FA Premier League
Sunday 19 May 2013, 16.00 KO

City: Hart, Zabaleta (c), Richards, Lescott, Kolarov, Y Toure, Rodwell (Silva 65), Nasri, Milner, Dzeko, Tevez (Aguero 51)
Unused: Pantilimon, Clichy, Maicon, Barry, Garcia
Goals: Rodwell (29, 59)
Booked: Lescott

Referee: Mark Halsey
Man of the Match: Jack Rodwell

It was a frantic start to the match, as both sides looked to get ahead to give their fans something to enjoy on the final day of the season. It was the first where the result didn’t matter for City since 2010 and it felt like the players knew it as Norwich took control of the game in the early stages. Holt shot wide, leaving Hart sprawling towards his post, and Zabaleta could have given away a penalty for a challenge on Pilkington.

Dzeko came close with a flicked header from a Nasri cross from the left, but he couldn’t get enough power into the effort and it turned out to be a simple catch for Ruddy. While, in the City box, it was Lescott who the blues had to thank for the scores remaining level, as he headed off the line from a shot that had Joe Hart beaten. But it didn’t matter shortly after as, when the ball broke kindly in the City box, Pilkington curled a shot into the bottom corner, around Hart’s dive.

It took just three minutes for City to get level. A ball into the box was cutely touched down for Rodwell by Dzeko and he fired it arrowlike into the back of the net, as Ruddy hurled himself towards it. He got nowhere near it and it was the midfielder’s first goal in a City shirt.

Immediately, the visitors looked to hit back and get their noses in front once more. Snodgrass tried a shot at Hart’s top corner, but he was equal to the effort and made the save. Meanwhile, Tevez weaved his way into the Norwich box but missed the target, before Nasri was close to connecting to a Yaya Toure chipped cross into the area with a bicycle kick. Dzeko then bounced a header over the bar, after he couldn’t control the pace on Milner’s cross and had sent the ball wide.

On 57 minutes, City’s defending left something to be desired as the hosts made a meal of dealing with a high ball into the box. Toure missed a header and, after the ball bounced around inside the area with the home side unable to get it clear, it broke across the face of goal for Holt to smash it into the net, after Snodgrass had got his foot to send it the striker’s direction.

Again, though, City responded almost immediately. Yaya Toure broke out of the back line with the ball and unleashed a brilliant pass to the left for Rodwell to sprint on to. He got there ahead of the defender and powered into the box. Looking up, he saw Aguero in the area and decided to use him as a decoy, before smashing the shot into the far bottom corner for the equaliser.

Parity lasted just nine minutes, though, as a goalscoring second half continued at break-neck speed. Some schoolboy defending from City allowed Howson to pick up the ball mid-way into the home side’s half and carry it through the back four and straight in for a one-on-one. Hart came out, but Howson did well to slide the shot past him and find the net for the visitors once again.

Tettey could have made it four for the visitors, as he broke through on goal from the right. Hart was off his line quickly and the Norwich man tried to curl it around him with the outside of his foot, but it dropped wide of the post. At the other end, Aguero was close to connecting to a Milner cross, but it was intercepted before it could reach the striker.

As the game slowed to an end, City looked increasingly less likely to grab the equaliser and the season finished with something of a damp squib of a result.

FA Premier League
Tuesday 14 May 2013, 20.00 KO

City: Hart, Richards (c), K Toure (Maicon 15), Lescott, Clichy, Y Toure, Barry (Garcia 58), Milner, Silva, Tevez, Aguero (Dzeko 63)
Unused: Pantilimon, Kolarov, Nasri, Rodwell
Goals: Aguero (40), Dzeko (88)
Booked: Barry

Referee: Martin Atkinson
Man of the Match: James Milner

The game began to a chorus of Mancini chants from the away end and it was the visitors who were quickest out of the blocks. Within four minutes, City had wasted a good chance from the edge of the box as Milner skied his shot, Aguero had an effort saved and the rebound blocked, and a long potshot from Silva was well held by McCarthy. City’s post-Mancini era had started with them on the front foot.

On six minutes, City really should have been ahead. The ball was given away on the edge of the Reading box and Tevez slipped it through to Milner. His shot was well blocked by McCarthy, but the rebound fell invitingly for Aguero. The Argentine raced onto it and nearly found the back of the net, but, once again, the goalkeeper managed to block it behind.

Reading then had a spell of possession thanks to some sloppy City play. Kolo Toure had to leave the game with injury, before a bad throw from Joe Hart allowed the home side to take the ball. Robson-Kanu took on a shot from the edge of the box, but the goalkeeper recovered to save it comfortably. And the game subsequently became scrappy, as both sides began to give the ball away in the wet conditions.

