Liverpool have distanced themselves from a move for Inter Milan midfielder Wesley Sneijder, according to reports from Sky Sports.
It had been speculated that the Reds were preparing a late move to bring the Dutch international, who is rumoured to be on the verge of joining Galatasaray, to the Premier League.
The 28-year-old is set to leave the San Siro following a contractual dispute with his employers, which has led to a reported €10 bid from the Turkish club being accepted.
However, Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre ruled out the prospect of Sneijder moving to Anfield this month, insisting that there is no interest from the Merseysiders.
It had been suggested that the club would be unwilling to do a deal for financial reasons, with the playmaker’s weekly wages estimated to be in the region of £200,000.
But, Ayre stated that the money is in place for additions to the squad during the coming weeks:
“We don’t have any issues with finances, it is about doing what is best in the long-term interests of the football club, always.
“With the advent of financial fair play it means everyone should be running the club prudently and that does not mean not investing but investing wisely and at the right time, and we will always do that.”
He went on to suggest that the club have a number of potential signings in mind:
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“Everyone who operates in January knows it is always a difficult window, but we will do what we can.
“We have got targets in sight and if we can resolve those great, if not then we will move onto summer and do what we need to do.”
Tottenham Hotspur’s recent success under the stewardship of Andre Villas-Boas may have confounded the views of a fleeting majority amongst supporters, but the strides the club have made as a collective may well be going against the grain of a greater common footballing logic.
As opposed to supplanting the school of thought that merely applies to the footballing domain, Spurs’ current Premier League standing of just the two points behind second-placed Manchester City seems to contradict basic economic within this league. In its very most basic guise, those with more money will generally attain more success.
As glorious as their 2-1 win over Arsenal in yesterday’s North London derby may have been, it would still be somewhat naïve to cast the Lilywhites as a shoo-in for a top-three finish, but there’s every chance they could finish above both the Gunners and Chelsea come the end of the term in May. And if we’re adhering to the correlation between revenue and league placing, then Tottenham seem to be doing all they can to bamboozle base logic.
Indeed, although the men from N17 might currently be the third best team in England this season, in terms of revenue streams, they’re not even in the top five. They may have won the battle on the pitch against their North London rivals, but away from it, they’re soundly beaten with a near £91million disparity between their total revenue.
Finishing above Chelsea may be a more difficult task for Andre Villas-Boas’ men, but again, should they do so for the second consecutive season, they’ll be outplacing a club that generated an astonishing £117million more than themselves when all was said and done last season.
Within both examples, we’re not talking about a skewed financial imbalance triggered by the sale of the odd player here and there; both Arsenal and Chelsea are competing on different financial plateaus altogether. With the commercial behemoth of Manchester United and the petromillion-fuelled investment at Manchester City aside, even Liverpool – a team who Spurs are set to finish above for a fourth consecutive season – boasted £188.7million in total revenue in comparison to Tottenham’s mark of £144.2million.
And it’s within the side’s unremitting quest to once again qualify for the Champions League and close down the gap in revenue, that both Tottenham and its supporters are given a potent reminder of the bigger picture needed to grow in the sustained manner that they wish to do so.
Because although no one should be under any illusions as to quite how much money talks within this league, the issues that both Arsenal and Chelsea have endured in recent times suggest that bloated revenue streams count for very little if they’re not managed properly. And although there may well be a correlation between increased revenue and success, no such link exists between bloated revenues and a guarantee that a club will able to deal with such riches efficiently.
Much has been made of the way Spurs is run as a business over the last 12 months and the methods in which chairman Daniel Levy goes about steadying the financial ship. Some sections of support are certainly far too keen to lap praise upon the Essex-born businessman while others are far too overzealous in their critique. Has he made mistakes in the transfer market? Without any shadow of a doubt and the small of army of supporters happy to band about the slogan ‘in Levy we trust’ are perhaps a little blind to his faults as chairman.
Although those that exerted a desperately resigned sigh come the club’s failure to spend little more than what they recouped in transfer money during the summer, perhaps failed to see the bigger picture as to where that net transfer spend was going. The nature of their transfer spending and their late timing left a lot to be desired, but the quality of their investment hasn’t been in any doubt.
