City-Wolves Live Blog and Match Thread!

By: Thad | August 22nd, 2009

Manchester City’s first home match of the season kicks off in a few minutes against Wolves–follow along for a blow-by-blow account from a City perspective….

City make one change from last Saturday’s winning team at Blackburn, with Tevez in for Bellamy up front. Otherwise it’s Bridge, Toure, Dunne, Richards, Given, Robinho, Ireland, Barry, Wright-Phillips and Adebayor. Adebayor and Robinho have overcome some slight fitness doubts. Presumably it will be an attack-minded 4-3-3.

Wolves have Hennessey in goal, then Stearman, Craddock, Mancienne, Ward, Henry, Halford, Edwards, Jarvis, Milijas, and Keogh. They look set to play 4-5-1 and disrupt City’s passing moves.

Both sides enjoyed somewhat surprising success on the road midweek, Wolves winning 1-0 at Wigan and City topping Barcelona away in a friendly by the same 1-0. Most have pegged this as a home banker for City, but we’ll see about that…An early goal would certainly help the cause for City.

1st minute. Wolves kick off and lose it almost straight away. SWP plays in an early cross to Adebayor but it’s cut out. The official City site report that club legend Mike Summerbee has been named a Club Ambassador in an announcement just before kickoff.

3rd minute. City are keeping the ball but with no penetration. One feels Bridge and Richards may need to get forward to help counter this 5 man midfield, to stretch Wolves wide.

4th minute. On cue, Richards plays SWP into the box but Wolves cut that one out. City maintain possession. Barry is fouled 30 yards from goal, free kick… Dunne challenges Hennessey in the air but it’s a good take in traffic for Wolves’ young keeper.

6th minute. City still dominating possession, no chances yet but it’s still a pretty bright start. Wolves are struggling to get possession out of their own half.

7th minute. Tevez gets a cheer for his aggressive close downs on Hennessey, two in quick successsion, the last one forcing the keeper to flub his kick out. Tevez then tries a back heel flick that doesn’t come off.

8th minute. Foul on Ireland takes Wolves off the back foot for the moment. Another City push forward but Robinho’s attempted through ball is cut out. Maybe City will want to try dribbling right at Wolves as well as slick passing.

11th minute. Wolves finally have a little possession going forward, and manage to get a long throw in the box, but City deal with it.

12th minute. Tevez just clattered by Ward, but Wolves get the ball back and have a quick break. Keogh fires a shot well wide from distance. That’s the first shot by either side.

14th minute. Nice move by City ends when Adebayor is offside for Barry’s chipped cross. Adebayor got that move going with a nice take in the box, but couldn’t get a shot away.

15th minute. There’s Richards going through on the overlap from SWP, and he’s won a corner. Barry’s take is headed away.

16th minute. Toure makes an adventuresome run forward, Adebayor tries to play him through but it’s cut out. City keep the ball though and are trying to unlock the defense. Tevez gets off a cross that’s cut out, again only for City to recover.

17th minute. And finally the pressure tells! GOAL for Adebayor, he found the net near post side from 8 yards after an extended spell of pressure, Tevez making a lovely short pass to set Ade up.

18th. I think the Togo wristbands look rather good blended in with City’s traditional colours…particularly when the arms that are wearing them are celebrating another goal. Wolves are really up against it now, they had been playing 10 behind the ball but now they will have to come out at some point. Tevez runs straight at the Wolves defense but loses out on a tackle at the edge of the box.

21st minute. Flow of play has not changed, it’s still all City with the ball and this time SWP wins a foul from about 28 yards. Barry will take this one, it seems. He goes for goal but it’s right at the keeper (a former City trainee, by the way).

23rd minute. Wolves get a cross off but Given takes easily and quickly releases SWP, who makes it all the way into the box before being tackled by Ward. City throw it back in but Barry’s through ball is cut out and Wolves clear, for now.

25th minute. Great City move ends with Adebayor firing right at the keeper. Ireland had perhaps the better chances to shoot but played a one touch back heel to set up Adebayor, who should have done a bit better with that–he went for power and found the keeper’s hands. SWP wriggled free down the right to get that move going.

27th minute. Preseason speculation that maybe SWP would not find a place in this team now appears badly off-base. He’s been indispensable both this week and last. Robinho attacks from the left but the ball is poked away–yet City again retain possession.

29th minute. And there’s Robinho again with a shot from the edge of the box, but he can’t find the angle to beat Hennessey who goes down to save very comfortably. Adebayor set that one up with a nice pass–and City come back yet again on the break with another shot for Robinho, again fired at the keeper. Well-worked by Adebayor.

30th minute. Robinho played through and Stearman pulls him back on the edge of the box–yellow card. Free kick on the left edge of the box. Barry, Tevez, Adebayor all surround the ball.

