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Played
August 21, 2011 11:00 AM EDT
Reebok Stadium — Bolton
Referee: M. Jones
Attendance: 24273
August 21, 2011 11:00 AM EDT
Reebok Stadium — Bolton
Referee: M. Jones
Attendance: 24273
Top of the Match
David Silva
Manchester City
Manchester City
Edin Dzeko
Manchester City
Manchester City
Flop of the Match
Jussi Jaaskelainen
Bolton
Bolton
Jussi Jaaskelainen
Bolton
Bolton
Goal.com Rating 
Fans' Rating Bolton 2-3 Manchester City: Edin Dzeko settles thrilling clash at the Reebok to send Mancini's men top of Premier League
Attacking attitude and never say die outlook from both sides were key ingredients as Mancini's side remain joint top of table whilst Bolton suffer first defeat of season
By Steve Hewlett
Getty Images
BOLTON - An entertaining 3-2 game ended in the favor of Manchester City after Bolton Wanderers proved more than a match for Roberto Mancini's expensively assembled side on Sunday. The game almost marked the return to action for Carlos Tevez after voicing his desire to leave in the summer.
Both teams set out to attack and this desire to score resulted in the five goals and a game which was thrilling from start to finish.
City's attacking prowess is well known but Bolton were more than a match in effort and teamwork and such qualities were important for Owen Coyle's side to maintain an interest in the contest.
Manchester dominated most of the early stages and was now coming to the fore. Bolton had to abandon its own attacking initiatives to maintain the parity. The constant pressure City was applying paid dividends from a harmless looking throw in after Micah Richards worked the ball inside before centring into the feet of David Silva whose sharp ball control resulted in a long range effort which fooled Jussi Jaaskelainen with its swerve.
An unlikely source scored the second for City with Gareth Barry smashing the ball high into the corner following a clever pass from James Milner. The move begun from a corner which saw Bolton pack the box only for Milner to see the space outside the area and exploit it fully by passing towards Barry who slammed in to give City a deserved two goal lead.
Bolton made an immediate response with Ivan Klasnic making the most of a Petrov cross by showing the greater awareness to beat Lescott to the ball to bring Wanderers back to within one and they thoroughly deserved to be trailing by only a single goal.
After the half-time break City continued to hunt for a third goal and they were rewarded within 90 seconds when a fluffed defensive clearance from Zat Knight was seized upon by the Bosnian Dzeko, to beat Jaaskelainen low to his right to make it three. Dzeko’s first season in England wasn’t what City fans were expecting but so far this term, he has played with the freedom confidence brings.
Going two goals down could have killed the spirit and derring-do of Bolton, but the resilience of Owen Coyle’s side is commendable and this tenacity brought them back into the game once more as skipper Kevin Davies’ leap over Lescott from a free-kick directed the ball in off the post to keep Wanderers in the contest.
Things ended with the 3-2 score and the result leaves Mancini's side with two wins from two and having scores seven in the process and sends the message that City is always likely to score and that Carlos Tevez still has a future at the club. Bolton, on the other hand will, if it replicates the performance, pick off many sides and prove to be one of the stronger sides in the division.
Both teams set out to attack and this desire to score resulted in the five goals and a game which was thrilling from start to finish.
City's attacking prowess is well known but Bolton were more than a match in effort and teamwork and such qualities were important for Owen Coyle's side to maintain an interest in the contest.
Manchester dominated most of the early stages and was now coming to the fore. Bolton had to abandon its own attacking initiatives to maintain the parity. The constant pressure City was applying paid dividends from a harmless looking throw in after Micah Richards worked the ball inside before centring into the feet of David Silva whose sharp ball control resulted in a long range effort which fooled Jussi Jaaskelainen with its swerve.
An unlikely source scored the second for City with Gareth Barry smashing the ball high into the corner following a clever pass from James Milner. The move begun from a corner which saw Bolton pack the box only for Milner to see the space outside the area and exploit it fully by passing towards Barry who slammed in to give City a deserved two goal lead.
Bolton made an immediate response with Ivan Klasnic making the most of a Petrov cross by showing the greater awareness to beat Lescott to the ball to bring Wanderers back to within one and they thoroughly deserved to be trailing by only a single goal.
After the half-time break City continued to hunt for a third goal and they were rewarded within 90 seconds when a fluffed defensive clearance from Zat Knight was seized upon by the Bosnian Dzeko, to beat Jaaskelainen low to his right to make it three. Dzeko’s first season in England wasn’t what City fans were expecting but so far this term, he has played with the freedom confidence brings.
Going two goals down could have killed the spirit and derring-do of Bolton, but the resilience of Owen Coyle’s side is commendable and this tenacity brought them back into the game once more as skipper Kevin Davies’ leap over Lescott from a free-kick directed the ball in off the post to keep Wanderers in the contest.
Things ended with the 3-2 score and the result leaves Mancini's side with two wins from two and having scores seven in the process and sends the message that City is always likely to score and that Carlos Tevez still has a future at the club. Bolton, on the other hand will, if it replicates the performance, pick off many sides and prove to be one of the stronger sides in the division.
Goal
Own Goal
Penalty
Penalty Missed
Yellow Card
Assist
Penalty Save
Penalty Shootout Goal
Penalty Shootout Miss
Yellow Card / Red Card
Red Card
Substitution IN
Substitution OUT
Injury
Goal.com Rating
Goal.com Man of the Match
Goal.com Flop of the Match
Top & Flop Global Ranking
Fans' Man of the Match- Fans' Flop of the Match
Results
Times In EDT
Match News
Top Scorers
| Player | Goals | Penalties | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Robin van Persie
Striker Arsenal |
30 | 2 |
|
Wayne Rooney
Striker Man United |
27 | 6 |
|
Kun Agüero
Striker Man City |
23 | 3 |
|
Aiyegbeni Yakubu
Striker Blackburn Rovers |
17 | 4 |
|
Emmanuel Adebayor
Striker Tottenham |
17 | 3 |