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The failure to attain Champions League football last season was heralded as the doomsday scenario. There was a feeling that the ship had perhaps sailed in their push to maybe one day compete with the big boys. How would Spurs cope with an annual wage bill some £50million behind that of their North London rivals? Chelsea are only going to get stronger, surely? The answer has been emphatic.
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The club’s revenue shrunk some 12% via their failure to attain Champions League football, but as well as superbly investing the money recycled in the sales – predominantly fuelled by that of Luka Modric & Rafael van der Vaart – most poignantly, their wage bill remained the same, with reports suggesting it’s remained at around a £91million annual outlay.
This isn’t to say Spurs can permanently battle with the teams at the very top of the table without furthering their income. But as much as they may have been aided by the meddling hierarchy at Stamford Bridge or the puzzling culture of regression at the Emirates, their current success owes as much to their own astute and sensible ethos of running a football club, as much as the mistakes of those around them.
If Tottenham really have long-term designs on becoming a sustainable top-four side or harness ambitions that perhaps even surpass that, the blueprint to do so isn’t some big secret. They need regular Champions League football, they need to hang on to their best players and they need a new stadium capable of generating more matchday revenue. As of yet, none of the above have been in sustained attendance.
But ultimately, the giddy progress this side has made over the last five months must serve as an important reminder that there’s more to running a club and moving forward than simply shifting up the Deloitte Football Money League. Carry on as they have been doing, however, and it won’t be long before Spurs do that as well.
Manchester City may use Edin Dzeko as bait in their pursuit of Napoli star Edinson Cavani, according to reports from The Express.
The Uruguayan, who has also attracted attention from Chelsea recently, is said to the Sky Blues’ top transfer target, as manager Roberto Mancini plots an overhaul of his squad this summer.
Despite some off-field issues, the 26-year-old has still managed to net a staggering 28 goals in all competitions this term, leading to speculation that he could make a big move at the end of the season.
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has hinted that the club are willing to sell Cavani, but they are believed to be keen to have a replacement lined up.
City may use Dzeko as a potential makeweight in a move, with the Bosnian forward rumoured to be one of the players Mancini is willing to let go of.
Even though he has endured an underwhelming spell in the England, the former Wolfsburg man is still thought of highly throughout Europe, and his inclusion could tempt the Serie A.
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Cavani is believed to have a release clause in excess of £50m, so City would still have to include a sizable sum of cash to force through a deal.
Brendan Rodgers has had a decent, if rather unceremonious inaugural campaign for Liverpool. While perhaps, their position in the Premier League will not have considerably risen from last year, the Reds gaffer has got the Anfield house in order, and now possesses a squad bursting with potential.
But the fans will expect further improvements in the summer, in order to present a better challenge to qualify for the Champions League in time for next season. It will be a hard task considering there won’t be too much money floating around Anfield during the transfer window, and perhaps a few more financially astute signings, such as those of Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho are in order.
We’ve compiled a list of the Reds’ Top Five transfer targets, with full details of their pros, cons, current transfer situation and predicted price tag.
Click on Hatem Ben Arfa to reveal Liverpool’s Top Five transfer targets
After crossing the 40-point line already this season Fulham can rest easy knowing they’ll be competing in the Premier League next year. However with a west London derby against Chelsea, followed by the visit of fellow capital foes Arsenal on Saturday, Martin Jol won’t let his squad rest on its laurels just yet, especially with a top-half finish still well within their capabilities. The Cottagers have been in excellent form recently losing just once in their last seven matches but tend to pick up unfavourable results when their illustrious neighbours make the short trip down the Thames. The biggest challenge that could hamper Jol’s modest aims is complacency and it would be a shame if the Fulham players y end up coasting towards the campaigns conclusion.
