Man City ride their luck to go on top
FORTUITOUS STOPPAGE-TIME GOAL ENSURES WIN OVER SWANSEA
Kelechi Iheanacho’s fortuitous stoppagetime goal gave Manchester City a 2-1 home win over managerless Swansea City yesterday that provisionally sent Manuel Pellegrini’s side top in the Premier League.
Swansea, who sacked Garry Monk on Wednesday, looked to have earned a point when Bafetimbi Gomis scored a 90thminute equaliser, only for Yaya Toure’s shot to hit teammate Iheanacho and loop in two minutes later.
City move top on goal difference, above previous leaders Leicester City, who host champions Chelsea on Monday, but could be joined on 32 points by Manchester United, who visit Bournemouth later on Saturday.
With first-team coach Alan Curtis at the helm, Swansea made three changes at a rain-lashed Etihad Stadium, Angel Rangel, Federico Fernandez and Jack Cork replacing Kyle Naughton, Kyle Bartley and Gomis.
Cork set up an early sight of goal for Wayne Routledge, whose shot was blocked by Joe Hart, and the England goalkeeper also had to push an effort from Gylfi Sigurdsson over the bar.
First blood
But after Swansea captain Ashley Williams had diverted a Jesus Navas shot over the bar, Wilfried Bony put the hosts in front in the 26th minute, meeting Navas’s left-wing corner with an emphatic near-post header.
The Ivory Coast striker, who left Swansea for City in January, did not celebrate.
Both sides had chances thereafter, with Andre Ayew heading Southampton 0 Swansea City 1 Everton 1 Watford 1 Stoke City 0
over for Swansea and Sigurdsson twice testing Hart, while Toure went close on several occasions.
Sigurdsson thought he had equalised in the 84th minute, but his driven effort was contentiously ruled out as Gomis, on as a substitute, had collided with Hart in the build-up.
Swansea did level minutes later, Gomis running onto Fernandez’s slide-rule pass and slamming a shot past Hart at his near post, only for City to wrest back the advantage in the cruellest fashion.
Toure took aim with his left foot from the right-hand edge of the area and the ball struck 19-year-old Nigerian substitute Iheanacho on the back before spinning past Swansea goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.
Swansea, who have won only one game, remain a point above the relegation places.
Elsewhere, Crystal Palace drew level on points with fifthplace Tottenham Hotspur after Yohan Cabaye’s 38th-minute tap-in earned them a 1-0 home win over Southampton.
Everton remain in ninth place after a 1-1 draw at Norwich City.
Romelu Lukaku headed in a cross from Gerard Deulofeu in the 15th minute to put Everton ahead, but the visitors spurned a string of chances and saw Wes Hoolahan scramble home an equaliser early in the second period.