Aguero Pastikan Kemenangan Manchester City 2-0 atas West Ham
Aguero Strengthens City`s Grip on Top-four Place
Editor : Ismail Gani
Translator : Novita Cahyadi
London (B2B) - Manchester City meraih tiga poin untuk mendekati Manchester United di posisi ketiga klasemen sementara Liga Premier Inggris dengan selisih satu poin setelah menang 2-0 atas West Ham pada laga Minggu di Stadion Etihad, sebagai pelipur kekalahan pekan lalu.
Gol kemenangan The Citizen tercipta dari sundulan bunuh diri bek West Ham James Collins pada menit 18 dan sontekan Sergio Aguero pada menit 36.
Pada awal laga, pasukan Manuel Pellegrini melancarkan serangan dari sayap kiri melalui Jesus Navas namun umpan silangnya hanya menghasilkan sepak pojok, seperti dilansir Yahoo! Sports.
Lalui pada menit 11, penyerang City asal Argentina Sergio Aguero berhasil masuk kotak penalti dan melepaskan tendangan namun berhasil dihalau penjagwa gawang Adrian.
Manchester Biru mencetak gol ketika umpan diagonal Jesus Navas dari sayap kanan salah diantisipasi bek West Ham James Collins sehingga bola justru meluncur deras ke gawang tim asal London tersebut pada menit 18.
Umpan Fernando yang diteruskan Navas berhasil mencapai kaki Silva, namun tendangan gelandang serang timnas Spanyol itu diblok bek West Ham pada menit 26.
Aguero berhasil menggandakan keunggulan City setelah memaksimalkan umpan Jesus Navas pada menit 36. Skor 2-0 bertahan hingga jeda babak pertama.
Pada babak kedua menit 50, Aguero memiliki peluang matang setelah menerima sodoran Yaya Toure namun gagal dimaksimalkan menjadi gol.
Pada menit 75, David Silva terpaksa ditandu meninggalkan lapangan dengan alat bantu pernafasan setelah Cheikhou Kouyate menyikutnya. Posisi Silva digantikan Samir Nasri sementara Kouyate hanya diganjar kartu kuning oleh wasit Anthony Taylor.
Insiden cederanya Silva membuat petugas pertandingan memberikan waktu tambahan hingga sembilan menit, namun sampai laga berakhir skor 2-0 untuk City tidak berubah.
Kemenangan ini tidak mengubah peringkat City pada peringkat empat klasemen sementara dengan 64 poin atau selisih satu poin dengan Manchester United yang berada pada urutan tiga. Di sisi lain West Ham tertahan pada peringkat 10 dengan 43 poin dari 33 laga.
London - Manchester City climbed to within one point of third-placed neighbours United with a comfortable 2-0 Premier League victory over West Ham United on Sunday to end a difficult week on a high.
James Collins's freak own goal and Sergio Aguero's 20th league strike of the season secured a routine win and the only surprise was that City failed to add to their lead after the Argentine's 36th-minute effort.
The victory came after a bad week in which City were beaten 4-2 by United in the Manchester derby, prompting speculation about the future of manager Manuel Pellegrini and a number of leading players.
City playmaker David Silva was carried off on a stretcher in the second half with a head injury after he was caught by the elbow of Cheikhou Kouyate.
Champions City have 64 points, one behind United who lost 1-0 at Chelsea on Saturday, and two adrift of second-placed Arsenal who have a game in hand.
West Ham, who climbed as high as fourth in the table in December, remained 10th having won just one of their last 11 league matches.
City's Old Trafford defeat had prompted talk of the realignment of the balance of power in Manchester so the visit of a sliding West Ham side was timely.
The hosts fashioned a number of early chances with their slick passing but their breakthrough in the 18th minute came from an unlikely source.
The marauding Jesus Navas burst down the right flank and his low cross careered off defender Collins before looping over goalkeeper Adrian and deflecting in off the crossbar.
The second goal, however, was more eye-catching.
After intercepting a stray West Ham pass the hosts broke with searing pace and after exchanging passes with Navas, Aguero fired under Adrian.
Straight after halftime Aguero had an effort blocked by Karl Jenkinson and Aleksander Kolarov blazed wide.