Chelsea, meanwhile, must provide an immediate riposte after being denied access to the FA Cup final by Manchester City at Wembley on Sunday. Rafael Benitez’s primary focus is keeping his players’ concentration centred on securing Champions League qualification. Arsenal’s draw with Everton on Tuesday night handed a significant boost meaning they’re now two points short of third spot and hold games in hand on the Gunners and Tottenham below them. The Blues’ have lost just once against Fulham in the Premier League era should give approach the game with an air of confidence.
Team News
A thigh strain prevents Damien Duff from featuring against his former club but Fulham can welcome back midfielder Steve Sidwell after a three-game ban.
Chelsea stalwarts John Terry and Frank Lampard are in line to start after being left on the bench by Rafael Benitez for the entirety of Sunday’s FA semi-final defeat. Ashley Cole (hamstring) and Gary Cahill (knee) won’t be rushed back.
What the managers said…
“Hopefully we can have a good result against them on Wednesday. We need a win against them. I’ve beaten Chelsea once and they were very strong then with Jose Mourinho, but we have taken four draws from them [in the last four matches] and that’s not great, but it’s not bad either, so hopefully we could get a result on Wednesday to change it.” Martin Jol is optimistic Fulham can end their torrid record against Chelsea (fulhamfc.com)
“I have to think about all the squad. I don’t want to talk about just two of them. Every game will be important until the end. A lot of players have done a great job. They have to continue. We’ve had a lot of games and still have nine or 10 to play, so all the squad and players are important. It has to be the same until the end. We have to manage the squad, and will do so until the end.” Rafael Benitez admits Frank Lampard and John Terry are no longer automatic starters for Chelsea (Mirror Sport)
Pre-match Statistic: Fulham have managed just a solitary win just in 23 Premier League meetings with the Chelsea (W1 D10 L12)
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Prediction: Fulham 0-2 Chelsea
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Due to the ongoing Confederations Cup, in addition to the majority of professional footballers taking their holidays abroad following a lengthy campaign, the Premier League’s off-season has so far been a relatively quiet affair in regards to transfer talk. Yet the club that’s been making the most noise so far has been Liverpool, with a number of inward transfers already agreed, while speculation regarding the future of Luis Suarez appears to be ongoing and far from conclusion.
To date, Brendan Rodgers has secured the signings of Iago Aspas, Luis Alberto and Kolo Toure, with more expected to follow them to Anfield before the close of the summer transfer window. But are these transfers taking the club in the right direction? Are they addressing the intrinsic problems on Merseyside? And who else is on the Reds’ gaffer’s radar?
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My first point of praise in regards to Rodgers’ acquisitions is undoubtedly the fees involved. Toure’s move comes under the bosman ruling, whilst Aspas’s and Alberto’s transfers from La Liga come at a collective total of just £13.5million, according to BBC Sport. It’s a stark and welcome contrast from the Damien Comolli era, with the former Director of Football overseeing the excessive purchases of Stewart Downing, Andy Carroll and Jordan Henderson to name a few and the Frenchman’s transfer bill at Anfield coming to £120million, despite spending just 18 months as a Reds official.
Many, including myself, wondered whether Rodgers would suffer from a difficult second season at Liverpool due to the restrictions in finance placed upon him in the summer window, but so far he has managed to operate swiftly and successfully to secure his desired targets, which have clearly been analysed, pursued and negotiated with for some time.
Furthermore, he has undoubtedly confronted his biggest challenge in the transfer market already by finding a suitable replacement for the retiring Jamie Carragher in Kolo Toure. The Ivory Coast international hasn’t seen regular action over the past few seasons at Manchester City, with just 82 appearances in four years at Eastlands, but there was a time when he was one of the best central defenders in the Premier League, and even if Toure is now entering his twilight years at the age of 32, his wealth of experience will be vital in a squad that is undergoing a regeneration via Rodgers’ continual inclusion of young and promising starlets.
The former Arsenal and City captain can claim two Premier League titles and three FA Cups, in addition to making 429 competitive appearances throughout his career in England. Toure is by no means a long term solution to the departing Carragher, but Rodgers has done well to put the issue on hold for at least another year, whilst other issues in the Liverpool roster, such as in goal and up front, can be addressed.
