Blackpool 2 Manchester City 3:IN FINANCIAL terms this was football's equivalent of David versus Goliath, although we know enough about Blackpool by now not to be surprised that their artillery was far more advanced than a sling and stone.
Carlos Tevez, aided and abetted by David Silva, finally demonstrated the imbalance of talent that exists between the richest club in the Premier League and the poorest but it was an epic struggle for Manchester City against opponents who could be forgiven for thinking themselves a touch unfortunate.
As has been the case all season, Blackpool played without the hint of an inferiority complex, except on this occasion they came up against a striker at the point of his maximum expression. Tevez’s two goals were another reminder of his worth to Roberto Mancini, the manager who has made him captain but with whom he has an occasionally volatile relationship, the two men embroiled in a finger-jabbing exchange at half-time of their previous match against Newcastle United.
Silva’s individual effort was the most exhilarating moment of a match in which all five goals arrived in the last 25 minutes but Tevez’s contribution was the most telling as City moved back to second in the league, two points behind Chelsea.
The Argentinian has a magnetic attraction to controversy sometimes but he retains an unerring knack for delivering goals accompanied with a sense of drama. His second, after 79 minutes, came within 60 seconds of the Blackpool substitute Marlon Harewood flicking a header beyond Joe Hart to make it 1-1.
Ian Holloway’s side had deserved to be level and could have been forgiven at that point for thinking they could go on to win the match but Tevez nibbled away
at the centre-half Ian Evatt and coaxed a stumble. The striker was on the ball in a flash, driving a left-foot shot past Matthew Gilks for his seventh goal of the season and one that came so quickly after Harewood’s equaliser it was utterly demoralising for their opponents.
Mancini reflected afterwards that he had been disappointed with the first-half performance and, even though there was a notable improvement after the break, it still felt like an unorthodox victory given there were long periods when City resembled a work in progress, struggling to find any fluency or cohesion.
Perhaps it might be fairer to credit that to Blackpool’s performance. Charlie Adam was outstanding but he is far from alone in that tangerine shirt when it comes to wanting the ball and doing the right thing with it. David Vaughan was equally impressive, gifted in possession and understanding the importance of moving the ball quickly. Luke Varney created problems for Jerome Boateng whereas Vincent Kompany, probably City’s most impressive defender this season, found DJ Campbell a difficult and elusive opponent.
Holloway will reflect on that moment, nine minutes into the second half, when Campbell stabbed the first clear chance of the match a couple of yards wide and, a minute later, when Gary Taylor-Fletcher turned in Adam’s pass only for the goal to be disallowed because his team-mate Elliot Grandin was ruled offside, despite not touching the ball.
“We’re getting bo-diddly-squat every week (from the officials),” Holloway complained, his mood not helped by the fact that, when Tevez turned in Silva’s cross for the opening goal, it was not only in the midst of Blackpool’s most dangerous spell but from a marginally offside position.
Ultimately Tevez’s finishing was a reminder for Blackpool that opponents in this league will be far more ruthless than in the Championship. The paradox was that Tevez had a disappointing first half, often coming far too deep to get the ball, whereas Mancini strangely felt the need to praise Emmanuel Adebayor for his workrate. It felt charitable and was no surprise when Mancini replaced Adebayor for Silva, a substitution that was vindicated when the Spaniard created Tevez’s first goal barely a minute later.
For the rest of the match there were flashes of brilliance from Silva, culminating in the first minute of stoppage time when, in the most magical demonstration of his talent since signing from Valencia in the summer, he beat two defenders before curling a measured shot past Gilks to make it 3-1.
There was still time for another twist, Taylor-Fletcher prodding in Blackpool’s second, but the final few seconds held no more scares for Chelsea’s nearest challengers.
“We’re going to win the league,” the City supporters were singing.
Who would argue with them.
Guardian Service
