Good evening! Thank you very much for joining
Sports Mole for tonight's Premier League clash between
Manchester City and
Cardiff City at the Etihad Stadium!
These two sides are at opposite ends of the table as we close in on the end of the campaign, with Man City able to move back to the top of the table tonight whereas time is running out for relegation-threatened Cardiff. Cardiff are huge odds to pick up a victory today, but they may have some glimmer of hope after pushing Chelsea so close last time out.
Man City are a different prospect altogether at the Etihad Stadium, though, and it would surely be the shock of the season if the Bluebirds manage to get anything out of this one.
Kickoff is in just five minutes, so let's have a quick look at the team news before we get underway...
MAN CITY STARTING XI: Ederson; Danilo, Stones, Laporte, Zinchenko; Fernandinho, Foden, De Bruyne; Sane, Mahrez, G Jesus
SUBS: Muric, Walker, Kompany, Sterling, Gundogan, Bernardo, D Silva
CARDIFF STARTING XI: Etheridge; Peltier, Morrison, Ecuele Manga, Bennett; Gunnarsson, Ralls, Hoilett, Camarasa, Murphy; Niasse
SUBS: B Murphy, Zohore, Reid, Bacuna, Cunningham, Mendez-Laing, Harris
KICKOFF: Man City get us underway at the Etihad!
CLOSE! Thirty seconds on the clock and Man City are within a whisker of breaking the deadlock already! De Bruyne picks the ball up on the right before working space for a cross and passing the ball right across the six-yard box. Jesus is slightly on his heels, though, and just cannot reach it for a simple finish.
As expected, Man City have taken almost complete control of the ball in the opening exchanges here. Cardiff have made one break forward with Niasse winning a corner, but other than that they have been camped in their own half so far.
SAVE! Etheridge is forced into a smart save here as he gets down quickly to his right to keep out Mahrez's low strike, which took a deflection off Manga on the way through.
GOAL! MAN CITY 1-0 CARDIFF (KEVIN DE BRUYNE)
© Reuters
GOAL! Even six minutes in, this has been coming - although perhaps not in this fashion!
De Bruyne is played in down the left channel and looks set to put a cross into the middle, but he instead fires the ball into the roof of the net, beating the keeper from a seemingly impossible angle. The keeper shouldn't be beaten from there, but you'd give De Bruyne the benefit of the doubt that he meant it.
This is looking very ominous for Cardiff already. Again City break forward and this time Sane puts a dangerous low cross into the box which is just too far in front of the man at the back post.
YELLOW CARD! Bennett picks up an early booking for a trip to prevent a quick counter. Free kick in a very dangerous position here...
SAVE! Sane goes on the goalkeeper's side and gets it on target, but it is comfortable enough for Etheridge.
Man City look like scoring almost every time they come forward at the moment. There isn't too much new about that, of course, but they look right on their game tonight.
The ultimate fast starters...
Man City make this look so easy. Laporte clips a pass over for Zinchenko down the left and he turns the ball into the box, but Morrison recovers well to clear behind for a corner.
CHANCE! Cardiff are having enough trouble without gifting Man City chances like this! Manga should let the ball go behind from a cross but instead tries to hook it clear, only putting it into a dangerous area. The ball falls to Jesus, but his snapshot is over the crossbar.
The hosts look like they will be forced into an early change here, with Zinchenko going down and holding his hamstring. Kyle Walker is set to replace him.
MAN CITY SUB: Sure enough there is the change - Walker on for Zinchenko. That should send Danilo over to the left.
Important challenge from Ralls inside his own area as the ball almost fell kindly to De Bruyne, who had it stolen off his toe by the Cardiff midfielder.
Cardiff just cannot keep the ball at the moment. On the rare occasions Man City do lose the ball, they are getting it back within seconds.
Pass after pass from Man City, but Cardiff do at least seem to have stemmed the tide of chances from the opening exchanges. They are looking a lot more solid defensively now.
CLOSE! Almost a second for Man City, with De Bruyne again heavily involved. He advances down the left once more before beating two defenders with a neat Cruyff turn inside the area. He then tries to pick out a pass to Jesus in the middle, but the ball bobbles narrowly wide off a mixture of the Man City striker and Cardiff defender.
SHOT! Man City win the ball back inside the Cardiff half yet again and Foden pounces on it before advancing and firing a rising effort over the crossbar.