Meanwhile, although there is always a risk whenever Premier League clubs purchase players from abroad, Iago Aspas appears to be a worthwhile purchase. The 25 year old’s career didn’t take off until a few years ago where he scored 23 goals for Celta Vigo in the Spanish second tier, but last season upped his game to record 12 goals and seven assists in the top flight.
Aspas may not see too much game time whilst Suarez and Daniel Sturridge remain in hot form, and we are yet to see whether or not his 5 foot 9 frame can handle the robust nature of the English game, but the strike-force is an area of the Liverpool which required desperate bolstering, and at £6.8million, the Spaniard remains a relatively cheap punt on Rodgers’ part.
Regarding Luis Alberto, we will quite simply have to wait and see. At £6.7 million, the 20 year old is another punt in many respects, with only spells for the Sevilla and Barcelona second strings to analyse his quality. But the Spain Under 21 has just come to the end of a promising season, netting 11 goals and 17 assists on loan to Barcelona B, and is highly regarded by La Liga pundit Guillem Balague, who views the signing as a solid purchase on Liverpool’s part, and described Alberto via his Twitter account as a midfielder of the same mould as Xavi and Andreas Iniesta.
Should Balague’s prophecy be true, the Reds have an incredible young talent on their hands, and the prodigy fits perfectly with Rodgers’ current ethos of rebuilding the Anfield squad with promising youngsters determined to prove themselves, by providing them enough confidence and regular football to show off their pedigree.
But if Liverpool’s current signings represent a mixture of experience and great potential, their speculated future purchases signify a real lift in quality. Shakhtar Donetsk’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan is fast emerging as one of Europe’s hottest prospects, with the 24 year old claiming an unbelievable record of 25 goals in 28 appearances in the Ukrainian top flight this season, whilst also scoring twice in the Champions League.
Some have likened him to Frank Lampard in terms of his movement in the box, whilst Mkhitaryan himself claims he represents unbelievable pace, having previously trained as a sprinter. The Armenian international comes with a £20million release clause, which Liverpool are rumoured to be happy to meet, making him their most likely single excessive purchase of the summer.
Similarly, Rodgers is attempting to confront the pressing issue of who will be Liverpool’s No.1 next season. Pepe Reina’s future remains uncertain, following a mixture of interest from Barcelona and another campaign riddled with individual errors for the Spaniard, leading to a hot pursuit of Sunderland’s Simon Mignolet.
The Belgian has just completed his strongest campaign to date for the Black Cats, and at the age of 25 appears ready to make the step up to a European club. Whilst others have speculated a move for Julio Cesar or Michel Vorm, Mignolet represents considerable youth and equal ability in comparison to his QPR and Swansea counterparts, keeping alive Rodgers’ theme of investing in the youngest transfer targets available to him that can still bring something to the Anfield first team.
My only criticism so far is that Rodgers has failed to make a move for a natural winger, which has undoubtedly been a source of major problems for the squad this season. Stewart Downing appears incapable of living up to his £20million billing, with this year’s three goals and five assists not representing enough of an improvement from the English man, whilst Raheem Sterling, Suso and Fabio Borini are yet to make either flank their own.
Wide men are by no means the be-all and end-all of Rodgers’ passing philosophy, often opting for three attacking midfielders, but the Reds could certainly do with a consistent performer who will provide added width to the first team when required.
But overall, despite Rodgers being mostly considered a philosopher and developer of young talent, the biggest successes of his Liverpool tenure to date appear to be in the transfer market. If his initial signings of Joe Allen and Fabio Borini suggested naivety due to their price-tags,, his winter acquisitions, Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho were inspired, whilst his summer purchases so far demonstrate an ability to spot firstly a good bargain, and secondly, players with promise, ambition and further potential.
The strategy of buying young and building from within, whilst keeping costs at a minimum, brings a fresh change to the previous tenures at Anfield, where continually poor choices in the transfer market undoubtedly contributed to the decline of a club that were once mainstays of the Champions League.
