 percent say it is the single highest priority.
The No. 1 Reason Teens Keeps the Faith as Young Adults
LONDON (Reuters) - Aston Villa returned to the Premier League, after a three-year absence, beating Derby County 2-1 in the Championship playoff final at Wembley on Monday. Goals from Anwar El
Football: Villa return to Premier League with win over Derby
Check out our range of Claw Hammers products at your local Bunnings Warehouse. Visit us today for the widest range of Hammers & Wreckers products.
Hammer Punch Set Sold Direct - eBay | Fantastic prices on Hammer Punch Set
AD
Cristiano Ronaldo losing battle to be fit for Juventus' Champions League clash with Ajax, reveals boss Max Allegri The Portugal star pulled his hamstring on international duty and missed the
Cristiano Ronaldo fit for Juventus clash with Ajax, says
Klopp cool on Mo's dry spell LONDON • Mohamed Salah has failed to find the net in eight games, but Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has shrugged off his indifferent form, jokingly saying that "his career is not over".
Is Jürgen Klopp Right Not To Worry About Mo Salah's Dry Spell
No complacency. Improving patient safety is a determined and unwavering commitment for us all. We must constantly strive to listen to patients and their families and listen to staff so that we can
Messi on a mission: Barcelona are Champions League favourites but only because of Leo. Barca's football is plainly not as it once was; they struggle for control and dominance in the midfield
When are the Champions League semi-finals between Barcelona v
0 comments:
Post a Comment