31th minute. Double shot from Tevez, he took the free kick and found the wall, but one timed the return and forced Hennessey to save going to his left.

32nd minute. More shooting practice for City, that’s better from Robinho who went near post from about 12 yards off a dribble and forced a good save. SWP’s corner is cleared by Keogh for another corner.

32nd minute. The second corner wasn’t much better but City retain possession on the clearance. A ball into the box to Tevez falls to Richards of all people, whose shot is blocked behind for another corner. That corner by Barry goes over everyone for a goal kick.

34th minute. Wolves’ inability to keep the ball after making the initial clearance is ensuring they can’t get off the back foot. City playing with 10 men at the moment as Adebayor had a knock, but it looks like he will be okay.

36th minute. Being greedy here, but City really should go ahead and get the second goal before halftime.

37th minute. A much better spell for Wolves as they play 8 or 9 passes inside City’s final third, ending with a shot from distance by Edwards that sails well over the bar.

38th minute. Bridge, Barry, Adebayor, Robinho all involved in that move down the left, but Barry’s cross doesn’t find anyone.

39th minute. TV shows the Gallagher brothers in the fancy boxes, though they are not sitting together. SWP took an ambitious shot from distance there but it went wildly over the bar.

40th minute. Jarvis with a great shot for Wolves that so nearly equalizes this! Given made a fantastic diving save to preserve the lead. More pressure from Wolves as it’s another corner.

41th minute. Jarvis got just goal side of Dunne to fire that shot from about 20 yards in. Given gets enormous credit for stopping that one after having almost nothing to do for 40 minutes.

42nd minute. That’s a good reminder as to why a one-goal lead is never safe at this level. Play is stopped for a bit after a couple of players bumped head. Possession stats show it’s 65% for City, but Wolves have gained some confidence the last couple of minutes.

43rd minute. Claims for a City penalty there as SWP goes down, he had cleverly got free and Ward seemed to get an arm on him as he went down. City come back again with a great chance that falls to Tevez, who heads wide from about 7 yards.

44th minute. Robinho and Barry made that opportunity, Tevez headed it back across goal but couldn’t find the target. Keogh shoots wide on the other end.

45th minute. More City pressure, Robinho’s back heel into the box found no one. Time running out to grab a 2nd before the break.

And there’s the halftime whistle! 1-0 City at the break. Overall City were dominant but Wolves are not out of this just yet, and that stunning shot by Jarvis shows they are only a moment of brilliance (or madness) away from getting back into this. One feels that another goal for City would kill this one off. Enjoyable first half with all of City’s main attacking players acquitting themselves well.

2nd half kickoff: City kick things off, Toure plays a ball forward that finds Wolves’ keeper.

47th minute. Ireland’s through ball had to be left by Tevez who was offside, SWP kept after it but Hennessey beats him to the ball.

48th minute. Kevin Doyle is on for Wolves, Keogh had a chance down the left there but his cross (shot?) was wayward. Keogh comes back again and tries to find Doyle, but Doyle can’t quite get there. Wolves’ decision to go with 2 strikers could make this a less one-sided half.

50th minute. SWP had a nice run there but can’t get around the defender. City now get the ball down and play it a little bit. It feels almost like the start of the match with City trying to feel things out against the 4-4-2.

52nd minute. SWP and Robinho appear to have swapped sides, for the moment anyway.

53rd minute. SWP is in a left-central role right now and just tried to get onto a long through pass from Bridge, but it’s cut out. Wolves are far more positive this half.

55th minute. City do well to get it into the box there, Robinho tries to get there but it’s put behind for a corner.

57th minute. Elokobi is on for Wolves and has been involved in a couple of important tackles, the latest one on Adebayor. There’s Gareth Barry popping up on the right as City keep posssesion in the final third for a spell. Oh no! Stephen Ireland flubs his lines after getting in behind for a one on one from 10 yards.

59th minute. This is better from City as Adebayor fires one just over. That was some miss by Ireland a moment ago, he had a played a wonderful one-two with Robinho to get free, tried to use the outside of his right boot to score but missed badly. A firm strike there almost certainly would have found the net.

60th minute. Doyle this time plays in a decent cross looking for his partner by Toure got his head to it. Wolves now have a throw in City’s half, but immediately squander possession. City break through Richards, who leaves it for Adebayor, who can’t find anyone. Wolves can’t quite clear though. Robinho has it, now Ireland whose through ball is cut out, allowing Wolves finally to get it back.

63rd minute. Wolves are battling well here, City’s failure to score from that most recent flurry of pressure may give them some confidence. Ward turns on Richards down the left and wins a corner.

64th minute. Spearman heads a couple of yards wide on the corner, not a lot of power on the header and off target, but a warning sign nonetheless.