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Rodgers’ purchases may be limited in star quality for now, but every signing, with the exclusion of his inaugural transfer window, has shown the Reds gaffer is moving his club in the right direction, albeit at a slower pace than perhaps the Liverpool faithful were hoping for.
Has Brendan Rodgers made the right choices so far this summer?
It might be Juan Mata that is forging all the headlines currently regarding the lack of his presence in the Chelsea starting eleven, but punters in the Football Transfer Tavern have just been handed a viral image that changes the topic of conversation slightly.
After seeing the picture that looks remarkably like David Luiz and Thiago Silva as children in Brazil – then as young aspiring footballers who have since made it at Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain – we have to ask the question; will they be linking up together one more time?
Jose Mourinho has made no secret of how much he rates certain players in his squad – but others have not been so lucky. Huge question marks currently hang over the future of Luiz, and a move does not seem to be as unthinkable as it once was.
There are no shortage of takers for the player who does not seem to conform to the Mourinho way of defending. Not only do Barcelona want to pay a huge amount for him, but Thiago Silva’s current club PSG could also be keen.
Given how close the two defenders are, not to mention how well they play together in tandem for their country, the suggestion made by our regulars over a pint and some nuts at the bar is not that shocking. Perhaps PSG chiefs could use the relationship between the two players and ask Silva to convince his friend to become his colleague not just internationally, but domestically as well?
In comparison to other nations who will participate in next summer’s World Cup, Roy Hodgson doesn’t have the deepest of talent pools from which to choose. Even more concerning is the diminishing availability of world-class players, with Wayne Rooney arguably being the only name who comes close to that tag.
Should it be a rule that you have to play your best players in their best positions? Not always. Hodgson is tasked with the managing of the England team and finding the right balance to produce success, however England wish to measure it.
Rooney’s versatility offers Hodgson options. The Manchester United player can play as the most advanced forward, as he often does for the national team, or as the No.10, as he’s currently doing at club level. He’s thus far having a positive season for United and a lot of that is due to his preferred position behind the lone striker.
Hodgson, unfortunately, isn’t able to call upon Robin van Persie or a striker of his calibre. As it stands, England’s most in-form striker is Daniel Sturridge, though there would rightly be reservations about how much of an impact he can have for England at a major tournament.
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Getting Rooney playing well is of great importance. Since the 2004 European Championship, the United forward has done little of note for the national team for one reason or another. But Rooney isn’t the key to success in Brazil next summer. Rather, there should be an acceptance that this team are not good enough to challenge the very best the world has to offer. This is an age where one team can’t be guided through an international tournament by one player. Look at the depth of Spain as an example.
Playing Rooney in his favoured No.10 role is the best decision, and it doesn’t matter that Hodgson doesn’t have a world-class striker at his disposal – this is international football, you have to make the most of what you have. The partnership of Sturridge and Rooney does appear for now to be the best option to work with. There is goals available through both and Sturridge’s pace could worry a lot of defences. It’s not a world-class partnership, it’s probably not even ideal, but it’s what England has.
Rooney is still England’s best player, but Hodgson needs to find a way to balance out the team and bring in the players who are both good enough and able to complement one another. Michael Carrick will be a key addition, so too will be the understanding of the back four and establishing who the first-choice centre-backs are. Rooney is a concern due to his history at international tournaments, but he is not a greater priority than everyone else in the England team.
We’ve seen in the past that Rooney can become isolated and frustrated when deployed as the team’s centre-forward. It doesn’t help that England can look so lifeless in midfield at times, though Carrick and Steven Gerrard did look to form a good base against Poland. Players like Jack Wilshere become a bonus to the squad overall, and as already mentioned, Hodgson will need to find a balance.
A balance means having more than one player in a squad who can be relied upon. It would be extremely naïve for Hodgson to simply look to Rooney as the best player and work to his strengths. We simply don’t know which Rooney will turn up, or if he’ll turn up at all.
Hodgson doesn’t have a selection of players who are good enough to win the World Cup. It’s simply a matter of getting the most out of what you have and creating a system that can counter or at least handle the varying styles that will be on display next summer.
