Manchester City kept the pressure on Premier League leaders Chelsea on Saturday with a 2-1 win at home to Swansea City.
The Swans struck first when Wilfried Bony gave them a ninth-minute lead, but Stevan Jovetic netted soon after to make it level at the break.
The champions dominated for much of the second half and their patience was rewarded on the hour as Yaya Toure scored the winning goal.
Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the action between the two sides at the Etihad Stadium.
Match statistics
Man City
Shots: 23
On target: 10
Possession: 60%
Corners: 7
Fouls: 13
Swansea
Shots: 8
On target: 3
Possession: 40%
Corners: 3
Fouls: 9
Was the result fair?
It was not always pretty from a Manchester City perspective, but the stats tell you that they dominated the encounter and came away with a deserved victory. While Swansea huffed and puffed, their influence on the match waned as the afternoon drifted on.
Man City's performance
The champions took a while to get going, but, once Jovetic made it 1-1, they looked more dominant and assured. That said, this was not a consistent display from City. There were a few instances where they looked nervous due to the precarious nature of their lead, while Swansea made them sweat towards the end of the match with some slick counter-attacking football. However, this performance is likely to please Manuel Pellegrini in the sense that they can go into Tuesday's clash with Bayern Munich in the Champions League having made a return to winning ways. It was not always pleasing on the eye, but they got the three points that they needed.
Swansea's performance
The Swans started the match in impressive fashion thanks to their smooth passing and movement, but things began to take a turn for the worse when Man City got their equaliser midway through the first half. From that moment on, it was a case of all hands on deck for Garry Monk's side, who rarely threatened at the other end of the pitch. They did well to hold out for as long as they did, though Toure's goal on the hour had an air of inevitability about it. Swansea posed more of a danger late on as the hosts got nervous, and they could well have snatched a point but for a poor miss from Bafetimbi Gomis. Having put on such a spirited show to beat Arsenal last time out, this was a disappointing afternoon for the Welsh team.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Samir Nasri: On a day when City's midfield struggled to click, Nasri's persistence and creativity helped to spur them on. His passing was usually on the money, while his slippery movement in and around the penalty area caused Swansea problems. With David Silva missing through injury, the Frenchman did a good job of filling the void.
Biggest gaffe
Gomis had a great chance to snatch a point for Swansea at the death when he was sent clean through on goal, but the substitute impotently prodded the ball the wrong side of the post. It was the away team's best opening of the match and he really should have done better.
Referee performance
Neil Swarbrick struggled to keep a lid on things during the first half as the two teams showed plenty of aggression, but he improved after the break as the game became a more free-flowing affair. There were one or two soft free kicks that he was guilty of blowing up for, though these did not dictate the pace of the match.
What next?
Man City: The Blues play a crucial match in the Champions League on Tuesday when they host Bayern Munich in Group E.
Swansea: The Swans are back in Premier League action next Saturday with the visit of Crystal Palace.
Jack Prescott