Here is the only goal of the game so far - make your own minds up about whether he meant it or not...
SHOT! Fernandinho is the next to find himself in shooting space just outside the area, but he too clears the crossbar with a rising effort.
Man City have gone off the boil since their bright start, and the crowd is a little flat as well right now. Many of them may be taking this win for granted, but while the scoreline remains just 1-0 Cardiff are very much in the game.
YELLOW CARD! Peltier goes into the book for a challenge on behind on Foden, gifting away another free kick in a dangerous area.
SHOT! Sane again gets the nod for the free kick ahead of De Bruyne and he gets plenty of movement and power behind the strike, but not quite enough dip and the ball sails over the bar.
It looked like this would be a case of how many City would score during the opening exchanges, but for the last 20 minutes or so they have been largely limited to long-range efforts off target.
UPDATE: There has been a goal in one of the other Premier League games taking place tonight, and it is Chelsea who have it against Brighton through Olivier Giroud - good news for Cardiff in the relegation battle.
CHANCE! Huge chance for the hosts to double their lead as they slice Cardiff open on the counter. De Bruyne again leads the charge before giving the ball to Jesus, but the Belgian wants it back whereas Jesus sees his effort well saved by Etheridge at the near post. De Bruyne would have been left with a simple finish, but you can understand Jesus going for goal.
Cardiff will be pretty pleased with themselves if they reach half time with just a one-goal deficit here. They have been on the back foot from the very first whistle and have offered nothing in attack, but defensively they have largely contained this free-scoring City side.
GOAL! MAN CITY 2-0 CARDIFF (LEROY SANE)
GOAL! Man City finally have their second goal as Mahrez works space to cross from the right and stands it up to the back post, where Jesus unselfishly chests it back to Sane.
The Cardiff defenders cannot get out quickly enough, and Sane lashes his first-time half-volley into the bottom far corner - a very crisp finish.
There will be two minutes of added time at the end of this first half.
HALF TIME: MANCHESTER CITY 2-0 CARDIFF
The first half comes to an end at the Etihad Stadium and, as expected, Manchester City are in complete control of the contest - although you wouldn't feel that it was a must-win game in the title race from the atmosphere inside the stadium.
The hosts have dominated from the first whistle and deserve their two-goal lead, but Cardiff improved as the half went on and the late goal at the end of the half would have been a hammer blow for them.
It took less than six minutes for the opening goal to arrive as Man City once again came flying out of the blocks, with De Bruyne breaking the deadlock in unorthodox fashion early on.
The Belgian looked set to cross the ball in for Jesus to convert from close range, and Etheridge had also anticipated that, but he instead picked out the roof of the net from what looked like an impossible angle on his left foot. Whether he meant it or not, only he knows.
Man City toiled for much of the rest of the half as they struggled to break down a much-improved Cardiff defence, although they remained in complete control and eventually doubled their lead just before the interval.
It was a very well-worked goal too as Mahrez stood the ball up to the back post where Jesus chested it into the path of Sane, who drilled a low first-time effort into the bottom corner.
Cardiff would have been content with their first-half display had that second goal not gone in, but despite some admirable defending they could quite easily still be further behind.
Jesus has missed one particularly good chance, while De Bruyne has also been instrumental in creating a few more openings too. The worry for the visitors now will be that the floodgates could open in the second half.
Here is Sane's second goal, including that smart piece of play from Jesus to tee him up...
KICKOFF: Cardiff get us back underway for the start of the second half!
It is so flat inside the Etihad tonight - the fans expect to win this one but even so the importance of victory should be raising those decibels levels higher!
Once again it has been all Man City in the opening exchanges of this second half - no sign of the pattern of this game changing after the interval.
CHANCE! Big chance for Man City, thwarted by a big save from Etheridge! Fernandinho slides a pass through to Foden, whose touch leaves him with only the keeper to beat inside the area, but Etheridge is quick off his line to make the save.
YELLOW CARD! Ralls is the latest player in the book for something closer to a rugby tackle on De Bruyne, preventing him from racing clear.
CLOSE! De Bruyne whips the resulting free kick into the box and Fernandinho gets across his man to glance a header goalwards, but it bounces a couple of yards wide.
De Bruyne has run the show tonight. He has had an injury-plagued campaign which has affected his form when on the pitch, but this has been him at his very best.
