ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: Manchester City 3 Stoke City 0:THE REWARDS keep coming for Manchester City, still basking in their FA Cup triumph and now enjoying the view from third place in the Premier League.
Roberto Mancini’s side move above Arsenal after an evening in which Carlos Tevez, in supreme form, scored two wonderful goals to mark what may have been his farewell game at Eastlands.
Tevez’s first was a solo effort, slaloming through the Stoke defence before finishing with a rocket of a shot. His second has legitimate claims to be recognised as one of the season’s more spectacular free-kicks, finding the top corner from 30 yards.
In between, Joleon Lescott scored with a 53rd-minute header as Mancini’s team confirmed their superiority against the side they had defeated at Wembley on Saturday.
Stoke, quite frankly, looked like they did not want to be here. Their opponents, in stark contrast, played with the confidence and composure that might be expected of a side that has just lifted their first silverware since 1976.
A third-place finish would be their highest since 1977 and, of greater importance, it would mean they qualify for the Champions League automatically and it will be Arsene Wenger’s side who face a qualifier in August.
Despite Tevez’s opener in the 14th minute, there was a sense of relief when Lescott made it 2-0 after 53 minutes. Adam Johnson swung in a free-kick and Thomas Sorensen seemed to freeze in the Stoke goal and Lescott was braver, stronger and more determined to get to the ball, scoring with a header from six yards out.
Stoke’s ordeal could have been even worse, too. Edin Dzeko, a second-half substitute, was clean through within two minutes of replacing David Silva only to aim his shot too close to Sorensen.
But the pressure was unrelenting before and after the brilliant mixture of power and precision that led to Tevez’s second. If this really was his farewell to Eastlands, the Argentinian was determined to go out in style.
Guardian Service
MAN CITY:Hart, Richards, Kompany, Lescott, Zabaleta, Adam Johnson (Wright-Phillips 67), Milner, De Jong, Silva (Dzeko 56), Toure Yaya, Tevez (Boyata 88). Subs Not Used: Given, Kolarov, Barry, Vieira. STOKE:Sorensen, Wilkinson, Shawcross, Collins, Wilson, Whitehead, Whelan (Shotton 74), Diao, Pugh, Carew (Delap 72), Walters. Subs Not Used: Nash, Soares, Jones, Tonge, Faye. Booked: Shawcross, Wilkinson, Diao. Ref: Lee Probert (Wiltshire).
