City’s class tells against new-look QPR
Manchester City 3 QPR 1
Second-half goals from Edin Dzeko and Carlos Tevez secured a deserved victory for Manchester City.
QPR were trailing to Yaya Toure’s 16th-minute opener and being totally outclassed when Bobby Zamora equalised by heading into an unguarded net after Andrew Johnson’s shot had been parried by keeper Joe Hart.
City’s lead was restored less than two minutes later, when Dzeko nodded home Tevez’s left-wing cross.
But Rangers rallied in the closing stages and Ryan Nelsen had two good chances before Tevez diverted Dzeko’s shot into the net in injury time.
Earlier, Toure netted from close range after QPR were unable to clear David Silva’s corner, and Pablo Zabaleta fired against the bar after being set up by Silva as the Premier League champions kept their beleaguered opponents under the cosh.
But they switched off and Zamora’s goal – his third in as many matches – brought back memories of the final-day encounter between these teams in May, when Rangers came from behind to lead 2-1 before City clinched the title with a late double.
This time though Roberto Mancini’s men hit back almost straightaway.
Estaban Granero, who this week joined Rangers from Real Madrid, was handed a debut by manager Mark Hughes and his deliveries from set-pieces were his new team’s only attacking threat for much of the match.
The Spaniard played in midfield alongside Alejandro Faurlin and there were also starting places for Johnson and former City favourite Shaun Wright-Phillips, with Junior Hoilett dropping to the bench.
Another ex-City man, Nedum Onuoha, came on as a second-half substitute for the injured Anton Ferdinand.
With Rangers 2-1 down and enjoying a decent spell of pressure, Onuoha’s far-post header from Granero’s corner fell for Nelsen and the New Zealander missed a golden opportunity to equalise by volleying wide.
And Nelsen was then unable to connect after Granero’s free-kick eluded both Joleon Lescott and Hart.
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