Carlos Tevez could have staged his own Manchester City goal of the season competition. The little Argentine does not just provide quantity when it comes to scoring for the Blues, he also pops up with variety and, more often than not, great quality.
Perhaps his greatest asset when it comes to hitting the back of the net is an unswerving belief in his own ability.
If he slices a shot that takes out the corner flag, he is completely unfazed, and will take another swipe from the same spot if the opportunity presents itself.
That is why, after two penalty misses, he continued to take spot-kicks without hesitation, when lesser players might have ducked and let a colleague embarrass themselves.
So it was no surprise that when the goal of the year was being contemplated, three of the six nominations were for Tevez goals.
And the three which made the cut perfectly illustrate his tremendous range – one a 30-yard blockbuster free kick, one a surging run from halfway capped with a clinical finish, and the other a smart close-range back-heel.
But such has been the variety and quality of City goals this season, it is perhaps the strikes which didn’t even make the short-list which underline the quality of some of the football the Blues have played.
Mario Balotelli announced himself to the Premier League with a touch and finish of top quality at West Brom, while Yaya Toure completed a great 24-pass move at Fulham with a consummate ending.
Yaya’s goal at West Ham, Balotelli’s nonchalant half-volley against Villa in the Cup and a couple of Aleks Kolarov daisy-cutters were also worthy.
But here are the winner and the other five nominations:
Winner – Carlos Tevez v Stoke (home, second goal)
The stunning strike, in the final home game of the season against Stoke, was a fitting way to end a marvelous season.
His first goal on the night, when he one-two’d with James Milner and then slalomed through the Stoke defence before sweeping his shot home, might have won it, as well.
But the second, from a free kick 30 yards out, was one of those goals which appear to defy the laws of science.
To get that much bend on the ball, he surely cannot have got enough solid contact to make it fly so fast. Or, to make it flash into the top corner, surely he couldn’t get enough grip to impart spin?
However he did it, it was bordering on miraculous.
Other nominations – David Silva v Blackpool (away):
Everyone knew Silva was a fine footballer – you don’t shoulder your way into a World Cup-winning Spain team, packed with genius, if you can’t play a bit.
But at times after joining City he looked a little shocked at the pace and physicality of the Premier League, and manager Roberto Mancini had begun to use him sparingly.
That all changed at Bloomfield Road, in a dull, deadlocked match, when he arrived with 25 minutes to play and produced a masterclass.
Setting up two for Tevez, the little Spaniard evoked memories of Georghi Kinkladze with a mesmerizing dance round two defenders and a delicately curled finish into the far corner.
Yaya v United (Wembley):
Yaya has looked like a midfielder with goals in his pocket all season, playing in the advanced role he often takes for Ivory Coast.
He ended the season with a dozen to his name, including the winner in the FA Cup final, a great strike in its own right.
But the goal he netted against United could be one that changed the course of English football history, in Wembley’s first Manchester derby.
Pouncing on a moment of sloppiness by Michael Carrick, Yaya powered past the hapless Red, surged beyond Nemanja Vidic and calmly slotted his shot under Edwin Van der Sar’s legs.
Tevez v Chelsea (home):
It had been a tight, tense clash, high on rigorous challenges and low on goalmouth incident, against a Chelsea side which had been threatening to win the title by Christmas.
They had scored 21 and conceded one in racking up five straight wins at the start of the season, but City were in no mood to add to that statistic. But they had to take any chance which came their way, however.
That chance came when Milner won the ball and fed Yaya, who quickly sent Tevez racing away.
Suddenly City had a two on two. Silva bemused John Terry and Ashley Cole with some feints, allowing Tevez to progress and dash his shot through Cole’s legs into the far corner.
Tevez v Leicester (away):
The Blues had suffered a shock as they lined up against Sven-Goran Eriksson’s Championship outfit, Sol Bamba giving them the lead.
But Milner equalised with a fine goal and then played a big part in the second.
He found space on the right and measured his cross to the near post, where Tevez was hurtling at breakneck speed.
The ball fell slightly behind Tevez’s mad dash, but the Argentine simply twisted his body in mid-sprint and delicately back-heeled the ball beyond the goalkeeper.
Micah Richards v Stoke (away):
One noticeable difference about City this season was the way they handled Stoke’s physical challenge.
And in this first meeting of the season at the Britannia, Richards played a bigger part than most in matching the opposition’s muscularity.
It was fitting then, that he scored when he found himself on the edge of the box, a defender tight to his back. Milner’s pass looked harmless but Richards dummied and instantly turned before netting with a striker’s finish.
Manchester City crown goalden boy Carlos Tevez
May 27, 2011
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Carlos you well deserved this award, the free kick was stunning!!!
Great goals all of them but for me the goal of the season that gave me more joy than any other was Ya Ya Toure's against the rags at wembley & it was one i will never forget.
