Philip Buckingham's report of the Premier League match between Hull City and Manchester City at the KC Stadium on Saturday, September 27, 2014.
Hull City's spirited fightback ultimately proved in vain as the class of Premier League champions Manchester City told with a 4-2 victory at the KC Stadium.
The Tigers had appeared set for a long afternoon when Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko put Manuel Pellegrini's men 2-0 up inside 11 minutes but Steve Bruce's men responded to conjure a fine spectacle.
Eliaquim Mangala's own-goal midway through the first half was followed up by an Abel Hernandez penalty to draw the Tigers level, only for their brave resistance to fall short after the break.
A second from Dzeko restored Manchester City's advantage in the 68th minute before Frank Lampard emerged from the bench to kill off any lingering hopes at the death.
City remain without a Premier League win since the opening day of the season but the fighting qualities on show will give Bruce hope that the run will be curtailed when Crystal Palace visit the KC Stadium next weekend.![aguero"]()
Sergio Aguero scored the opening goal.
For a Tigers side that has recently shown defensive fault-lines, the visit of Manchester City was a daunting fixture in the same week seven goals had been put past Sheffield Wednesday in the Capital One Cup. Bruce responded by making one change from the team that had drawn 2-2 at Newcastle seven days earlier. Liam Rosenior came in for Stephen Quinn to play at right-back, pushing Ahmed Elmohamady to right midfield and Jake Livermore out to the left. The hope was to add rigidity to City's shape but Bruce's plans were undermined as the visitors netted twice inside 11 minutes. Aguero had already served notice of his predatory instincts when forcing a save from Allan McGregor after just 38 seconds but he would not be denied in the sixth minute. A failure to clear their lines left the Tigers exposed and when Pablo Zabaleta out-jumped Livermore, the header fell to Aguero in acres of space to swivel and volley past the stranded McGregor. And it would soon get worse for the under-siege home team. When David Silva delivered to the feet of Dzeko, the striker ghosted past Rosenior and dispatched a superb right-foot drive beyond McGregor from 20 yards out. The Tigers were shell-shocked by their guests' clinical start but were handed a lifeline by the careless Mangala. Rosenior's excellent work down the right opened Manchester City up and his cross into the penalty area was headed past Willy Caballero by the £32m defender. The swing was immediate and undeniable. With a wind suddenly in their sails, Bruce's men harassed Manchester City into mistakes and forced the game into the champions' half. On 32 minutes came the reward. Mohamed Diame, the most obvious influence in the Tigers' comeback, floated a pass into the box for Hernandez and when he was crudely felled by Mangala, a penalty kick was correctly awarded. Hernandez was tasked with the duties and he let no one down with a stroked spot-kick sending Caballero the wrong way.![hernandez]()
Abel Hernandez celebrates his goal in front of the Hull City faithful.
A second goal in two starts at the KC Stadium lifted Hernandez and he almost completed an unforeseen turnaround when heading at Caballero. Dzeko came close, too, nodding wide at the end of a breathless half. The entertainment did not begin and end there. Tom Huddlestone's low shot worked Cabellero as the Tigers refused to rein in their play, while Yaya Toure came even closer at the opposite end. The Ivorian burst into life to thump a shot from distance that beat McGregor but not the upright.![aguero]()
Sergio Aguero reacts to a Curtis Davies challenge.
Manchester City kept the pressure on their spirited hosts and finally got the breakthrough 22 minutes from time. Silva's trickery enabled him to ride a couple of challenges and skip across the box and his pass into Dzeko was finished first time and low across McGregor. The Tigers refused to surrender and came close inside the closing stages through a Jelavic header and a Huddlestone shot deflected narrowly over the bar, but their race was run three minutes from time. A break down the right from Zabaleta carved open a tired defence and allowed Lampard to tap in his fourth goal in a week.
Sergio Aguero scored the opening goal.For a Tigers side that has recently shown defensive fault-lines, the visit of Manchester City was a daunting fixture in the same week seven goals had been put past Sheffield Wednesday in the Capital One Cup. Bruce responded by making one change from the team that had drawn 2-2 at Newcastle seven days earlier. Liam Rosenior came in for Stephen Quinn to play at right-back, pushing Ahmed Elmohamady to right midfield and Jake Livermore out to the left. The hope was to add rigidity to City's shape but Bruce's plans were undermined as the visitors netted twice inside 11 minutes. Aguero had already served notice of his predatory instincts when forcing a save from Allan McGregor after just 38 seconds but he would not be denied in the sixth minute. A failure to clear their lines left the Tigers exposed and when Pablo Zabaleta out-jumped Livermore, the header fell to Aguero in acres of space to swivel and volley past the stranded McGregor. And it would soon get worse for the under-siege home team. When David Silva delivered to the feet of Dzeko, the striker ghosted past Rosenior and dispatched a superb right-foot drive beyond McGregor from 20 yards out. The Tigers were shell-shocked by their guests' clinical start but were handed a lifeline by the careless Mangala. Rosenior's excellent work down the right opened Manchester City up and his cross into the penalty area was headed past Willy Caballero by the £32m defender. The swing was immediate and undeniable. With a wind suddenly in their sails, Bruce's men harassed Manchester City into mistakes and forced the game into the champions' half. On 32 minutes came the reward. Mohamed Diame, the most obvious influence in the Tigers' comeback, floated a pass into the box for Hernandez and when he was crudely felled by Mangala, a penalty kick was correctly awarded. Hernandez was tasked with the duties and he let no one down with a stroked spot-kick sending Caballero the wrong way.
Abel Hernandez celebrates his goal in front of the Hull City faithful.A second goal in two starts at the KC Stadium lifted Hernandez and he almost completed an unforeseen turnaround when heading at Caballero. Dzeko came close, too, nodding wide at the end of a breathless half. The entertainment did not begin and end there. Tom Huddlestone's low shot worked Cabellero as the Tigers refused to rein in their play, while Yaya Toure came even closer at the opposite end. The Ivorian burst into life to thump a shot from distance that beat McGregor but not the upright.
Sergio Aguero reacts to a Curtis Davies challenge.Manchester City kept the pressure on their spirited hosts and finally got the breakthrough 22 minutes from time. Silva's trickery enabled him to ride a couple of challenges and skip across the box and his pass into Dzeko was finished first time and low across McGregor. The Tigers refused to surrender and came close inside the closing stages through a Jelavic header and a Huddlestone shot deflected narrowly over the bar, but their race was run three minutes from time. A break down the right from Zabaleta carved open a tired defence and allowed Lampard to tap in his fourth goal in a week.
