Manchester City 1-1 West Brom: Pep Guardiola’s side held to frustrating draw

Ruben Diaz’s own goal was the first own goal allowed by Manchester City in a league of 608 minutes.

Under threat of relegation, West Brom picked up their first point since 2005 at Etihad Stadium thanks to two brilliant saves from goalkeeper Sam Johnstone who kept Manchester City off the field.

The city seemed on its way to Albion’s traditional home victory when Ilkay Gundogan opened the scoring after half an hour of Raheem Sterling’s pass.

But the midfielder’s first goal in 22 games was cancelled before half-time when, two minutes before the break, a Semi Ajayi header that seemed to have gone wide was deflected by Ruben Diaz and an insulted City Ederson goalkeeper.

It’s the first goal City has admitted in 608 minutes. Then the guests heroically defended themselves under Slaves Bilic.

But all this would have been useless without the effort of Johnstone, who first robbed Gundogan and then Sterling of a crazy finish.

West Brom will be very confident of the result, despite second place in the Premier League.

But it’s undoubtedly two points that the city didn’t expect: it’s still sixth, five points ahead of the first.

Fighting garbage bags for heading

The visitors have lost each of their last nine visits to Etihad Stadium and hopes were not particularly high on their last trip, as they have only won once this season and that victory – at home, at the bottom of the table, Sheffield United – is the only time they have avoided defeat in six games.

It’s not surprising that Bilic’s future was seriously discussed – or that the boss of Baggies seemed irritated when he tried to mobilize his team in an opening period that could hardly have been more one-sided.

The city owned 77% of the shares, but at the beginning of the first half there was a good chance that West Brom took over – and at the end of the first half acted carelessly.

With a limited budget, Bilic urged the board of Baggies to pay Huddersfield £15 million on the day of the deadline for rush hour Carlan Grant.

Returning a goal after nine games is not enough – and he won’t have many more chances than after seven minutes – just before the goal, ten meters out, with Ederson alone to win it.

Grant’s shot lacked conviction, he wasn’t close enough to the corner and saved the guard.

Ajayi’s deflected equalizer was unexpected, but it gave West Brom something to hold on to. Playing with Dara O’Shea, Ajayi distinguished herself in the second half.

Despite the lack of danger on the other hand, the collective performance of the visitors was much better than last season, when they scored 25 goals in their first 12 games, more than any other team.

And Johnstone’s heroism ultimately resulted in a tangible reward for the defenders’ efforts.

Offensive fighting for the city of Guardiola

There are still some very good players in town, but it seems that the losses of midfielder David Silva to Real Sociedad at the end of the season and Sergio Aguero, who was injured for much of the campaign, have robbed them of their main offensive threat.

With everything they had, the odds were clear against them. Benjamin Mendy and Rhodri missed their target and their efforts can be considered encouraging rather than threatening.

Sterling’s ingenuity enabled Gundogan to score a goal when he delayed his back pass long enough to put the German midfielder in the perfect spot, but City all too often chose the wrong option and ended up hitting a yellow and red wall in his jersey.

Johnstone denied Sterling the goal with a clever parry after the break, but when one desperate eviction was followed by another and block after block, the city boss, Pep Guardiola, became increasingly restless.

At one point, he almost chased the ball as he went out to maintain his team’s offensive momentum, and when the fourth official Anthony Taylor was about to indicate the minimum timeout, Guardiola stuck his head to the board in a funny way, as if he had misdialed the number.

Aguero, back on the couch after a gastro, gave City hope halfway through the second half. But Argentina missed their best chance after three minutes – and former Manchester United goalkeeper Johnstone did the rest.

