Reading 0-2 Manchester City: Aguero & Dzeko get life without Mancini off to winning start

Posted Wednesday, May 15, 2013 by Goal.com

The visitors, with Brian Kidd in charge after the sacking of their manager the night before, see of Nigel Adkins's already-relegated side, doubling their lead late on

Sergio Aguero's first-half strike and Edin Dzeko's late goal were enough to give Manchester City a 2-0 win over Reading and guarantee second place in the Premier League.

The Argentine scored his 17th of the season just before half-time following one of several breathtaking passing moves, with the Bosnian firing home after a great David Silva pass, while the hosts could have been demolished if not for Alex McCarthy's superb display in goal.

Reading boss Nigel Adkins retained the starting XI from the 4-2 win over Fulham while Man City caretaker Brian Kidd made four changes from the side beaten by Wigan in the FA Cup final, with Micah Richards, Joleon Lescott, Kolo Toure and James Milner replacing Pablo Zabaleta, Matija Nastasic, Vincent Kompany and Samir Nasri.

Milner carved out a terrific chance after just three minutes, skipping past the midfield to lay a crisp pass to Sergio Aguero on the right hand side of the box, the Argentina drawing a solid double save from Alex McCarthy.

Seconds later McCarthy was called into action again, as he would be almost a dozen times before half time, this time having to save from David Silva.

The onslaught continued and Carlos Tevez set up Milner inside the box, the England international’s shot getting palmed away by McCarthy before Aguero’s strike on the rebound was blocked.

The hosts were able to break into the City half after a while and Hal Robson-Kanu had Joe Hart at full stretch with a great shot from long range.

The Royals were forcing themselves into the contest after a poor start and Garath McCleary forced Hart into another big save, the goalkeeper diving to his left hand side to palm away McCleary’s right-footed curler.

Tevez should have put City in front after half an hour but the Argentine mishit his shot from Yaya Toure’s dinked ball over the top.

Reading posed a large threat on the break and Robson-Kanu again tested Hart, this time with a placed effort from the edge of the box after McAnuff’s lay-off as the action swept from end to end.

Aguero finally put City into a deserved lead after 40 minutes, poking home from 10 yards after a tremendous passage of one-touch passing from a short corner by Milner and Silva.

It was almost two for City and Aguero a minute later but once again, McCarthy pulled off a great save to deny the striker.

Reading should have been level after five minutes of the second half, Pavel Pogrebnyak heading right at Hart from close range from a tasty right wing cross.

City broke immediately and Tevez glided into the box, perhaps taking a touch too many before his eventual shot was sent over for a corner.

The away side were playing some truly sublime stuff in attack and another slick move saw the ball fall to Yaya Toure, the big Ivorian forcing McCarthy into yet another great save.

City were inviting pressure and Reading almost made them pay for their missed chances, Adrian Mariappa with a good header from a cross that Hart managed to get a hold of.

McCarthy was the hero for Reading yet again, tipping Yaya Toure’s rising strike over the bar before Micah Richards’ bicycle kick bounced wide of the post.

Mariappa was a bother in the air all evening and he very nearly got an equaliser for his side, heading Danny Guthrie’s to the top corner only for Tevez to clear it off the line.

McCarthy had to make further saves from Clichy and Toure in the final minutes, capping off a phenomenal display of shot-stopping.

The goalkeeper was eventually beaten for a second time, substitute Dzeko firing past McCarthy after picking up a ball from Silva.