Mancini takes responsibility for City slump
EVERTON 1 vs MAN CITY 0
DEJECTED Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini accepted responsibility for his side’s damaging defeat at Goodison Park last night and admitted he had underestimated the challenge Everton would provide.
Everton’s recent signing from Manchester United Darron Gibson provided his former employers’ title hopes with a shot in the arm, scoring the only goal of an absorbing contest and inflicting upon City their third Premier League defeat of the season.
A Samir Nasri shot which struck the crossbar midway through the first half aside, City rarely threatened and tamely surrendered their three-point cushion at the top.
Afterwards, a subdued Mancini shouldered the blame for his side’s tepid display and billed their next league game, against Fulham on Saturday, a must-win fixture.
“I think maybe I thought it would be easier to play Everton,” Mancini said. “My players put everything on the pitch but we played a bad game. We are on the top of the table but it’s very important to win the next game from our point of view. We knew December and January were difficult months.”
The decisive moment arrived on the hour mark when Landon Donovan laid Leighton Baines’s cross into the path of Gibson and the Irishman’s crisp shot deflected off Gareth Barry and beyond Joe Hart.