Yaya seals the game for labouring City
ALVARO Negredo came off the bench and scored for the second Premier League game running as Manchester City edged promoted Hull City 2-0 yesterday.
Manuel Pellegrini’s side were labouring in the sunshine at the Etihad Stadium and had to endure several nervous moments before the former Sevilla striker made the breakthrough 20 minutes into the second half.
A sumptuous last-minute free kick from Yaya Toure settled matters, but after their shock 3-2 loss at promoted Cardiff City last weekend, City once again showed they have plenty of room to improve.
“It was hard work. Every match is going to be hard work,” said City manager Pellegrini.
“Hull defended very well. We know you have to give 100 percent to win every match, but I think today that we were more concentrated in defence than the last game against Cardiff.”
City made two changes to their starting XI, with fit-again Matija Nastasic replacing Javi Garcia in central defence and Aleksandar Kolarov coming in for Gael Clichy at left back, while Danny Graham took the place of suspended striker Yannick Sagbo for Hull.
The visitors started brightly, with Sone Aluko dragging a shot wide after bursting clear in the eighth minute and Graham seeing a volley chalked off for offside.
Pellegrini introduced new signing Negredo in place of the ineffective Edin Dzeko at halftime and the Spaniard almost made an immediate impact, only to completely miscue his header from David Silva’s lofted pass.
Negredo would not be denied, however, and in the 65th minute he broke the deadlock with a firm downward header from Pablo Zabaleta’s floated right wing centre.
Toure added sheen to the result by bending a 22m free kick over the wall in the 90th minute.
Elsewhere, it was an uneventful day in the English top flight, with only three goals in four mid-afternoon matches.
Unsettled Newcastle United midfielder Yohan Cabaye made his return as a second-half substitute against Fulham at St James’ Park but another Frenchman, Hatem Ben Arfa, scored in a 1-0 victory.
The former Marseille winger jinked infield from the right before bending a fierce shot past goalkeeper David Stockdale in the 86th minute to give Alan Pardew’s side a first win of the season.
Pardew said that the presence of Cabaye, the subject of an unsuccessful bid from Arsenal recently, was no guarantee that he would stay at the club beyond the close of the transfer window.
Stoke City also left it late before inflicting a first defeat of the season upon West Ham United at Upton Park, with Jermaine Pennant scoring the game’s only goal from an 82nd-minute free kick.
New signing Nathan Redmond earned Norwich City a 1-0 win over Southampton, drilling a low shot into the bottom corner in the second half at Carrow Road. Cardiff followed their shock win over Manchester City with a 0-0 draw at home to Everton.
In the late game Crystal Palace beat Sunderland 2-1 at Selhurst Park. — Sapa-AFP