Manchester City suffered Boxing Day frustration at West Brom and are now level on points with Manchester United at the top of the Premier League.
The Blues enjoyed the majority of possession at the Hawthorns but chances were at a premium. Mario Balotelli hit the crossbar for City while Jerome Thomas hit the post for the Baggies.
United's 5-0 win over Wigan at Old Trafford means City are top with a goal difference superior by five.
Blip
In a season of such attacking brilliance, you can expect a team to mis-fire every now and then.
When players of the quality of David Silva and Sergio Aguero look distinctly ordinary, you know it is just a dip in form rather than anything more worrying.
The only problem the Blues have is that main rivals United have been playing poorly throughout autumn, and clinging on to the tail of the meteor.
Gareth Barry was given a well-deserved hour of rest on the bench, while Mancini continued with his new policy of switching Kolo Toure and Joleon Lescott depending on the opposition.
With Micah Richards travelling to the West Midlands but eventually unfit to play with a calf strain, Pablo Zabaleta stepped back in.
Boxing Day matches are usually crisp, bright affairs in chilly weather, the football an antidote to the overdose of turkey, pud and booze.
But this one was in danger of sending the crowd sinking back into the stodge right from the off.
Perhaps it was the unseasonal weather. There we were, at the highest league ground in the country, in deepest midwinter, and the temperatures were positively balmy.
It wasn’t helped by the general flow of the game. Referee Lee Mason seemed intent on stopping the game from flowing with unnecessary whistling.
David Silva, who has probably never seen a plum duff, suddenly looked like a man who had gobbled down three helpings just before kick off.
His passing was all over the place, and when he plays like that, it is infectious. Yaya Toure was sluggish, Samir Nasri floated about indifferently, and Sergio Aguero was darting hither and thither without any effect.
And then there was Mario Balotelli. He announced himself on this pitch last season, scoring his first goals in England to set up the Blues for a victory and then getting a red card.
It wasn’t long before he was grumbling and grouching, at teammates, officials and opponents alike, City’s own version of the Grinch.
West Brom had begun the brighter, and Chris Brunt had fired a shot just wide of Joe Hart’s post in the opening exchanges.
Samir Nasri volleyed too close to goalkeeper Ben Foster, and at the other end Paul Scharner had hart scrambling to push his shot away for a corner.
Dominance
Steadily the Blues began to assert control, but it was dominance without the usual cutting edge.
The best first half chance fell to Silva, after Vincent Kompany had cleverly freed Aguero on the left and he squared the ball for the little Spaniard.
He swept his shot over the bar from ten yards out, and then held his head in disbelief.
Balotelli also couldn’t quite believe it as his free kick from 25 yards hit a defender and, with Foster helplessly watching, rolled the wrong side of the post.
He went even closer on 53 minutes after picking the ball up in an innocuous position out on the left.
With nothing on, he smashed a shot from 30 yards which beat Foster all ends up and crashed against the bar before going out of play.
The problem was that such near things can encourage the opposition into the belief that this might be their day, and so it was.
The Blues were caught dozing as Shane Long peeled away to the far post, and the front man had a free header – but placed it wide.
It was the kind of fortune which champions can look back on at the end of the season, but City needed to capitalise on it.
They almost did so when Milner’s header back into the danger area found Aguero managing to stay onside.
Perhaps the little man couldn’t quite believe it himself as the home fans howled at the linesman, but he hesitated and had the ball poked off his toe by Jonas Olsson.
At least it was now a football match, mainly by dint of the Baggies’ growing belief. They almost made good their growing assuredness when Jerome Thomas lashed a shot from 20 yards which beat Hart – but twanged back off his post.
Mancini switched it around in a bid to win the game, bringing on Gareth barry to give more shape to midfield and Edin Dzeko to add more size and strength up front.
But once you are playing in a rut, it is hard to get out of it, and City could not raise their game at all.
At the final whistle, the Baggies fans celebrated like it was a win, and for the Blues it felt a little like a defeat - but such things are transient.
What is your verdict on the action? Have your say.
Comments
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Well, that was junk.....but I suppose I'll be "red leaning" for making this comment !!
All passes were short and a sense of purpose was nowhere to be seen. Not one player played well.
I'm sorry but if we can't beat west brom we don't deserve to win the league. So so poor.
Dissapointing result nuff said
We weren't at the horses today; West Brom defended well. Next game, a must 3pts because we don't help from Refs unlike the Trafford lot. I expect a rags invasion on our site soon!
1 Manchester City 18 14 3 1 38 45
2 Manchester United 18 14 3 1 33 45
Guess who is on your heals?
THE CRACKS ARE STARTING TO SHOW
UNLUCKY BLUES !!
