Carlos Tevez returned to Manchester City colours
but Roberto Mancini's side showed they no longer need
to rely on the Argentinian for goals with a fluent display
in beating Bolton to go top of the fledgling Barclays
Premier League table.
By the time the wantaway Argentinian came on as a second-half
substitute, City had scored three times through first-half
goals from David Silva, with a shot Jussi Jaaskelainen
should certainly have saved, and Gareth Barry, and another
right at the start of the second half from Edin Dzeko.
The only negative for Mancini was that City allowed
Bolton to stay in the game, Ivan Klasnic reducing the
deficit just after Barry's superb strike and Kevin Davies
netting the final goal of the game in the 62nd minute.
The hosts, who like City had won 4-0 on the opening
day of the season, kept battling away but there was
no doubt the visitors fully deserved the three points
to take with them on the short journey home down the
M61.
Wanderers were certainly eager to stamp their mark
on the game early on but as well as being firm in the
tackle they were also troubling City with the speed
of their attacks.
Chris Eagles tested Joe Hart with a curling free-kick
from 25 yards inside four minutes while Zat Knight shot
just past the post after a corner rebounded to him.
City's first incisive attack could have brought the
first goal with 15 minutes gone as Silva and Aleksandar
Kolarov combined to set up James Milner but Jaaskelainen
was out smartly and pulled off a good stop.
Sergio Aguero was given his first start after his stunning
showing as a substitute on his debut against Swansea,
but he was badly off target as he turned Dzeko's cross
over the bar from 10 yards out.
With 25 minutes gone, City did take the lead, although
only Jaaskelainen will know how Silva's dipping effort
from 20 yards evaded his clutches.
City thought they had scored a second five minutes
later when Micah Richards crossed for Aguero to tuck
away only for referee Mike Jones to penalise the full-back
for a nudge on Martin Petrov.
Mancini's side were certainly bossing things now, though,
and Aguero missed another very presentable chance, heading
wide from a cross by the impressive Dzeko.
Bolton were struggling to cope and they were two down
with eight minutes to go in the first half through a
goal of real quality from Barry, who gave Jaaskelainen
no chance with a drive into the top corner from 25 yards.
However, Bolton grabbed an unlikely foothold in the
game less then two minutes later when a cross from former
City winger Petrov was tucked away neatly by Klasnic.
What Bolton needed was a good start to the second half
but they got exactly the opposite as Dzeko seized on
a flick from Milner before holding off Knight and drilling
a shot past Jaaskelainen less than two minutes after
the resumption.
It was no less than the Bosnian deserved for his impressive
all-round display and City continued to pour forward,
with the adventurous Kolarov seeing a shot deflected
wide.
However, just when it was beginning to look like a
case of how many City would score, Bolton found the
net again courtesy of a trademark Davies header from
Petrov's free-kick in the 62nd minute.
The one player who was not really impressing for City
was Aguero and with 22 minutes to go he was replaced
by Tevez, who received a rapturous reception from the
visiting fans despite his wish to leave the club.
City threatened again as Silva, who had been at the
heart of all their best play, saw a close-range shot
brilliantly blocked by Knight while substitute Adam
Johnson jinked his way into the Bolton box but pulled
his shot just wide of the far post.
Tevez had been very quiet since coming on and it took
until injury time for a flash of his talents as he ran
purposefully into the box but the eventual shot was
weak.
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