Premier League
Stoke
Feb 11, 2015 7.45pm
1
4
HT : 1 1
FT
Man City
  • Peter Crouch 38' goal
  • Marko Arnautovic 64' yellowcard
  • goal Sergio Aguero 33'
  • yellowcard Sergio Aguero 45'
  • yellowcard James Milner 52'
  • goal James Milner 55'
  • goal Sergio Aguero 70'
  • goal Samir Nasri 76'

Live Commentary: Stoke City 1-4 Manchester City - as it happened

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Stoke 1-4 Man City - as it happened
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Manchester City dominated the second half of their match against Stoke City to secure a 4-1 win at the Britannia Stadium this evening.

Both sides had a goal disallowed in the opening 45 minutes, but Sergio Aguero, James Milner and Samir Nasri all scored after the break to secure the win.

The result gives the champions their first win at Stoke's ground since the Potters were promoted in 2008.

Read how all the action unfolded below.

9.42pmThat's all from this match, but stick around for managerial reaction and match reports from all of this evening's Premier League matches, and join us again at the weekend for the return of the FA Cup. Until then, thanks for joining me this evening. Goodbye.

9.40pmStoke City will be disappointed with the score. They were the better team in the first half, but could not sustain their momentum after the break. Meanwhile, the visitors will be frustrated by Chelsea's late winner, which leaves them seven points adrift despite this win.

9.39pmAfter a closely-fought first half, the champions showed their class after the break to record an emphatic win at the Britannia Stadium. Man City fans will be sweating on the fitness of Aguero though, as he limped off after scoring twice.

90+4 minFULL TIME: Stoke City 1-4 Manchester City

90+3 minSUB! With the same gone, 17-year-old Oliver Shenton comes on in place of N'Zonzi for his Premier League debut.

90+3 minMan City haven't stopped pushing as Milner sprints forward to try and make it five, but he's stopped by Wollscheid.

90+1 minUPDATE: Despite this result, it looks like the gap at the top will be staying the same as Willian has netted late on for Chelsea against Eveton at Stamford Bridge.

90 minCHANCE! Charlie Adam picks up the ball on the edge of the box, but his shot takes a deflection off Zabaleta into the arms of Hart. Meanwhile, there are three minutes of stoppage time.

89 minLampard sends a low pass through the middle towards Hazard, but the ball is called back as Fernando tripped N'Zonzi, but Adam's delivery doesn't test Man City at the back too much. The visitors are just running the clock down now as many of the home supporters make an early exit.

87 minSUB! The changes are coming thick and fast now as Jesus Navas takes the place of Samir Nasri.

86 minSUB! Stoke make a change, bringing on Charlie Adam for Glenn Whelan.

85 minCHANCE! Edin Dzeko hasn't seen much of the ball since coming on for Aguero, but he gets a chance as he burst forward to collect a high ball, but Begovic forces it wide.

83 minStoke are still seeing plenty of the ball as they push what what would be nothing more that a consolation at this stage, but N'Zonza can't find his way through.

80 minSUB! Meanwhile, it's a second change for the visitors as Frank Lampard takes over from David Silva.

79 minSUB! Stoke make their first change, with Moses being replaced by Steve Sidwell.

78 minPENALTY APPEAL! Diouf tries to make the scoreline a bit more respectable as he tries to round Hart before cutting back in, but he gets caught up in a challenge from Mangala and goes down, but the referee says there was no foul.

76 minIt's a moment of individual brilliance from Samir Nasri to surely put the win beyond doubt for the visitors. He bursts forward with the ball from midfield before hitting it on the half-volley from the edge of the box into the top corner. That really was a stunning strike from the Frenchman.

76 minGOAL! Stoke 1-4 Man City (Samir Nasri)

76 minStoke certainly haven't given up as N'Zonzi and Muniesa play the ball forward before crossing it in for Arnautovic, but Hart manages to grab it before the winger can get his shot away. Elsewhere, Chelsea are currently being held by Eveton, so this win could cut the gap at the top to five points.

73 minSUB! Aguero's night is done. He manages to walk off slowly but without any obvious injury, allowing Dzeko to take his place up front.

72 minThe worrying news for Man City now is that Aguero, having netted a brace, appears to have picked up a knock as he slumps down in the centre circle. Edin Dzeko is warming up.