How many times did Silva give the ball away ...all the possession in the world but cant put the simple Pass to score.
Milner was pathetic and should have been subbed earlier ...Bobbi to blame on tactics with this game me thinks.
Dzeko looks as though confidence has totally gone, and Johno has a face like a smacked arse !!
I felt for Mario if only that ball had rattled the back of the net instead of the bar.
On the bright side..there is plenty of games to go and the season is young...
Yet again...another team roll over for the scummers ..!!
DEBT & GLAZERS FOREVER
CITY FOR LIFE !!
BACK IN THE RIGHT ORDER
UNITED FIRST
city second
Bad day at the office! but could have been worse teams just seem to be defending happy getting draws from us it's a problem we are going to have to deal with!
Is that a mouse I hear?
Perhaps the hinges on the gate need oiling?
No wait! Its City's bum squeaking!
When the going gets tough City bottle it!
Bet you don't finish in the top two.
Bit of a stutter. You cant go a whole season without one. Still 7 points from 9 after Chelsea loss. It is very noticeable that every team is raising their game against us and rolling over for United. That means we have to stay ahead of them. Win at Sunderland is vital on New Years day. Sunderland a happier hunting ground in recent years than the Hawthorns so I remain 100% confident. Look forward to celebratory comments from Rags who, were we still well clear, would be telling us you cant win the league in December.
City had to play poorly in the league sometime this season and today was that day. Other than Mario, all of the offensive players had poor games. I thought today was arguably Silva's poorest performance in a City shirt, if only for the number of times he gave it away.
It happens, anyone can have a poor game and I think Mancini should have recognised this and brought on Johnson for much earlier and gone with Balo and Dzeko up front with Johnson and Milner wide to try something different
Defensively sound again, 3 clean sheets in a row. Kolo and Kompany both excellent.
Still, onwards and upwards. Plenty more twists n turns yet.
Oh dear, just driving home. We will have to do better than this against teams of this type.
Goal disallowed, will have to wait see on tv. creativity against packed defences has served us well. AJ should have been playing the whole game. Perhaps we are seeing some holes in RM's thinking now.
We should have had six against Stoke and took our foot off, same her.
sadly Utd are catching us - only 5 goals difference and they have a better run for the next few weeks. We will have to get used to not being on top after next week!
Perhaps I should stop going to see them when they are near me - even if I have to sit with Baggies fans!
Urgent we do better
good point and well doe wba, but mancini i think got it wrong today, should have played dzeko upfront from the start...poor 1st half, picked up in the 2nd, but for the 1stt time this season, we did not look like scoring...i hope that doesnt happen much more as the rags seem to be getting in gear. we are not used to this position,but if we are to keep it, we must do better.
CTID
No prob, win at home, beat weak teams away and draw with the others.
Goal difference equates to 1 6
We may be level on points. The main thing is we ARE STILL TOP. So why not say it MEN,
WE`RE FLYING SKY HIGH! SEE YOU AT THE ARABIA !
Pity for city
Still top of the league boys, keep the faith. Well played West brom, gave 100% for the full 93 minutes and deserved a point for their defensive performance. Let's see how we cope now that the stretford cockneys have moved a little closer. Looks like their opponents are rolling over at will.
The recent wastefulness in front of goal came back to haunt us today as the few clear-cut chances created were squandered. To me that was a sloppy performance marked with complacency and an almost complete lack of urgency until near the end. To win the league you have to win games like this one and even though we had more chances than the Baggies they were well worth their point.
Nothing less than a convincing win against Sunderland is a must now.
Doom gloom and disaster no not really a slight hic up, still top of the league and we played a team who are ninth not in the bottom three still onwards and upwards best boot forward, Mario brilliant as usual.
Patience is a virtue when couple with purpose. Needed Johnson on earilier to run a the defense as trying to thread passes through small gaps was not working. Probably Edin should also have entred at the same time. Still a long way to go but Utd are asking the questions i hope we have the right response. Sunderland will be equally tough.
Ha ha ha ha ha hahahahaha
I thought for a short while that Mancini had improved from his Inter days but unfortunately for City he has'n't! Can't pick best 11 (Dzeko on the bench?!?!), can't make the right substitutions, no footballing philosophy. He is as good as Real Madrid coaches for the last 10 years, Mourihno excluded. Many of those coaches won la Liga or were second but but that was mostly because Madrid had expensive players. Therefore Real flopped in CL all those years. Mancini record in CL and Europa is awful and I wouldn't be surprised if Porto add to that poor record.
the first sentence and a reference to muen darlings yoooonited , brennan although some of your reports have passed as only slightly bias , you will always be a rag reporter writing about city