Premier League champions Manchester City got back to winning ways in the league this afternoon, triumphing 3-1 over Queens Park Rangers.
The hosts had fond memories from this fixture last season as it saw them clinch the title, and today's match was almost as exciting.
City dominated throughout, but struggled to kill off a resilient QPR side, who gave Mancini's men a scare on a couple of occasions.
Here, Sports Mole dissects City's 3-1 win.
Match Statistics:
Man City:
Shots: 19
On target: 12
Possession: 54%
Fouls: 12
Corners: 8
QPR:
Shots: 9
On target: 5
Possession: 46%
Fouls: 3
Corners: 3
Was the result fair?
The only unfair thing about the result was that it wasn't a bigger margin of victory. City were utterly dominant for the vast majority of the match. QPR's equaliser came from nothing, and they had a short spell where they dominated, but other than that it was one way traffic.
Man City's performance
Despite their dominance there is definite room for improvement for Mancini's men. They looked assured in possession, but whether they would look quite as comfortable against Manchester United I'm not so sure. They will also need to address their problem of conceding - this now makes it five in three games this season.
QPR's performance
They were passengers for much of the match, and by no means played well, but Mark Hughes won't too angry with his players. Most teams in the league, particuarly those with the possibility of relegation, will go to the Etihad and defend. That is what QPR did, and despite conceding three times they did it quite well. They got a goal out of nothing, which Hughes will be delighted with, but he will be equally as disappointed that they let the lead slip so soon afterwards. A mixed bag for him really.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Carlos Tevez. Love him or hate him, the man is a huge asset to have. His hunger for the ball is insatiable and he will never give up - as shown by the assist for Dzeko's goal. His goal was very fortunate, but he worked hard enough to earn it.
Biggest gaffe
There weren't many gaffes, so Joe Hart is the unlucky man to get this today. It may be harsh to even call this a gaffe. Andy Johnson's fierce strike was well saved by Hart, but the ball fell easily to Zamora, who nodded home the equaliser. Hart will be disappointed not to have tipped the ball over the bar, instead pretty much handing a goal to the opposition.
Referee's performance
Solid match for Chris Foy. No really big decisions to make, something that he'll no doubt be happy with. A note, too, for the linesman who correctly ruled that Tevez was onside for his goal, although he initially looked like he was off.
What next?
Man City: City's next match comes at home to Stoke on Saturday, before they travel to the Bernabeu to take on Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday.
QPR: Things get no easier for QPR, meanwhile, as they face league leaders Chelsea at Loftus Road next Saturday.
Barney Corkhill