70 minCameron just won't give up as he tries to stop Silva playing the ball in, shoving the Spaniard down by his shoulder to give away the spot kick. Aguero steps up and coolly slots it into the bottom right corner. Had he not handled his earlier effort, that would have been that hat-trick for Aguero.

70 minGOAL! Stoke 1-3 Man City (Sergio Aguero PEN.)

69 minPENALTY TO MAN CITY!

69 minBardsley is pulled back by Silva on the edge of the box, giving Stoke a free kick in a promising position. Victor Moses looks to pick out the top corner direct from the set piece, but it's a fraction high.

67 minMan City are pushing to put the game beyond doubt, knowing that Stoke have created some dangerous chances down the other end, but Milner's high ball for Aguero is booted well clear by Wollscheid.

66 minDiouf looks to get involved, having been kept relatively quiet so far, but he's left with a tight angle to try to squeeze his shot in from, but it's into the side-netting.

65 minBOOKING! Marko Arnautovic goes into the book, not for his foul on Fernando, but for his reaction to the referee after he awarded the free kick.

63 minCrouch is involved again as Cameron crosses the ball back in to the big striker, but he has to stoop to make the header, and nods it a fraction wide. Meanwhile, Man City are quickly down the other end, with Milner forcing a corner, but Begovic confidently claims it.

61 minStoke have responded well to falling behind for a second time as they push for another equaliser. Arnautovic sends a high ball to Crouch on the edge of the box, but his first touch is poor, and he has to hurry his shot, blasting it well high.

58 minGlenn Whelan has the ball 30 yards out on the right, and looks for Crouch, but the striker is offside so Whelan tries to take it on himself, lofting it straight to Hart.

55 minSomehow, Stoke forget to mark James Milner, leaving the midfielder wide open to head the ball in from the centre of the box, powering it past Begovic following a perfect cross from Nasri.

55 minGOAL! Stoke 1-2 Man City (James Milner)

55 minPENALTY APPEAL! Sergio Aguero wants a spot kick as he takes a tumble under pressure from Wollscheid, but there was very little contact from the defender so the referee waves play on. Aguero needs to be careful, if he'd been booked for diving he's have been off.

54 minArnautovic uses his impressive footwork skills to play the ball in from the right, but Kolarov is there to block it. This has been a really lively and opening start to the second half.

52 minBOOKING! Milner gets the second booking of the night for a high challenge on Muniesa.

50 minSilva uses his pace to win a high ball forward before squaring it for Aguero, but Bardsley is there to make the clearance. Aguero is obviously keen to make amends for his first-half handball as soon as possible.

48 minMan City have made a lively start as Aguero plays the ball through to Silva, who looks to return ti to the goal-scorer, but he misses it. It eventually falls to Fernandinho, but he can only fire well wide.

46 minRESTART! Man City get the second half underway.

8.46pmThe players are making their way back out ready for the second half.

8.44pmManuel Pellegrini will certainly be the happier of the two managers at the interval, despite the goal being chalked off right at the end of the half. Stoke have had more good chances, and have had Man City scrambling at the back, while the visitors have only rally but Stoke under pressure a couple of times with quick counter-attacking moves.

8.41pmLet's take a look at some of the stats from the opening minutes. Man City just edged the possession with 53% of the ball. Each side had eight shots, but four of the home side's were on target, while the visitors had just two on target.

8.38pmThe two handball incidents both involved Man City players, with Milner seemingly handling a Crouch delivery on the line. The referee didn't give the spot kick, but did rule out a goal at the other end when Aguero punched the ball past Begovic after his effort came off his head. It was a bit of a clumsy and needless error by the Argentine.

8.35pmWhat a first half! Two goals, two disallowed goals and two handball controversies leave the sides level at the break as Peter Crouch cancelled out the opening strike from Sergio Aguero.

45+1 minHALF TIME: Stoke City 1-1 Manchester City

45+1 minDISALLOWED GOAL! Sergio Aguero thinks that he has his second as he turns the ball in from a Fernandinho pass, but he catches it with his hand as it goes in, so the assistant rules it out and the striker is booked.

44 minMan City force a corner down the other end as Cameron is forced to turn the ball behind, but it's quickly cleared. Zabaleta quickly sprints down the other end on the counter-attack, but his ball in for Fernandinho is turned wide.