With half an hour played, both sides had great chances to take the lead. Reading forced a great save from Hart, as a low shot skipped off the ground and needed to be pushed away. At the other end, Yaya Toure was played in by Aguero and he found Tevez in the middle, but he couldn’t dig the ball from his feet and McCarthy was out to smother the effort.

A flowing move from the visitors almost led to the opening goal with 39 minutes played. Silva was played in cutely by Maicon and the Spaniard’s low ball into the box was left by Tevez for Aguero. He shot first time, but it was deflected over. From the resulting corner – which was taken short – a series of one-twos between Milner and Silva gave the England international the chance to square it low. He picked out Aguero, who opened his body to divert the ball into the back of the net.

With the half coming to a close, there was more brilliant football from the visitors. Aguero via Maicon found Toure and he ran at the box. He slipped it to Milner, who did the same back to Aguero and, after dancing around the last-ditch challenge, he fired at goal, but it was well saved once again. The rebound fell nicely for Clichy, but his effort was over the bar.

The second half started much how the first ended: Both sides attacked and there could have been goals aplenty. McCarthy palmed out a Tevez low cross straight between Barry and Milner lurked on the edge of the box, before Hart pulled off a brilliant stop from Pogrebnyak, as he skipped away from Maicon to head at goal. Tevez then robbed the ball in the Reading box, but his shot was deflected over. It was all go.

With 56 minutes played, City produced yet more fantastic build-up. One touch passing allowed Tevez the chance to touch it back to Toure on the edge of the box, and the Ivorian’s effort was aimed at the bottom corner. McCarthy, though, got down well to push the ball behind. Even though it was only a one goal advantage, the away side were cruising.

With 20 minutes to play, Reading’s first corner of the game was well defended by the visitors, who were then able to break away. Silva carried the ball towards the opposition box, before slipping it through to Dzeko, who was just onside. He cut back onto his left side to sell a dummy to the defender, but could only pick out McCarthy’s gloves. Toure did the same as a deflected Maicon effort fell nicely for the midfielder on the edge of the area.

Seven minutes later, a Reading free kick held in the wind and dropped nicely for McCleary to shoot at goal. It was deflected and, with Hart committed to the first effort, it dropped behind with the England goalkeeper only able to watch. From the corner, Tevez was in the right place at the right time to head it clear from the line.

As the game headed towards full time, the visitors managed to finally add another goal to their tally for the evening, having converted the second of their many, many chances. Dzeko missed the opportunity to square for Tevez, but it broke kindly for Silva. He picked out Dzeko again, once he was back onside, and the Bosnian side-stepped the challenge before sliding the ball under McCarthy.

City cruised to victory with perhaps their performance of the season and they secured second place in the table.

FA Cup Final
Saturday 11 May 2013, 17.15 KO

City: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany (c), Nastasic, Clichy, Y Toure, Barry (Dzeko 90), Silva, Nasri (Milner 55), Tevez (Rodwell 69), Aguero
Unused: Pantilimon, Kolarov, Lescott, Garcia
Goals: -
Booked: Zabaleta, Nastasic, Barry
Sent Off: Zabaleta

Referee: Andre Marriner
Man of the Match: Carlos Tevez

City walked out at Wembley for the fifth time under Roberto Mancini for their second FA Cup final in three seasons, but it was the underdogs in Wigan who got off to the better start. An early free kick for City was hit into the wall by Tevez and the rebound effort at goal by Toure was comfortably pushed away by Joel. But that was as good as it got for the blues in the opening stages.

Aguero lost possession mid-way in the Wigan half and it gave them the chance to break: McManaman turned Clichy on City’s left and found Kone on the opposite flank. He held it up and returned it to the midfielder, who had ghosted past Nastasic into a pocket of space in the box, but his shot curled wide of the post. Joe Hart was left rooted to the spot.

It was soon all Wigan pressure: Maloney volleyed a cross from the edge of the box right at Nastasic and the fans at the other end of the ground appealed for handball, though it would have been a very harsh penalty, having rolled off the defender’s knee first. It was the same player again who, having cut in from the left, took on a shot towards Hart’s bottom left corner, but it was just wide.

Mid-way through the half, City created their best chance of the game. Nasri cut inside from the left flank and slipped a ball in behind the full-back for Silva to chase. He centred it, looking for anybody arriving in the middle, and it fell nicely for Tevez. He tried to place the ball back across the goalkeeper, but Joel managed to get his toe to the ball while diving the other way, and divert it over the bar.

Wigan responded. Following a Toure blocked shot, the underdogs broke away. Kone managed to slip the ball through for McManaman to chase and he left Nastasic and Kompany for dead, to race through on Hart. The speed of the break took him wide, but Hart committed himself and the midfielder was able to take it around him. Zabaleta recovered to slow him down and allow Hart time to get back into position, but another McManaman turn left the goalkeeper stranded. When the midfielder shot, though, Zabaleta was in the right place to block. It was a let off.

