Cruise control as City swat aside Cardiff strugglers

WITH 16 minutes left Cardiff forward Oumar Niasse cut inside and drove a low shot in to the midriff of Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson.

It was a humdrum moment and the shot was never in danger of going in, but it nevertheless prompted wild cheers from the Cardiff fans. It was almost possible to reach out and touch the sarcasm.

Only Cardiff’s second shot of the game it came at a time when their opponents had registered 23. That works out at just about one every three and a half minutes and when you consider how often the ball is out of play or stationary during an average Premier League game that is some statistic indeed.

That Pep Guardiola’s City team only had two goals at this stage was an anomaly born of average finishing and some good work from Cardiff’s Neil Etheridge. The goalkeeper from the Philippines was at fault for Kevin De Bruyne’s opening goal in the sixth minute and was also beaten by Leroy Sane just before half-time.

That apart, Etheridge was pretty much faultless on a night when City did not so much swarm all over Cardiff, but smother them gently with possession.

After Sunday’s controversial defeat at home to Chelsea, Cardiff manager Neil Warnock said he always felt his team could win.

Here, they never looked as though they believed they could compete and therefore they did not.

Cardiff emerged with dignity but absolutely nothing else as City took another step forward in their attempt to retain the title.

In the very first minute, De Bruyne almost created a goal for Gabriel Jesus, reaching the byline and crossing to the far post where the Brazilian could not reach the ball on the stretch.

Three minutes later, Riyad Mahrez advanced to deliver a low rightfoot shot that was saved by Etheridge. Cardiff looked incapable of resisting City

at this early stage and in the sixth minute they conceded the first goal.

A through pass from City central defender Aymeric Laporte found De Bruyne in space down the left and the finish was delivered high and emphatic inside the near post where Etheridge — expecting a cross — had left far too big a gap.

The pattern of the game seemed set already and City continued to dominate possession and probe almost casually at the Cardiff defence.

Foden advanced to drive a low shot wide, Fernandinho thundered one over while Sane was unable to convert either of two good free-kick opportunities.

The German’s first effort — in the seventh minute — was saved while his second, 25 minutes later, drifted over the bar.

Eventually Cardiff did manage to escape their own half and won a corner.

All this did, however, was allow City to break and a swift movement involving Mahrez and De Bruyne allowed the Belgian to feed Jesus who saw a shot beaten away at the far post.

But four minutes later Jesus chested a Mahrez pass cleverly back to Sane and his low right foot shot fizzed across the goalkeeper and inside the far post.

Foden almost added to the scoreline within minutes of the second half starting.

The way he cushioned a pass from Fernandinho on his left instep was indicative of real quality and the young midfielder would have scored had it not been for good positioning from the goalkeeper.

Despite his error in allowing De Bruyne too much space for the first goal, Etheridge was having a decent night and for Cardiff it was just as well.