Make that 103 goals and counting for Manchester City in all competitions this season, as they swept aside Cardiff 4-2 at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday with yet another ruthless display of attacking panache.
Goals from Edin Dzeko, Jesus Navas, Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero blew the Bluebirds away, as Cardiff were level at one point after Craig Noone equalized in the first half. Despite a brave fight from Ole Gunnar Solksjaer’s side, the former Manchester United hero saw his team outclassed late on as City’s powerful offensive unit clicked into place once again and Frazier Campbell’s late goal was nothing but a consolation.
With their 11-straight home win Manuel Pellegrini’s side sit in second place, one point behind leaders Arsenal, while Cardiff are still heavily entrenched in a relegation battle as the Welsh side are now bottom on 18 points.
Early on Cardiff City almost shot themselves in the foot as as Dzeko was brought down in the box by Kyle McNaughton, but penalty calls were waved away.
City’s relentless attack kept coming at Cardiff early on, as Navas was a constant threat down the right with Ben Turner forced into making a great sliding block to deny City taking the lead. Dzeko also saw an effort stopped by David Marshall as the Citizens began to pile on more pressure.
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In the 14th minute City finally broke the deadlock as Dzeko scuffed an effort over the line after Silva found him with a great pass. City’s 100th goal of the season in all competitions. After the opener it was all City, as Cardiff struggled to get to grips with the home sides sublime movement. In the 23rd minute Pablo Zabaleta found Alvaro Negredo with a tremendous ball but the Spaniard pulled his shot just wide of the far post as City searched for a second.
After absorbing all that pressure and riding their luck, Cardiff broke down the right and Noone drove into the box before smashing home an effort in the 28th minute to make it 1-1. But less than five minutes later City were back in front as Dzeko raced away from the Cardiff defense before the ball broke to Navas to sweep home and make it 2-1.
For the rest of the first half Cardiff had a real go, but City lead at the break.
Cardiff looked extremely dangerous after the break as Jordon Mutch forced Joe Hart into a fine stop at his near post, before numerous set-pieces saw Cardiff go close to making it 2-2 as bodies piled into the six-yard box. Sergio Aguero arrived off the bench in the 60th minute as Pellegrini tried to finish Cardiff off but the Welsh side held firm under intense pressure.
And it was the little Argentine who was involved in the third goal, as Toure stormed forward from within his own half and played a one-two with Aguero on the box before the Ivorian slotted hammered home City’s third. In the 79th minute Aguero made it 4-1 as he jinxed in and out of Cardiff’s defense and rifled an effort past a despondent Marshall in goal for the Bluebirds. That strike marked Aguero 21st goal of the season and he now has 20 in his last 18 games.
Former Manchester United striker Campbell, who scored twice against City in a Cardiff win earlier this season, bagged a late goal from close range as City rolled on to keep their 100 percent record at home.
LINEUPS
Manchester City: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Demichelis, Kolarov, Navas (Clichy, 82), Yaya Toure, Javi Garcia, Silva (Milner, 80), Negredo (Aguero, 62), Dzeko
Goals: Dzeko (14), Navas (33), Toure (76), Aguero (79)
Cardiff City: Marshall; McNaughton (John, 68), Caulker, Turner, Theophile-Catherine; Whittingham (Bellamy, 68), Medel, Gunnarsson (Wolff Eikrem, 78), Mutch, Noone; Campbell
Goals: Noone (29), Campbell (90)
