Man. City 3 Newcastle United 1
1 October 2007
Early kick-off. Chance to go second in the table before the big boys play. Great expectations all round. And it all started so well.
I really fancied it to be an open game and it was. The first half an hour was nip and tuck with both sides putting in the effort and playing some neat, attacking football. Then it was first blood to us after 30 minutes when Martins got a run on his marker, neat first touch from Geremi's raking pass and an equally good second touch past the advancing 'keeper. Come on!!
However, it has to be said that, after all the stick old Sven got during his England days, he has pieced together (at very short notice!) a very neat attacking side with a couple of exceptional players. One of those players, Elano. threaded a lovely ball through to Ireland (who appears to have got over the deaths of his grandmothers!!) and he slipped it across for the other exceptional player, Petrov, to comfortably equalise.
1-1 at half-time and still game on? Not for long! Only a couple of minutes into the second half and the aforementioned Petrov absolutely left Taylor for dead and crossed towards M'Penza who readjusted to head back across goal past Given.
Credit where it is due, City did not sit back and try to defend their lead, they continued to play open, attractive, attacking football and were further rewarded when the brilliant Elano hit a 30 yard free-kick like an arrow into the top corner. What a strike and what a goal.
Game over.
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