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By Chris Wheeler
Dink: Carlos Tevez applies a cute finish to give Manchester City the lead against WiganCarlos Tevez's record against Wigan is considerably better than Manchester City’s, so it was no surprise that the Argentina striker should be the man to end their long wait for a win at the DW Stadium yesterday.
City last won at Wigan in October, 1998, in a League One game at the old Springfield Park before Dave Whelan built his hometown club a new ground and City acquired some new friends in Abu Dhabi.
Five times they had left without the three points, but Tevez put that right yesterday.
The City captain’s superbly-taken opener was his sixth goal in seven games against Wigan. He also laid on the second for Yaya Toure as Roberto Mancini’s side climbed into the top four.
Admittedly they were helped by some shambolic Wigan defending on a rainswept afternoon which made for plenty of mistakes and not much entertainment.
The contribution from Tevez was undeniable, but Mancini admitted his team cannot keep relying on a player City fans still sarcastically urge Sir Alex Ferguson to sign up.
‘Carlo is there for this, to score a goal,’ said Mancini, who is still without Mario Balotelli and Emmanuel Adebayor to lift the burden on Tevez.
‘But I think if we want to win something we must understand that we can play without Carlos or Yaya Toure. We must be a good team without these fantastic players or we will not improve.
Game over: Yaya Toure was the driving force behind much of City's good work‘At the moment Carlos isn’t in 100 per cent form because he didn’t work for one month after the World Cup, but this goal can help. He is an important player who can improve as a captain and help the team more.’
Tevez was guilty of a terrible miss in the defeat at Sunderland three weeks ago, and a meagre five points from four games had left Mancini in a sticky situation after spending another £126m on players this summer.
But the Argentine did not seem to be haunted by that memory two minutes before half-time when Joe Hart’s kick skidded into his path off the head of Mohamed Diame.
Outpacing the hesitant Antolin Alcaraz across the heavy surface, Tevez raced in on goal and drew Ali Al Habsi before chipping the Wigan goalkeeper from 25 yards.
Silva lining: David Silva came through 72 minutes and appears to be improving with every game‘It was a bit of a freak incident but City didn’t have to work for the chance,’ lamented Wigan boss
Roberto Martinez. ‘We need to sense danger a little better.’
If City midfielder Nigel de Jong was a little fortunate to pick up only a yellow card for a series of challenges in the first half, mainly on Franco Di Santo, it was Wigan who went over the top after the break with Charles N’Zogbia shoving Pablo Zabaleta into the advertising hoardings, and both Steve Gohouri and Emmerson Boyce leaving Tevez in a heap.
But he picked himself up to lay on City’s second goal in the 70th minute, capitalising on the almost comical failure of Gohouri and Maynor Figueroa to deal with Zabaleta’s cross by driving the ball to the far post where Toure was waiting to score his first goal since arriving from Barcelona in the summer.
Brotherly love: Yaya Toure notched his first City goal to seal the pointsThere was still time for Adam Johnson to send a deflected cross against the bar and for Gohouri to almost trouble Hart with Wigan’s only chance, but City know there will be no such charity on offer against Chelsea next Saturday.
‘We created City’s best chances and that’s the most disappointing thing,’ said Martinez, whose side have now conceded 13 goals in four home games.
‘There’s a softness in our defence that puts games beyond our reach. It’s something we need to eradicate.
‘Our attitude wasn’t good enough. We’ve let ourselves down.’
Match Facts
WIGAN (4-5-1): Al Habsi 6; Boyce 5 (Stam 65, 5), Gohouri 4, Alcaraz 4, Figueroa 5; N’Zogbia 6 (Moses 86), McCarthy 5, Diame 5 (Watson 86), Thomas 6, Rodallega 5; Di Santo 6. Subs not used: Kirkland, Boselli, S Caldwell, Gomez. Booked: Gohouri.
MAN CITY (4-5-1): Hart 6; Richards 6, K Toure 6, Kompany 6, Zabaleta 6; De Jong 7, Barry 6; Milner, Y Toure 7 (Jo 74, 6), Silva 7 (A Johnson 72, 7); Tevez 8 (Wright-Phillips 88). Subs not used: Given, Boyata, Vieira, Santa Cruz. Booked: De Jong, Y Toure.
Referee: Lee Probert.
Man of the match: Carlos Tevez.
Attendance: 15,525.
source: dailymail [endtext]
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