41 minStoke are pressing to take the lead as half time approaches with Arnautovic involved down the right again, but N'Zonzi is flagged for offside.

38 minArnautovic wins a free kick just outside the box and he delivers the ball himself, crossing it to the head of Crouch, who scores his 45th headed goal in the Premier League to level the scores for the home side.

38 minGOAL! Stoke 1-1 Man City (Peter Crouch)

35 minCHANCE! Stoke immediately put Man City under pressure down the other end, with Bardsley crossing it in, but Crouch's header is turned behind for a corner.

33 minDespite Stoke's dominance in the opening half hour, they find themselves a goal down as Stoke cuts in from the outside, catching Bardsley out as he goes for goal rather than crossing to the incoming Nasri. The shot goes between the defenders legs, leaving Begovic with no chance to spot the incoming effort.

33 minGOAL! Stoke 0-1 Man City (Sergio Aguero)

32 minStoke have a free kick around 25 yards out which Moses curls in towards Crouch, but it's punched clear by Hart.

30 minMan City are giving Moses all the time he wants down the left as he puts the visitors under pressure at the back again, but his eventual cross it claimed by Hart before any of his teammates can get a head to it.

28 minFernandinho times a run down the right to perfection, but his ball into the box for Nasri is poor, leaving his teammate scrambling and unable to reach it. It's a waste, as he also had Aguero free, but failed to spot the striker.

27 minMan City are starting to threaten again after surviving something of a Stoke onslaught. Silva an Milner team up before the latter tries to tee it up for Nasri, but Bardsley clears.

25 minNasri's new boots appear to be helping as he creates some space down the right before passing to Milner, who is greeted with a chorus of boos, presumably because of the earlier handball incident. However, his cross towards Aguero is cleared with ease.

22 minCHANCES! Stoke are all over Joe Hart at the minute! N'Zonzi forces another stop from the Man City keeper. It's clear as far as Moses, who tries to lash it in first time from the edge of the box, but his finish it inches wide. Meanwhile, Samir Nasri is off the pitch changing his boots!

20 minDISALLOWED GOAL! Moses tries to fire in from out wide, but Hart parries it into the path of Crouch, who taps it past the England goalkeeper. However, Crouch's celebrations are cut short when he sees the assistant referees flag is up.

19 minCHANCE! A high ball forward finds Diouf on the edge of the area, and he turns flawlessly before crossing it to N'Zonzi, but the midfielder miscues and sends the finish well wide.

16 minKolarov tries to get forward and give himself some space on the edge of the box, but his shot is hopelessly wayward, almost reaching the corner flag!

15 minMoses is looking really lively for the hosts as he tries to sneak past Zabaleta, but is tripped by the defending, winning another free kick. The Argentine defender makes amends though, heading the ball clear on the edge of the box.

13 minStoke are starting to see a bit more of the ball now after allowing Man City to come at the in the opening stages, Moses sends the ball in towards N'Zonzi after a quick run down the left, but the midfielder can't control it in time. Crouch wins a free kick moments later but Moses fires it straight into the wall.

9 minCHANCES! Victor Moses tries to get Stoke down the other end for the first time and unleashing a thundering drive from 20 yards out, forcing Joe Hart to turn it behind. From the resulting corner, Peter Crouch wants a penalty as it looks like the ball may have struck James Milner on the arm, but the referee isn't interested. A poor clearance almost lets Moses back in, but his shot ends up in the side-netting. The visitors were handing on a but there.

6 minCHANCE! Silva is involved against, steeping around Muniesa to square the ball to Aguero. However the striker appears to be put off by Fernandinho arriving alongside him in the box, and he fires a shot lacking power straight to Asmir Begovic.

4 minDiouf gives away a free kick, which the visitors take quickly, but Aguero is a little too keen and drifts offside. Incidentally, Milner seems to be playing a more attacking role than normal, just off the Argentine striker.

3 minSilva and Fernando work together in the middle of the pitch as they look to get an early ball into the Stoke box, but the Spaniard's ball forward is blocked by Cameron. Kolarov tries a long ball, but the defender's effort is easily cleared by Bardsley.

1 minKICKOFF! Stoke get the match underway.