The player of the game

JohnstoneSam Johnstone

West Bromwich Albion

1. Team number1 Player nameJohnstone
2. Team number6Player nameAjayi
3. Team number 27 Name of Fighter O’Shea…
4. Team number18 Player nameGallagher
5. Team number2Player’s nameFerlong
6. Team number3Player nameGibbs
7. Team number10Fillips Player name
8. Team number11 Player nameDyangana
9. Team number19 Player nameSawyers
10. Team number 8Player nameLivermore
11. Team number17Player nameKrovinovich
12. Team number15Player nameAustin
13. Team number22Peltier Player name
14. Team number29Player nameSubsidy

Portugal’s own targets up –Statistics

• The result ended in May 2018 with an eighth place in the Premier League against the promoted Manchester City after a goalless draw with Huddersfield.
• West Brom finished a 13-game losing streak in the Premier League against City, earning their first point since a 0-0 tie in December 2011.
• Albion also earned their first road point against the city since August 2005, ending a series of nine consecutive defeats at Etihad Stadium.
• The Spurs (30) have not played a home game since August 2019. The Athletes (30) have only won one home match so far.
• Ruben Diaz’s own goal was the first that the city has admitted in 10 hours and eight minutes in all matches since Giovani Lo Celso’s goal for Spurs last month.
• Dias is the third Portuguese player to score a Premier League goal this season after Helder Costa and Nelson Semedo. So far only three different Portuguese players have scored in their 27 seasons in the United League (twice Jose Bozingwa, Abel Xavier and Ricardo Rocha).
• Raheem Sterling has played in every Man City league under Pep Guardiola (95 goals, 53 assists), more than any other player since the arrival of the Spaniard in 2016.
• Ilkay Gundogan’s first goal was his first in 22 Premier League games since scoring against Leicester last December.

Lines

City of persons

• 31Ederson
• 27CancelledWritten for 45 miles.
• 3Rouben Diaz
• 6AkéBay at 90mins
• 22MendySubstituted for Wackerbei at 75’minutes
• 16Rhodri
• 8Gundogan
• 7Sterling
• 17De Bruyn
• 47FodenReplacement for Agueroin de 76’min
• 9 Gabriel Jesus

Replaces

• 2 walkers
• 10Agouro
• 13Steffen
• 14Port
• 20Bernardo Silva
• 21 Torres
• 26Mahrez

West Brom

• 1Johnstone
• 2Furlong.
• 6Ajayi
• 27O’Shea
• 3 GibbsBocage in 90 mines
• 19 Sawing machines
• 10PhillipsPeltier replacement within 87’minBocking within 90’min.
• 8 LivermoreReplacement for Krovinovic 80’min.
• 18GallagherBocking within 40Min.
• 11Dyangana
• 29GrantReplacement for Ostinat 70’minutes

Replaces

• 7Robinson.
• 13Grossicki
• 15Austin
• 17Krovinovich
• 20Ivanovich
• 22Peltier
• 25Key

Real-time text

1. The game ends, Manchester City 1, West Bromwich Albion 1.
2. End of the second half, Manchester City 1, West Bromwich Albion 1.
3. Nathan Ake (Manchester City) is booked for a bad offense.
4. Nathan Ake (Manchester City) is punished after he has committed an offence.
5. Filip Krovinovic (West Bromwich Albion) hits a free kick in half of the opponent.
6. Attempted rescue. Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)’s close-range header was stopped in the middle of the goal. Prepared by Kevin de Bruyne with a cross.
7. The attempt failed. Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City) hits his right foot of a free kick, but misses right up close.
8. Kieran Gibbs (West Bromwich Albion) has been booked by the referee.
9. Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) hits a free kick in the opposite half.
10. Romain Sawyers (West Bromwich Albion) is punished after committing an offence.
11. Attempt blocked. The header of Rúben Dias of Manchester City on the right side of the area was blocked. Assisted by Rodrigo with a cross.
12. Attempted rescue. Manchester City’s Ilkay Gundogan went from the left side of the area to the center of the goal. Prepared by Kevin de Bruyne with a cross.
13. Lee Peltier (West Bromwich Albion) has been booked by the referee.
14. The attempt failed. Sergio Aguero (Manchester City) shoots with his right foot from outside the box and fogs on the right side. After a short break he was joined by Raheem Sterling.
15. Alternative, West Bromwich Albion. Lee Peltier is replacing Matt Phillips.
16. Attempted rescue. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) rattles a right foot shot from outside the penalty area in the far corner.
17. Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City) hits his free kick in the far half.
18. Romain Sawyers (West Bromwich Albion) is punished after committing an offence.
19. Nathan Ake (Manchester City) is punished after he has committed an offence.
20. Charlie Austin (West Bromwich Albion) hits a free kick in half of the opponent.

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