Saturday 27 September 2014

Hull City 2 - 4 Manchester City: Player Ratings

Player Ratings
 Caballero 7 - Handed an eventful introduction to Premier League football, but could do nothing to stop Hull's two goals. Handling in the box was satisfactory and he made a couple of smart saves to deny Tom Huddlestone. 

 Zabaleta 7 - Returned to the starting line-up after missing City's 7-0 savaging of Sheffield Wednesday through suspension. A typically rugged display from the Argentine who enjoyed an unproblematic afternoon.

 Kompany 8 - A solid and sophisticated performance from the captain. Dealt with the threat of Jelavic's height admirably and outshone his young partner in the centre of defence. Absolutely vital to City's title defence. 

 Mangala 5 - His display contrasted worryingly with his impressive debut against Chelsea. Caught out of position for Hull's first which he headed into his own net, and gave away a penalty with a needless high-footed challenge inside the box. Talented, but still very raw.

 Clichy 6 - The Tigers enjoyed most of their more promising play down the right hand side and the Frenchman struggled to deal with the pace and energy of Ahmed Elmohamady.

 Milner 7 - Typically tenacious performance from the Englishman who  deserved his start after promising displays against both Chelsea and Sheffield Wednesday. Had no joy on the flank, but was heavily involved in City's attacking play when he moved into a more central position.

 Fernandinho 8 - Crucial presence in front of City's back four. Composed on the ball, confident in possession and strong in the tackle. Solid showing from the Brazilian.

 Yaya Toure 8 - Employed in a deeper role once again, but his vision and poise in possession helped City control the midfield. Often criticised for neglecting defensive duties, but battled well with Huddlestone to combat Hull's main threat. Also tested McGregor with a couple of tasty efforts reminiscent of last term.

 Silva 9 - Single-handedly won last season's equivalent fixture with an enchanting display of creativity, and he did the same on Saturday afternoon. The Spanish magician registered two assists and hovered among Hull City's defence throughout the 90 minutes. However, too selfless in front of goal. 

 Dzeko 8 - Scored two delicious goals in yet another terrific display. Held up the ball brilliantly alongside Aguero and rescued the blues from a potential upset. 

 Aguero 7 - Unplayable in the first half and commenced City's scoring with a sumptuous finish inside ten minutes, but faded in the second and was substituted. Possibly still short of full match fitness, but the Argentine is showing signs of his brilliance.

Substitutes
Navas 7 - Provided another dimension to City's attack and looked bright down the right flank.

Demichelis 6 - Helped see out the victory

Lampard 7 - Can't stop scoring! Always in the right place at the right time, and he saved Manuel Pellegrini a nervy last five minutes.