Bolton 2 Manchester City 0: Jared Borgetti marked his home league debut with his first goal in the top flight for Bolton.

With the World Cup looming fast on the horizon the man from Mexico will be hoping to kick on from here. Borgetti has struggled to get a foothold in England after arrving in the summer and had to settle for sporadic outings in Cup competitions.  He has managed five goals as well - no mean feat - but the Premiership is where he wants to be.

Borgetti looked the part against a City side that failed to build any momentum from the marvellous derby victory against Manchester United. Both goals came in the space of three first-half minutes with captain Kevin Nolan also on target.

The home side took the game to City right from the off and Nolan showed good awareness in the fifth minute to release Stelios Giannakopoulos but he had strayed marginally offside. Then Kevin Davies whipped in a cross from the right that City captain Sylvain Distin did well to clear to safety.

Bolton were beginning to spray the ball about and Khalilou Fadiga cleverly picked out Giannakopoulos in the 10th minute but David James was alert to the danger and made the save. There was a moment of danger for the visitors when James got his bearings wrong. He clattered into Borgetti but Bolton were unable to take advantage.

City were struggling to get their game together in the opening stages of the match. Bolton manager Sam Allardyce was forced to make a change in the 22nd minute. Ricardo Vaz Te replaced Fadiga, who was not running freely. Greece winger Giannakopoulos was left with blood pouring from a head wound in the 27th minute after an aerial collision with Dunne. Both players resumed their roles after brief treatment.

Bolton made the breakthrough in the 37th minute after a flowing move started by the industrious Davies. He sent the ball into the area and Nolan cleverly back-heeled it into the path of Borgetti, who made no mistake. Borgetti then set up Vaz Te three minutes later and he whipped in a powerful shot from the edge of the area that James did well to parry.

There was no respite for City, however, with Bolton adding a second a minute later. Nolan took advantage of some slack marking in the 40th minute when Giannakopoulos played in a free-kick with a cool finish for his eighth goal of the season. City defenders Distin and Dunne were being pulled all over the place by Borgetti and Davies. Not only that Vaz Te gave Bolton another attacking option in their bid to kill the game off.

City found themselves on the back foot in the 54th minute when Ricardo Gardner delivered a deep cross from the left. Giannakopoulos and Davies were both handily placed but Stephen Jordan was alert enough to concede a corner. Davies then got a stern telling off from referee Rob Styles after a shuddering challenge on Albert Riera four minutes later. The on-loan Espanyol midfielder was less than happy with Davies but has probably not come across a striker quite like the Bolton front man in Spain.

Cole and Vassell were being deprived of service at this stage with Bolton bossing the midfield area. Dunne moved upfield in the 65th minute and got clear of his marker in the area but saw his effort blocked. City were beginning to step the pace and Trevor Sinclair headed over the top moments later.
Robbie Fowler and Antoine Sibierski were then introduced into the action for Cole and Riera. Former Blackburn striker Matt Jansen replaced Borgetti in the 76th minute and the Mexico striker went off to a standing ovation.

Bolton were eager for a third and Nolan fired in a powerful shot in the 85th minute that went narrowly wide of James's right hand post. However, this was a comfortable victory and maintained their remarkable home league record at the Reebok Stadium where they have lost just once and conceded four goals.