Man City 1 - 1 Hull CityMan City: James Milner 90
Hull City: David Meyler 35
Eighty-five years had passed since Hull City previously defeated Manchester City away. That sequence continues but only just as Manuel Pellegrini’s team came mightily close to a third home loss, a result that would have left their title-defence hopes hanging by a thread.
By the end the City manager was stalking the technical area praying for a late equaliser or better. Despite a fine Sergio Agüero attempt that hit the bar, it appeared this would never come but then, on 92 minutes, James Milner, a replacement, drilled a 20-yard free-kick beyond Allan McGregor and the hosts had snatched a draw.
As Chelsea defeated Aston Villa this at least meant José Mourinho’s side increased their advantage to only seven points, rather than eight.
City have not won in the Premier League since the 3-2 victory over Sunderland on New Year’s Day.
Since then, the champions have drawn 1-1 at Everton, lost 2-0 to Arsenal at home, and shared a goalless draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
There was also the embarrassment of being knocked out of the FA Cup by Middlesbrough at the Etihad and so with this result Pellegrini’s team must hope to finally experience again a league victory at Stoke City on Wednesday evening.
The first half was a contender for their poorest this season. By the close City were 1-0 down and being booed off by a contingent of their fans, a sentiment the players could hardly argue with.
Passes had gone awry, first touches were clumsy, and the pace of play was simply too slow. Pellegrini’s side had sleepwalked through the half and if the manager put a proverbial flea in each of his players’ ears at the break the sight of Edin Dzeko being caught in possession soon after the referee, Jonathan Moss, blew to start the second half must surely have angered him.
David Meyler’s opener, his first goal since April’s semi-final win over Sheffield United, had been a gift handed him following a calamitous comedy of errors from the home rear-guard.
The chief culprit here was Martín Demichelis, the central defender again preferred to the £40m man Eliaquiam Mangala, who was a reserve. Before the mistake that initiated Meyler’s strike, Demichelis had over-hit a back-pass at Joe Hart. This caused the goalkeeper to miscue a frantic hack away, sending the ball up in the air, and when Demichelis tried to clean up the mess he had created contrived only to connect a boot with air.
The episode proved an unwanted augury. Moments later Hart could have collected the ball but this time Demichelis decided to intervene to kick it away from his keeper’s hands.
Now, disaster struck. A Jake Livermore shot was superbly saved by Hart, but from the rebound Gaston Ramírez’s effort beat the keeper, struck his left post, and, following up, Meyler smashed home from close range.
Thirty-five minutes had been played but the goal had been coming all half. Earlier, a Robbie Brady cross from the left was headed against the bar by Ahmed Elmohamady after he too easily beat Gäel Clichy.
Time and space was constantly Hull’s to make hay from. Five minutes before the interval Sone Aluko should have doubled the Tigers’ advantage but instead blasted over from close range.
City had only a weak Dzeko header that was aimed at McGregor and a sweet surge from Vincent Kompany that ended with him dinking a pass into the muted Agüero’s path to show before the teams turned around.
What followed was a far brighter City effort. Yet this is the least that was expected following the so far dismal stuff. David Silva was angered when Moss denied him a penalty after Alex Bruce bundled the playmaker over in the area.
The problem, though, was that despite more huffing and puffing City still suffered a sharpness-deficit. Kompany summed up the afternoon the champions were having when he blocked a shot from Silva and as the final 10 minutes arrived Fernando, Dzeko and the Spaniard had all being pulled from the starting XI as Pellegrini desperately tried to avert a devastating reverse.
In the end the Chilean did. But he must be concerned.
Guardian
