Edin Dzeko does a “Torres” at Ewood Park, as the big-money January signing finally breaks his Premier League scoring duck to put Man City firmly in the driving seat for fourth spot. Roberto Mancini’s side not only win on the road for the first time in 2011, they chalk up an impressive fifteenth clean sheet of the season in a fairly routine victory. Blackburn’s winless run stretches to ten games as the threat of relegation looms larger by the week for Steve Kean’s hopelessly out of form side. Here’s the notes from gameweek 34’s final match…
After his side’s 3-0 mauling at Anfield in their last league match, Roberto Mancini admitted he had “made mistakes“. The Man City boss failed to elaborate but it’s a fair to assume he was alluding to the decision to bench both David Silva and Nigel De Jong. Mancini re-installed the pair to City’s starting XI for the Blackburn trip, with Yaya Toure moved into an attacking midfield role again as a result of De Jong’s return.
Mario Balotelli led the line for City, with Dzeko -a starter at Liverpool- used as a sub instead, though the latter’s goal will give Mancini food for thought in the continued absence of Carlos Tevez, particularly as Balotelli’s adaptability meaning he could be moved out wide in a role behind the Bosnian for the upcoming gameweeks.
Dzeko was, not surprisingly, hugely relieved following his first league goal…
“I think it is a new beginning for me…I have confidence in myself but sometimes it is difficult. I am not the first one that didn’t make the best of a move. I know in future there will be much better games for me.”
Mancini will surely look to harness Dzeko’s newfound confidence and a start at home to West Ham next looks a strong possibility.
Adam Johnson made his third consecutive start as Mancini set the team up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Johnson and David Silva were given license to roam; the pair swapped wings throughout, and their movement created plenty of problems for Blackburn. Silva, in particular, was at the hub of everything good about City’s play and quite rightly picked up the 3 Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Bonus Points, though whether he keep the dubious assist is another matter altogether.
It was interesting to note that Johnson was the one who made way for Dzeko in the second half, as Balotelli switched to wide left. City will undoubtedly be subject to plenty transfers-in over the next few days, with a home game against West Ham this upcoming weekend following by a double gameweek (eve & TOT), and their midfield will come under the microscope in more detail in an article later this week on these pages.
Joe Hart’s allayed fears of a back injury to start between the sticks for City and enjoyed a fairly comfortable evening as the City defence kept Blackburn at arms length. City’s clean sheet justified Hart’s position at the top of our Watchlist rankings, while Scout Pick Aleksandar Kolarov also fetched defensive returns. With West Ham and Stoke due to visit Eastlands, plus the double fixture in gameweek 36, City’s back five remain strong investment options. Kolarov still looks the best route to Fantasy points given his attacking potential, although the return from injury of Micah Richards will give Mancini the option to switch Pablo Zabaleta to the left to threaten the Serb’s starting role.
Kean’s stint as Blackburn boss may have got off to a positive start -three wins in the first seven games- but that winning habit is long gone. It’s four points from a possible thirty now and the club’s owners must surely be having second thoughts over the shock decision to sack Sam Allardyce back in December, when the club were sitting in 13th position.
One point off the drop zone with four games to go and with the club’s most impressive player of late -David “Junior” Hoilett- still sidelined due to a hamstring injury, Kean needs his players to respond quickly, before it‘s too late. Blackburn look devoid of any real spark right now and have scored just one goal in their last four games. With their remaining fixtures reading (BOL, whm, MUN, wol), the Lancashire outfit’s chances of survival don’t look the great.
