Aguero & De Bruyne Get City Back To Winning Ways
30 December, 2019
Result: Manchester City 2-0 Sheffield United
Date: 29 December 2019
Venue: Etihad Stadium
Manchester City got back to winning ways in the Premier League after beating Sheffield United 2-0 on Sunday evening.
City boss Pep Guardiola made three changes to the side that lost against Wolverhampton Wanderers, as Claudio Bravo replaced the suspeded Ederson, Eric Garcia got a rare start ahead of Nicolas Otamendi and Oleksandr Zinchenko was preferred over Benjamin Mendy.
The Blades had a quick start and they nearly went ahead in the eighth minute after Robinson delivered a teasing cross in the centre of the box but Mousset headed over the bar from close range.
Mousset eventually found the back of the net for the visitors just before half-hour mark, firing a low shot past Bravo in a one-on-one situation after John Fleck sent him through but the goal was disallowed by the Video Assistant Referee for a marginal offside.
Wilder's charges were playing on a counter-attack in the closing phase of the first stanza and they had a chance to break the deadlock six minutes before the break after Mousset raced clear on the left channel but Bravo quickly came off his line to close the angle and put off the French forward and the first half ended without goals.
Man City started the second stanza on the front foot, as Sergio Aguero fired them ahead seven minutes from the break with a thumping effort at the near post after receiving a through ball from Kevin De Bruyne, with Sheffield up in arms after the referee got in a way of a pass from the back.
The Citizens had a great chance to make it 2-0 in the 68th minute after Riyad Mahrez cut inside to his right foot inside the box and a had a lot space but his goal-bound shot was blocked by the diving John Egan with his chest.
With ten minutes remaining, Guardiola rested striker Aguero and brought on midfielder Phil Foden in a tactical switch and City got the second goal two minutes later thanks to a cracking strike from De Bruyne inside the box after getting a through ball from Mahrez.
Foden nearly got the third goal for the hosts three minutes before time with a curling low strike from just inside the box but Sheffield shot-stopper Dean Henderson made a good save at the bottom corner.
Billy Sharp almost got a consolation goal for the Blades after sending a header against the upright, but 1-0 was how the encounter ended as City remain third on table.
Source: www.soccerladuma.co.za