Reading 0 Manchester City 2: Sergio Aguero's opening goal here felt slightly different from the one he crashed into the net a year ago at Eastlands against QPR. However, Roberto Mancini's name was sung with equal, if not more, vigour here than after that famous victory which earned Manchester City a first Premier League title.

“Forza Mancini” and “Grazie Mancini” were the banners unfurled in the away end by City’s supporters following his sacking by the club on Monday night, and his name rang out throughout this match against already-relegated Reading following his miserable arrivederci at Wembley.

It was apt that City’s first match without Mancini since December 2009 was decided by a player who was arguably the most significant purchase of the former manager’s reign.

Aguero finished clinically five minutes before half-time after an impressive move down the left flank and Edin Dzeko made sure of the points late on following an excellent through-ball from David Silva to assure City a second-place finish in the league this season. But football felt like an afterthought here on a miserable evening as gloomy as the mood in the City camp.

Vincent Kompany was omitted from the squad due to tiredness, with Micah Richards handed the captain’s armband in only his sixth league appearance of the campaign. Richards replaced the suspended Pablo Zabaleta following his red card in the FA Cup final, with Matija Nastasic and Samir Nasri also dropping out of the side.

City tried to shake off their Wembley malaise in a rousing opening 10 minutes when they were unlucky not to take the lead.

James Milner first scooped an effort over Alex McCarthy’s crossbar from the edge of the penalty area before the Reading goalkeeper dived low to claim a David Silva shot.

He had to be alert again when Carlos Tevez picked up the ball on the edge of the area and slid it through to Milner, but his toe-poke from close range was excellently stopped and Aguero’s follow-up blocked well.

However, City’s bright start was dealt a blow after a quarter of an hour when Kolo Toure limped off through injury and was replaced by Maicon, with Richards filling in at centre-half.

Reading had named an unchanged side from their impressive victory at Fulham, but they had to wait until the 19th minute before a first effort on target, Hal Robson-Kanu’s shot from 25 yards out being saved comfortably by Joe Hart.

Garath McCleary then cut inside from the left flank and from just inside City’s penalty area tried to bend a shot into the far corner, but Hart palmed away.

Adam Le Fondre was named Reading’s player of the year before kick-off, but the striker started the game on the bench. McCarthy was regarded as a contender for the award and his was the standout performance of the first-half, keeping Tevez out from point-blank range after tipping the ball over the bar with a fine reaction save.

He was powerless, though, to deny Aguero in the 40th minute, the Argentinian sliding a precise finish past the goalkeeper from inside the area following a neat one-two between Milner and Silva down the left to cue the inevitable

Mancini chants from the City end.

Nigel Adkins may already be preparing for life in the Championship but will know a tighter backline is key to Reading’s promotion chances next season.

Time and time again they were opened up by City’s slick attack but, as in the first half, McCarthy proved an invaluable last line of defence.

With little to play for, the game became a dour affair with City continuing to press forward. Tevez danced around three blue and white shirts and then fired woefully over the bar, before substitute Dzeko, brought on for Aguero, fired a left-footed effort tamely at McCarthy following good work from Silva and Yaya Toure saw his powerful effort tipped over by the goalkeeper.

McCleary’s shot was deflected behind and resulting corner Adrian Mariappa’s header was cleared brilliantly off the line by Tevez.

Jem Karacan then had a fierce shot from 25 yards out saved by Hart but, as Mancini’s name rang out around the Madejski, City clinched a second goal from Dzeko who waltzed through the Reading defence to seal a comfortable win.