66th minute. Another wasted chance for City–oh dear oh dear, Adebayor deemed on-side on that through ball down the middle, he rounded the keeper to the left but his touch was heavy, leaving a tight angle to finish from. He only found side netting. Bellamy is warming up.

68th minute. City have it in the net but Robinho is offside, he tapped in SWP’s cross from 3 yards. Replay shows that was a good call, Robinho drifted off just before SWP fired that one across.

69th minute. Incredible stuff there–Keogh just rattles the crossbar after City fail to deal with a long ball. Elokobi followed up a moment later and shot wide. Toure’s clearance of that punt by Hennessey wasn’t very good and Wolves almost made City pay. More Wolves pressure, a cross is headed behind by Barry. Bellamy is ready to come on.

71th minute. Doyle tried to beat 3 City defenders in the box there, he went down but that was never a foul. Wolves have the ball again, Elokobi’s dangerous cross is fisted away by Given for a corner.

72nd minute. Play stops for a moment and Tevez removes his headband and makes way for Bellamy. Some concerned looks from City fans in the stands, City have every reason to be nervous at the moment. Long free kick ends with Stearman heading tamely into Given’s arms, but Adebayor commits another City foul and Wolves will get another free kick from 45 yards out.

74th minute. Another attacking option for Wolves as Vokes comes on for Ward. Bellamy’s first involvement is to be called offside, replay shows that was very very marginal.

76th minute. Another cross by Wolves, no one can get a clean head to it and it goes behind for a goal kick. Bad call there, it was Dunne who got the touch.

77th minute. Stats say City have had 63% possession this half but that’s very misleading. Unlike the first half, it’s been two-way traffic. Another cross comes in that Given takes cleanly, he releases Bellamy who is tackled at midfield. City get the throw and re-establish possession.

78th minute. It really should be 2 or 3-nil to City but as it is we’re set for a very tight finish here. Wolves of course very easily could have had a couple of goals themselves.

80th minute. Another excellent chance there for City, Robinho played a great ball across to the penalty spot and Bellamy simply misses it. He didn’t get his leg out when it seemed ripe for the taking. Credit Adebayor for playing Robinho through on that. De Jong is getting set to replace Robinho.

82th minute. Doyle whistled offside there, that was questionable. Robinho juggles it off the referee on the other end as City set up shop. Robinho may know this will be his last action. Bellamy ended up shooting but Stearman got a foot in to slow that one down.

84th minute. It’s a season debut for de Jong as City try to lock this down and secure the points. That won’t help–Bridge fouls Doyle 30 near the right touch line for a Wolves free kick in a dangerous position.

85th minute. Wolves did City a favor by playing that one short. Elokobi comes back in with another cross, but City clear. Now it’s Wolves again, Jarvis found Doyle in the box there but his touch was poor, allowing Dunne to hack it away. Another dangerous moment for Wolves.

87th minute. Wolves bring it forward from the back, some good work by Toure there helps get it away, eventually SWP wins a throw on the left.

89th minute. A long ball comes in and Dunne has to head behind. Poor corner sets up Bellamy for a break but he plays a terrible ball and Wolves come right back the other way. Jarvis gets into the box and has a pop on the ground, fired wide. To be fair to Bellamy his pass was deflected.

90th minute. SWP runs into the box but loses the ball. Adebayor with a nice tackle on Keogh there, but City are straightaway offside. Long ball for Wolves there is hoofed away by Dunne and City have the ball.

92nd minute. No keep ball for City, SWP had a great chance there but his shot hit Bellamy. One minute to go.

93rd minute. Wolves have a throw and Stearman got a head to that deep cross. SWP of all people puts him off and the header goes well.

Phew! There’s the final whistle at last and City get a victory. It’s certainly a deserved victory, but much credit to Wolves for a spirited second-half. They put a lot of pressure on City and hit the crossbar as well. City on the other hand were wasteful and at times down right sloppy in the second half on their attacking moves, though one has to be pleased with the number of times City got into dangerous positions. Barry and Adebayor both did a wonderful job playing teammates into the channels in promising positions. Adebayor is my man of the match.

City certainly will need to be more ruthless going forward to avoid dropping points in matches like this. Opposing managers might also learn from Wolves’s better performance after halftime; the 4-5-1, shell mentality played to City’s advantage. When they went 4-4-2 and had a real go, it became an even contest and City’s nerves got a real test.

Even so, it’s two clean sheets in two from City (3 in a week counting Barcelona), and six points from six. The next time City line up Joleon Lescott could well be a City player–could this have been Richard Dunne’s swansong as first-choice central defender? We will see but certainly Dunne put in a good shift today.

City’s next two matches are away from home: Crystal Palace in the League Cup Thursday night and then next Sunday at struggling Portsmouth.