The City fans would have been expecting a completely different City to emerge from the tunnel at half time. To an extent that was true, as they started the half on the front foot, but they were still very much below par. Tevez’s low cross to the near post was met on the slide by Aguero, but Boyce got the last touch to knock it behind for a corner. A Silva cross then led to a Wigan breakaway, that Zabaleta stopped cynically and he saw yellow.

But soon, Wigan were putting the blues under pressure again. It remained goalless thanks to a brilliant challenge from Kompany, coming across from the right side of the box to slide to block from McManaman, after he had stepped around Clichy and Silva. A free kick from the right wing was then crossed towards the back-post by Maloney and, with Hart standing and watching, it dropped onto the top of the bar and away.

A loose ball from Barry was then more costly than simply allowing Wigan a chance to break. Trying to find Kompany, his ball was cut out and McManaman was through on goal. Kompany and Nastasic couldn’t get back to cover and Zabaleta was forced to commit himself to the challenge. He missed the ball and took all of the man, resulting in his second yellow card.

As the board went up for stoppage time, Clichy inadvertently knocked the ball behind for a corner following a challenge with McManaman. From that kick, Watson was left totally unmarked on the corner of the six-yard box and he connected to nod it straight past Joe Hart. With only two minutes of the game to play, it was enough to win the game for Wigan.

In truth, City never turned up and Wigan fully deserved to lift the cup.

FA Premier League
Tuesday 7 May 2013, 19.45 KO

City: Hart, Richards (c), K Toure, Lescott, Kolarov, Milner, Rodwell (Maicon 75), Garcia, Nasri (Barry 73), Tevez (Razak 90), Dzeko
Unused: Pantilimon, Nastasic, Silva, Aguero
Goals: Dzeko (34)
Booked: Kolarov, Nasri

Referee: Phil Dowd
Man of the Match: Micah Richards

It was a frantic start to the game, with both sides pushing to take the early advantage. Richards came back into the starting line up and announced it with a trademark run down the right. Lukaku smashed a shot just wide of the post, with Hart at full stretch, before the England keeper was alert to stop a powerful header from the Belgian.

With 20 minutes played, City came alive and began to take the game to the visitors. Myhill spilt a cross from the left straight to the feet of Rodwell, but the midfielder couldn’t adjust quickly enough and missed the target with his effort. Kolarov was then perhaps lucky to stay on the pitch, as he came close to decapitating Tamas… okay, maybe a slight exaggeration, but his foot was high and the Albion man ducked into the header causing a collision. The referee showed leniency and showed a yellow card.

City stepped it up: Tevez curled an effort over the bar from the edge of the box, before Milner smashed an effort wide as it broke to him in the box. Rodwell then missed his kick as Kolarov’s cross bounced to him inside the area and, from the very same move, the ball found Tevez on the edge of the box and he smashed a shot into the crossbar.

And as the hosts had got on top, they went on to take the lead. Tevez broke down the right flank and found a cross to Dzeko arriving in the area. It was just behind the Bosnian, who adjusted to side-foot volley at goal. It beat the defender and Myhill got a touch, but he couldn’t keep it out and the home side made their pressure pay.

As half time approached, Rodwell had a shot deflected wide that left the goalkeeper rooted, before Milner struck the foot of the post from long range, as the home side looked to double their advantage. The half came to a close with City pressure and the blues deserved to be in the lead.

However, the second half was a different story: It started when Rosenburg smashed a free kick into the crossbar with the goalkeeper nowhere near it and, from the rebound, Hart made a brilliant save to scoop the ball away from the line, as Jones tried to force it into the net. Hart was in action shortly after, tipping Morrison’s low drive around the post, before Kolo Toure blocked from Lukaku, as West Brom countered.

There was some relief for the home defence on the hour mark, as the hosts should have scored their second goal of the night. Dzeko fired in a shot that was blocked, after receiving a low ball into the box. Tevez tried a shot from the rebound, which was again blocked on the line, before it was crossed to Rodwell at the back post, but his volley was pushed behind by Myhill.

With ten minutes to play, Long escaped Lescott’s attention and fired in a shot, but it was inches wide of the post. Maicon then unleashed an effort from the edge of the six-yard box, as he tried to smash an outside-of-the-foot shot towards the top corner. It probably seemed like a good idea at the time, but the fans saw the funny side as the second tier of the North Stand took the brunt of the shot.

It became end-to-end for the final few minutes, as Odemwingie fired over from just inside the box, before Milner picked out the gloves of Myhill as City looked to secure the points. Barry also had an effort from the edge of the box easily collected by the goalkeeper, following a bursting forward run by Maicon.

City held out, though, and secured Champions League football for the third season running.