Roberto Mancini marked his first game in charge of Premier League side Manchester City with a 2-0 home win over Stoke City on Saturday.
The hosts grabbed the lead against the run of play on 28 minutes through Bulgarian winger Martin Petrov’s far post tap-in and Carlos Tevez poked home before the break to double the lead.
City, playing their first game under Italian Mancini since Mark Hughes’ 18-month reign as manager ended last Saturday, remained sixth following their eighth league win of the season.
PHOTO: AFP
“I am very happy because we won a hard match. I say thank you to the players because they are fantastic,” the 45-year-old Mancini told Sky Sports. “I think that we must improve, but today I am very happy for the players.”
Donning a blue and white City scarf, the Italian received a warm welcome from the home fans prior to the kickoff, although his decision to leave in-form forward Craig Bellamy on the bench did not prove popular.
“They [City fans] were fantastic. For an hour, the fans must be our 12th man on the pitch,” said Mancini, who won three Serie A titles with Inter.
PHOTO: REUTERS
City did include Brazilian international striker Robinho in the lineup, although it was the visitors who pressed first when striker Tuncay Sanli’s effort was well blocked by goalkeeper Shay Given.
Mancini’s decision to switch wingers Petrov and Robinho shortly after quickly paid dividends as the hosts took the lead, albeit in a scrappy fashion, as Petrov salvaged an embarrassing Robinho mis-hit to tap home a Tevez cross.
They made it two seconds before the interval when poor defending from Stoke, now without a win in five league games, allowed an unmarked Tevez to notch his 10th goal of the season.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Despite the scoreline, City were largely unimpressive and struggled to build momentum after the break, forcing Mancini to end Robinho’s afternoon on 70 minutes after a dismal display.
The £32 million (US$51 million) striker’s exit was greeted with ironic applause by the Eastlands fans, who increased the volume as Bellamy stepped on as his replacement and continued to impress.
There was also good news for another of the Premier League’s Italian coaches when Gianfranco Zola’s West Ham United climbed out of the bottom three with a 2-0 home win over Portsmouth.
Tottenham Hotspur remained in fifth place after a 0-0 draw at Fulham and the points were also shared at Sunderland, who drew 1-1 with Everton.
Wigan Athletic against Blackburn Rovers ended 1-1, as did Burnley’s home match with Bolton Wanderers.
Liverpool moved up to seventh with a 2-0 win at home to 10-man Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Rafa Benitez’s Liverpool edged to a much-needed win in a dismal affair at Anfield, with goals from captain Steven Gerrard and Yossi Benayoun.
Wolves were reduced to 10 men soon after the break in bizarre circumstances. Defender Stephen Ward, already on a booking, needlessly fouled Brazilian midfielder Lucas, only for referee Andre Mariner to book his teammate Christophe Berra, before reversing his mistake and handing Ward a second yellow.
A rare moment of quality saw Liverpool take the lead through Gerrard, who climbed highest to meet an Emiliano Insua cross and head home on 62 minutes.
Eight minutes later, the hosts, including Alberto Aquilani making his first Premier League start, added a second through midfielder Benayoun’s deflected strike.
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