Roberto Mancini pleased with resurgent City side
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini was pleased to overcome West Bromwich Albion on Sunday, 7 November, after a series of disappointing results for the club.
Premier League newcomers West Brom, who knocked City out of the Carling Cup on 26 October and have troubled the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United in the league this season, were beaten by two first-half strikes from City's Mario Balotelli.
Mancini will be particularly pleased with the victory after suffering three successive defeats in Europe and the Premier League. The team's next league fixture comes against local rivals United on Wednesday, 10 November.
"In the end we got what we want with a great win here. I'm very happy with my players," the manager told
The Sun after the victory, which saw City retain fourth place in the table with 20 points, five short of leaders Chelsea. "It was very important to win going into the derby [on Wednesday], we are in a good position now. We can get second position maybe
after that game. We played a fantastic game."
On the hour mark of the game, Balotelli picked up two bookings in quick succession, resulting in a dismissal that ruled him out of the derby against United.
But Mancini, who made ten changes to the starting eleven he fielded against Lech Poznan on Thursday, 4 November, will be comfortable rotating his personnel ahead of United's visit.
"It was a good performance from us with 10 men. The Premier League is long and every game is difficult, that makes it more difficult. When you play every three days, if you don't change the players, it's too tough."
Toure brothers want to win
Rumours of internal conflicts have surrounded City this season. But Mancini, commenting on Kolo and Yaya Toure's heated exchange in the second half against West Brom, insisted that the brothers' argument only showed their determination to win the game.
"I'm happy with them arguing on the pitch. It's better we argue there, it shows we want to win. It's better they do that than stay silent."
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