7.43pmMake sure you stick with us after full time this evening as we'll have loads of post-match reaction from all of this evening's Premier League matches.

7.40pmThe players are making their way onto the pitch ready for kickoff, which should just be a few minutes away now.

7.37pmPREDICTION! With the players starting to make their way into the tunnel, there's just time for a quick prediction. Form suggests that Stoke could be on for an upset this evening, but with Toure and Bony due back soon, Man City's players should be pushing to impress the manager so they don't lose their places to the Ivorian duo. I think it'll be a closely-fought 2-1.

7.34pmThere are six Premier League matches in total taking place this evening. If you want to follow any of the other fixtures, you can find links to the rest of our live commentaries here.

7.31pmAs I mentioned in the introduction, Man City trail league leaders Chelsea by seven points, and with the top two both in action, the gap could shrink to four this evening, or grow to 10. Stoke sit 10th heading into the match, but a win could be enough to move them above ninth-placed Swansea.

7.28pmUnlike Man City, Stoke are in action again at the weekend as they travel to Blackburn in the FA Cup. Having lost to Middlesbrough in the last round, tonight's visitors have the weekend off, giving them a 10-day break after this match.

7.25pmThere's still a little while until the match gets underway, so why not checkout what the Sports Mole team think about this match:

7.22pmSergio Aguero will, as ever, pose a threat for Man City this evening. The Argentine has scored on three of his four previous appearances against the Potters.

7.19pmMan City haven't kept a clean sheet in their last seven matches, but have suffered just two defeats in their last 25 league matches. However, Pellegrini's side have scored in their last 18 matches away from home.

7.16pmStoke come into this match on a strong run of form, having lost just one of their last seven league outings, conceding just six goals in that time.

7.13pmWhile Man City have not beaten Stoke at the Britannia since the Potters' were promoted to the Premier League in 2008, the champions' Twitter feed points out that it's been 16 years since they won there in any league fixture:

7.10pmMeanwhile, Hughes told reporters that he expects his side's opponents to miss Toure: "We're aware of the stats concerning Toure. He's a huge influence on the group, and I don't think anybody is surprised by that. He's a game changer, even if the side itself is not functioning too well, and on those occasions when he isn't functioning too well, he still has the capacity to come up with an outstanding piece of individual skill that can win games for his team."

7.07pmAhead of this evening's match, Pellegrini said at his pre-match press conference: "They are a very good team, not only at this moment, they are always a very difficult team, especially playing at the Britannia. But we are going to go as we always do when we play away, to try and win the three points from the first minute."

7.04pmStoke City have already beaten Manchester City once this season, clinching a 1-0 win at the Etihad earlier this season. As a result, Man City have won three of their last five matches against the Potters, with the other ending in a defeat and a draw for Pellegrini's side.

7.01pmMark Hughes has been explaining why Walters is out of the squad this evening:

6.58pmMeanwhile, Mark Hughes makes three change to his side as Marko Arnautovic returns from injury, while Peter Crouch is back in place of Jonathan Walters, who misses out with an injury, and Geoff Cameron comes into the back four.

6.55pmSo the champions make two changes for their trip to the Britannia. James Milner returns to the starting lineup after scoring the equaliser against Hull at the weekend, while Aleksander Kolarov is preferred to Martin Demichelis at the back. Africa Cup of Nations winners Yaya Toure and Wilfried Bony are yet to return from their win over Ghana on Sunday.

6.52pmMAN CITY SUBSTITUTES: Caballero, Demichelis, Sagna, Navas, Lampard, Dzeko, Jovetic

6.51pmSTOKE CITY SUBSTITUTES: Butland, Palacios, Adam, Sidwell, Teixeira, Wilkinson, Shenton

6.50pmMAN CITY STARTING XI: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Mangala, Kolarov, Fernando, Fernandinho, Nasri, Milner, Silva, Aguero

6.48pmSTOKE CITY STARTING XI: Begovic, Cameron, Wollscheid, Muniesa, Bardsley, Arnautovic, Nzonzi, Whelan, Moses, Diouf, Crouch

6.47pmGood evening! It's an hour until kickoff at the Britannia Stadium, where Stoke City will be hoping to make it seven seasons unbeaten against Manchester City. The teams have just been announced, so let's take a look at the squads.
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