There is no doubt that Carlos' free kick was a fantastic goal and deserving of a place at the top table! Long may he continue to wear the shirt and score more and more great goals for City.
For me, the goal of the season was Ya Ya's against Fulham away - if Barcelona had of scored it, we'd have heard about it and seen it replayed all season long!
I was privileged to be at the game and watch City string together a magical sequence of passes and movement to culminate with Ya Ya blasting it across Schwarzer to nestle in the bottom corner.
It was a brilliant team effort and the best goal I've seen any team score this season in the Premier League - I can't understand why it hasn't received the recognition it deserves.
Ya Ya also scored two other goals at Wembley which will always live in the memory!
Who put the ball in uniteds net? "Super YAYA Toure"
Forza Barca
King Carlos
Viva el Rey!
I know Im sad, but every day I make sure I watch Ya Ya's goals against the rags and Stoke and then Carlos's freekick against Stoke at home. Each time I celebrate them as though it was happening in real time. I love it and may God Bless the Blues CTID
It's a well known fact in football, that when you leave Old Trafford the only way is down.
Look what happened to Pique - he's had to put up with playing in a third rate team like Barca
Christiano has struggled along manfully breaking the Spanish League Scoring record.
And look at our own King Carlos, more Premier League goals since he signed for City than any other player.
Fergie's masterstroke in the last Champions League Final was to leave Tevez on the bench when closing down their back line is exactly what he needed to do.
If the Reds don't win it with their usual trick penalty in the last ten minutes stand by for the biggest rant about referees you've ever heard.
7.30 tomorrow I'll just be settling down to watch the semi final and final again.
For the 57th time.
Silva and Toure can be forgiven for having a difficult first season ...their goal contributions have been woefully short of what is needed for top class midfield players but come next season there is no reason for them not to be getting 12-15 goals each.
apperantly there are 6,000 torquay fans traveling up to the swamp tomorrow......nothing new there then...
yays goal against utd
between v d s legs oh my god
When I first saw the replay of Tevez's goal from behind it immediately brought to mind Roberto Carlos' goal against France in 97. No other goal has done that to me before. And because Roberto Carlos' goal is considered one of, if not the greatest goal of all time, then it shows just how rare that kind of bend is achieved. For that alone Tevez's goal had to win. But it was probably the best bunch of city goals to choose from in yonks. Or should that be Vonks? Now there's a name that takes me back.
Carlos, Dont forget to tune in 28/5/11 Champions League Final, see what you could have won, arf arf
I have to go for Silva's goal at Blackpool as the standout goal. In the context of the game it was the winner and got us 3 points, that is quite apart from the superb skill involved scoring it.
it seems Berbatov has won the Golden Boot. Anyone know why? They both scored the same amount of league goals and Carlos score more overall.
carlos tevez is the one and only player in the prem who can run a game alone, since silva and yaya have adapted i think carlos (if possible) got better.
he has scored a few world beaters in his time at city but the stoke goal was unreal !!
i hope he stays a i think city have improved him as a player 100% but if the lad moves on i along with most blues will see him only as a LEDGEND.
There's plenty more from where they came from.
Hope Tevez has a sky blue shirt on next season ......
that of Manchester City!
The juggernaut is unstopable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They forgot Tevez's vs Wolves!
what a goal carlos. its etched in my memory for ever but yaya, your goal against the rags at wembley gets my vote.
no mater what the media do or say, our team and supporters lead the way.
wembly didnt know what hit it when yaya scored.
best fans in the land in all the world in all the world!
living the dream and its sweet sweet sweet and no matter what, nothing can sour that sweetness .
thanks sheikh mansour for awakening the sleeping giant.
barca, study the tape of the semi!
The man who made the noise at west ham helped them stay up and moved to utd showed his quality and now his Manchester city's King Carlos Tevez. What a player Tevez Pls stay at city what a legend.
Probably the wrong forum but would it be possible for someone to come up with a better song than the first four lines of Blue Moon? Blu Moon is a love song and doesn't really fit the bill - unless you feel like dancing.
My personal favourite was Yaya's against Fulham away. Fantastic team goal and something like 32 passes without Fulham touching the ball. Criminally overlooked both locally and nationally in the goal of the season awards.
Lionel Richie,dancing on the ceiling/Messi
Ooh ooh what a feeling Lionel Messi dancing on the ceiling
when the music is right Manure fans are frowning tonight,
city fans are laughing right it's up and down and inside out
ooh that's right,people dancing in the neighbourhood city fans
are having a ball.Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah.
repeat:
I liked Edin's goal at Blackburn because it was his first League goal and in a vital game. And I can say I was there at the beginning.
Had it on unsurpassed authority that Bale is on his way. You heard it here first.
anybody know if the poznan celebration after yaya's goal against the rags during the semi final, register on the richter scale? ; )