West Brom 0 Manchester City 0:THE DAYS were bound to come when ambition would begin to torment Manchester City. This club must have understood that freewheeling days are not guaranteed.
West Bromwich Albion not only held out but might have taken a win as their opponents failed to score for the first time in this league campaign.
There is nothing remarkable about leaders experiencing a setback but it will still have been galling for City that they lacked the edge and flair that have been such features of the side. They now stand ahead of Manchester United on mere goal difference.
City next head for the Stadium of Light where the revivalist spirit under Martin O’Neill is sure to resurface when Roberto Mancini’s side take the field.
In essence the City footballers are receiving a schooling in the difficulties that can beset the elite. West Brom were undoubtedly galvanised and others, instead of dreading City, will have added confidence after Chelsea showed how the league leaders could be defeated.
There has, of course, to be a sense of proportion and there is plenty of scope for City to reassure themselves. Away fixtures against Manchester United and Chelsea have been completed, with City leading the Premier League despite falling to defeat at Stamford Bridge. On a more practical level there ought to be gladness that matters did not take an even greater turn for the worse at The Hawthorns.
West Brom, displaying greater adventure following the interval, might have done severe harm since Jerome Thomas was close to a goal when his 20-yarder hit the post after 73 minutes. In the 57th minute Shane Long had been far more culpable for heading off target from a Thomas cross.
City, at first playing with two strikers in Sergio Aguero and Mario Balotelli, intended to force the issue. That was a peculiar decision by Mancini considering their usual system has regularly wreaked havoc. There were irrelevant events, such as Yaya Toure losing his footing to keel over while chasing the ball.
That moment typified the sense that Mancini’s players were not their true selves. That had been apparent as early as the 25th minute when David Silva sent the ball over the bar after a cut-back from Aguero.
It was informative, too, that West Brom, when they wished to, could sit as deep as they wished so far as a generally happy crowd were concerned. Other sides had been far less recalcitrant against City at home. Mancini was bound to reconsider his tactics and by the second half the line-up was in its usual 4-2-3-1 shape with Aguero at centre forward.
There was no immediate impact and, although Balotelli did hit the bar, West Brom developed ambition. City were never likely to fade entirely, though, and a last ditch-challenge from Gareth McAuley foiled Aguero in the 65th minute when he seemed set to score. On so many previous occasions City’s fire-power would have been remorseless until the opposition’s defences were reduced to rubble.
Mancini’s side could have taken the three points and the setback here could be regarded as a minor one. However, it does come relatively soon after their defeat in the league at Stamford Bridge.
Such results are all part of the ebb and flow of the sport but City had appeared to be above the fray in the Premier League. That effortlessness has waned slightly.
That could have been anticipated; it is Mancini’s immediate duty to steady City with reminders that a goalless draw or a defeat are normal events in a season. The great question, though, is whether City can deal with the fallibility that has begun to creep up on it.
Guardian Service
