Maestro Aguero at the double
MANUEL PELLEGRINI will be thankful for two things this morning.
One, it is the end of a difficult week and two, Sergio Aguero plays for Manchester City.
The Argentine, yet again, dug his team out of a huge hole with a breathtaking double as City twice came from behind to snatch a draw at Queens Park Rangers.
City’s defeat by CSKA Moscow – not to mention the red cards and pending European suspensions of Yaya Toure and Fernandinho – leaves Pellegrini’s men with a Champions League mountain to climb, so the manager was looking for a response. And he would not have liked what he saw in the opening 20 minutes as QPR came flying out of the blocks.
Rangers thought they had taken an eighthminute lead when Charlie Austin (right) thumped a header from Eduardo Vargas’s cross past Joe Hart, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside. Then came a moment of controversy when, from the resultant free-kick, Austin thought he had grabbed the opener.
As Hart took the free-kick, he inadvert- ently touched the ball with his standing foot, and, from his second touch, the intentional kick went straight to Austin. The QPR striker smashed an 18-yard drive past Hart to send Loftus Road into a frenzy.
Once more, though, referee Mike Riley disallowed the goal. QPR players were incensed, supporters bewildered. Why on earth was that goal disallowed? Riley, though, was spot on with his decision.
FIFA rules state that a free-kick awarded to the defending team in their own box must be retaken if the ball does not leave the penalty area after the first touch. Hart’s inadvertent first kick did not leave the area, meaning the ball was not in play.
Riley was correct, but the sense of injus- tice only served to spur QPR on as they continued with their excellent start. Hart then produced an excellent point-blank save to deny Austin, after Bobby Zamora laid off Sandro’s 14th-minute cross.
City were let off the hook again later when Riley rejected a strong penalty appeal after Sandro’s long-range effort seemed to hit Bacary Sagna on the arm.
Pellegrini’s side were rattled. And QPR finally took advantage in the 21st minute. Lively Vargas found Austin with a perfect through ball. City protested for an offside, but Riley could not save them this time as Austin – in front of England manager Roy Hodgson – scored his sixth of the season.
The champions were on the ropes, a shadow of the team that secured their second title in three years last season. Toure went close to an equaliser but his shot drifted wide of Rob Green’s far post.
City needed a hero. As ever, up stepped Aguero to dig them out of a hole. Eliaquim Mangala’s punt towards the Argentine was hopeful but what followed was sheer brilliance. Aguero effortlessly pulled the ball out of the air, twisted and turned past Steven
Caulker before finishing past Green. Where would City be without the South American? His goal should have been the signal for City to take control.
Toure twice failed to make the keeper work in good positions just outside the box, though Richard Dunne was lucky not to see a red card after lashing out at Samir Nasri.
City did not look comfortable as their defensive frailties resurfaced. Hart denied Austin after the England hopeful hammered a shot straight at the keeper. And England’s No1 produced an even better save to deny Austin from close range seconds later, though the striker was ruled offside.
As if the first half was not exhilarating enough, Rangers boss Harry Redknapp sent on Joey Barton for Sandro at half-time.
And the entertainment continued during the early stages of the second half, Toure, Nasri and Jesus Navas all firing dangerous low crosses without finding a teammate.
QPR did not sit back either, Leroy Fer watching his drive from 16 yards fly inches wide after a deflection off Martin Demichelis while Caulker fired an effort wide. City fans were calling for Frank Lam- pard and they got their wish when he was introduced for sub Edin Dzeko. But Lampard was helpless as he watched QPR regain the lead in the 76th minute as Austin turned provider, firing in a great cross and Demichelis put into his own net under pressure from Zamora.
The Argentine put his hands together as if to pray. Indeed, his side needed divine inspiration.
They nearly got it just two minutes after falling behind when Barton sent Aguero clear with a poor header. The Argentine cooly skipped past Green, but Dunne was on hand to clear his effort.
Caulker followed suit soon after, clearing James Milner’s header off the line before Green saved Toure’s follow-up strike.
But just like the first half, City were rescued by their sensational Argentine.
Latching onto Toure’s excellent pass, Aguero’s control was exquisite as he slotted past Green in the 83rd minute to earn a draw.