Manchester City have cruised to a 3-0 win over West Bromwich Albion at the Etihad Stadium after the visitors were reduced to 10 men less than two minutes into this afternoon's match.
There was controversy with just over a minute gone when Gareth McAuley was sent off by mistake after Neil Swarbrick dismissed the wrong player, believing the midfielder to be responsible for Craig Dawson's last-man foul on Wilfried Bony.
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The home side soon started to dominate proceedings against the 10 men of West Brom, but Boaz Myhill pulled off a series of saves to deny Frank Lampard and David Silva.
Sergio Aguero and Lampard both fired wide as the home side continued to pile forward, but West Brom had numbers back to limit their opportunities.
The hosts continued to create chances though, and finally broke the deadlock just before the half-hour mark when Bony picked out the top corner after a run from Fernando.
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City doubled their lead just before half time after misses from Gael Clichy and Jesus Navas, with Jonas Olsson failing to clear the ball to leave Fernando to blast it in.
Aguero pushed hard at the start of the second half as he tried to make it three for Manuel Pellegrini's side, but Myhill made another save, while Bony put the rebound just wide.
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The keeper continued to come under pressure as the champions sensed a chance to run up the score, but Silva was denied by the Welsh international before Aguero blasted the ball straight into his hands.
The woodwork came to the rescue for the Baggies as they tried to keep themselves in the match, with Aguero thinking that he had beaten Myhill, only to see his lobbed effort come back off the bar.
Stevan Jovetic came close as the home side pinned West Brom back in their own half again, but his low, curling effort was just wide of the post.
West Brom rattled the woodwork themselves shortly after as Olsson tried to make amends for his error in the run-up to the second goal, flicking the ball on for Saido Berahino, but the striker could only hit it against the crossbar.
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The visitors were punished for the missed opportunity just a couple of minutes later when Clichy made a charge down the left before crossing it in, leaving Silva to chip it into the bottom corner.
Edin Dzeko came close to making it four in stoppage time, but his 20-yard effort flew just wide of the post to leave the winning margin at three.
The result cuts the gap to league leaders Chelsea to three points, while West Brom sit 13th.
Sian Cowper
