Player ratings: Manchester City v Wigan Athletic
Hart – Pulled out a top class diving save to deny James McCarthy. At other times it was a relief to see Wigan miss the target. 7
Richards – Could have seen red for diving in at full speed on Man United loanee Tom Cleverley. Otherwise steady as he returns from injury. 6
Kompany – A welcome return with the only sign of rustiness being a clearance straight to an opponent in the first half. The partnership with Lescott looks very promising. 7
Lescott – Aside from the heart stopping moment when Sammon got away in the last minute this was another strong performance. Love the way Joleon wins every header. 7
Zabaleta – Kept Moses quiet for the most part. Less successful with N’Zogbia. It shows how tiredness is catching up with the players when Pablo goes down with cramp. 6
Barry – Off the pace and regularly gave the ball away (only 58 out of 73 passes completed compared to Vieira’s 53 from 58). The return of de Jong and Milner will hopefully give Gareth a break. 5
Vieira – Playing alongside Barry made Patrick look like the world class midfielder of yesteryear. Consistently used the ball well, and his experience was key in helping us see out the victory. 7
Y Toure – Started out on the flanks and linked up well with others. After the promising start Yaya’s influence steadily faded as we ceased to be an attacking force. 6
Silva (De Jong 82 mins) – Ran the first half but was less effective in the second. It was still a shame to see him go off, as he was the player most likely to create a second goal. 7
Tevez (Dzeko 85 mins) – Worked hard without always getting the rewards. Constantly ‘encouraging’ his team-mates to play higher up the pitch during the second half. 6
Balotelli (Kolarov 67 mins) – Looked more settled in a City shirt during the first half, where there always seemed the threat of him scoring with something spectacular. If he can stay involved throughout, then anything is possible. 6
Subs:
Kolarov – Didn’t shore up the left flank as was hoped. Managed to put in a couple of decent corners. 6
De Jong – Great to see him back, even if he didn’t have a great deal of impact. 6
Dzeko – When brought on to help close the game out, it’s essential to hold the ball up. Trying neat little touches that lose possession is no help to anyone. 5
Man of the match: Silva again produced the most quality, but for helping us close the game out the award goes to Patrick Vieira.