UPDATE: Son Heung-min is a history-maker! The Korean has just scored the first ever competitive goal at the new Tottenham stadium, giving Spurs the lead against Crystal Palace.
CHANCE! Half a chance for Laporte here as he rising fairly unchallenged in the area, but puts his header off target when he perhaps should have done better.
CARDIFF SUB: A first change of the night for the visitors as Murphy is replaced by Nathaniel Mendez-Laing.
SHOT! It all opens up for De Bruyne and he puts his laces through the ball from 25 yards, but his well-struck shot zips just past the post.
UPDATE: Eden Hazard has doubled Chelsea's lead over Brighton, so it doesn't look like Cardiff will be falling any further adrift of safety tonight.
CLOSE! De Bruyne has caused havoc down the left tonight and this time his low cross is turned just wide of the post by Morrison, who is one revealed captain!
SAVE! Man City continue to pile the pressure on and Mahrez is the next to have a go, curling an effort towards goal which Etheridge pushes away.
CHANCE! Brilliant from the Cardiff keeper! Foden swings a cross into the box and Laporte looks certain to score as he meets it with a firm downward header. It is just too close to Etheridge, though, and reacts really well to flick it away with a strong hand.
UPDATE: Chelsea have a third against Brighton to surely kill the game off now, and it is Ruben Loftus-Cheek - who got the winner against Cardiff at the weekend - who gets it.
SAVE! Etheridge is a busy keeper at the moment! Mahrez powers an effort towards goal which the Cardiff keeper gets a glove on, sending it looping up into the air. It looks for a moment as though it might drop in, but it hits the top of the bar on its way behind.
SAVE! ANOTHER save for the keeper to make as he turns Sane's effort wide at the near post!
OFF THE POST! How have Man City not scored a third during this spell? This time they do find a way past Etheridge, but not the woodwork as Foden does really well to hook a volley goalwards, only to see it come back off the post!
SAVE! Foden is denied again, this time by Etheridge who is at full stretch to turn the youngster's goalbound effort past the post. Relentless attacking from Man City right now.
That is NINE saves Etheridge has made already tonight - although it feels like he has made that many in the last five minutes alone!
SAVE! The crowd goes wild - Cardiff have just had a shot on target! Niasse cuts inside and lines up a left-footed effort on the edge of the box which Ederson comfortably gathers. The Cardiff fans celebrate it like a goal!
In fairness, it is worth celebrating. Incredibly that is the first shot on target Man City have faced in the league since March 9, and only their second in their last four top-flight outings.
Camarasa swings a corner into the box which Morrison meets, but his header loops wide of the target.
CHANCE! Big chance for that elusive third goal as Fernandinho slides the ball into De Bruyne, who plays a low ball into the middle. Jesus tries to be too clever, though, attempting a flick and putting the ball wide when perhaps a more orthodox finish would have suited him better.
CARDIFF SUB: Another change for the Bluebirds as Leandro Bacuna replaces Aron Gunnarsson.
Laporte is the latest to try his luck, but this time Etheridge is not needed as the French defender drags a poor effort well off target.
CARDIFF SUB: A third and final change for Cardiff as Bobby Reid replaces Camarasa.
UPDATE: Spurs look on course for victory at their brand new home, with Christian Eriksen having doubled their advantage against Crystal Palace.
CHANCE! What a chance for Cardiff to pull a goal back! They clear a free kick and immediately spring the two-on-one counter. Mendez-Laing carries it forward before finding Niasse, who benefits from a Walker slip to leave him with only the keeper to beat. However, he hesitates over his finish for far too long and Ederson comes out to smother the ball!
De Bruyne has just been announced in the stadium as the man of the match, and there are no complaints from me. The Belgian has been brilliant tonight.
There will be two minutes of added time at the end of this match.
FULL TIME: MANCHESTER CITY 2-0 CARDIFF CITY
For the second match in a row it is easy as you like for Man City, although again they 'only' manage two goals when they should have scored more - perhaps more a sign of the high expectations they have set for themselves than anything else.
Victories are the only important thing at this stage of a season, though, and goals from De Bruyne and Sane send Man City back to the top of the Premier League table while Cardiff remain five points from safety in the final relegation spot.
Right, that is all we have time for this evening!
Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for tonight's clash as Man City cruise to victory over Cardiff and regain top spot in the process. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction too.
From me, though, it is goodbye for now!