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What’s Hodgson’s biggest challenge as England manager?
It took a bid of £15m from Tottenham back in 2012 to allow the highly thought of Belgian to trade his West London surroundings for that of N17. After scoring on his full home debut and impressing early on in the Premier League it was understandable that many in and around the club felt they had really struck gold with this capture.
For all the hype at the start of his Spurs career, Dembele has never really lived up to his full potential. Rather than a shining light in a talented Tottenham midfield, he has sunk into being a squad player and an also-ran. I personally think someone with the class and ability that Dembele clearly possesses can do better.
The frustration is that Dembele could so clearly be that world class box-to-box midfielder that Spurs so badly need, but his qualities are often masked by inconsistency. Spurs have been criticised for being laborious and negative this season, something that just doesn’t seem to be compatible with the way Dembele often plays. At his best driving forwards and evading defenders with consummate ease, Spurs fans must wonder why this star doesn’t turn up week in week out.
Indeed Spurs have played best under AVB with Dembele and Sandro at the heart of proceedings. At the start of last season it was the destructive capabilities of the Brazilian and Dembele’s cultured forward play that made Spurs such a dynamic force in the early stages. Many put Champions League failure down to Sandro’s injury, not just because they lost their best defensive midfielder but also because it broke up a partnership that was working so well for the club.
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Dembele has never been able to recapture any real semblance of his early form, still clearly adept but just not living up to his promise. It is difficult to pinpoint a specific reason for his underwhelming showings; a persistent hip problem was a cause for concern last term and it doesn’t appear to be issue that has ever been resolved. Dembele has a pretty original style of running but that aside he has never looked fully fit; continually hauled off after 60 minutes or so, is Dembele still playing through pain?
The statisticians amongst you will already be aware of the Belgian’s woeful goal and assist record, just the sole League goal to date. This isn’t something to be concerned about, Spurs’ best midfielder in recent times Luka Modric hardly rocked the charts with consistent goals or assists. This is all part and parcel of being a deep-lying midfielder, often contributing the pass before the assist rather than the incisive ball itself. So far this season Spurs have looked devoid of any creativity from deep, both Dembele and Paulinho have been woefully negative and circumspect, not characteristics of Spurs team of old I might add.
There have already been calls to play Holtby deeper or even to re-enter the market in January for a new deep-lying midfielder. Considering how competitive the midfield at Spurs already is, it is high time Dembele stepped up to the plate.
Another mediocre showing at the weekend saw Dembele substituted for Sandro in a bid to sure up an apparently porous Spurs midfield line. Whether it was tactical or performance related, there appears to be genuine concern from AVB on this one. For the first time that I can remember the Belgian was continually caught in possession and generally pretty weak in the tackle, add to this a toothless attacking display and you begin to wonder what he is actually adding to the club.
Frustrations appear to have spilled over, quoted recently in Belgian newspaper Nieuwsblade , Dembele expressed his concerns:
“I cannot be satisfied with it, of course, I just want to play as many games. The coach explained that he makes a tactical choice, he wants more defensive players in midfield.”
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Dembele has been given ample opportunity at Spurs, and to be frustrated with his playing time is more his problem than it is the clubs. We have seen glimpses of his brilliance in the last year or so, but for a £15m player Spurs should expect so much more. As it stand he is no more than a decent midfield option and I believe that he has the potential to offer the club a lot more. At his best he plays the cultured style of football synonymous with the club and until he starts offering this consistently he will struggle to nail down a place week in week out.
Manchester City heaped pressure on Premier League leaders Arsenal after beating Swansea 3-2 at the Liberty Stadium.
Swansea started brightly with Wilfried Bony narrowly missing the bottom corner after striking from distance. However City’s counter attacking heaped pressure on the home side and when a corner was loosely cleared, Brazilian Fernandinho stepped up and smashed it in from outside the area to make it 1-0 to City.
Michael Laudrup’s side refused to let City dominate proceedings and played with style in front of a roaring home crowd. Jonjo Shelvey continued to show why he is so reverred as a midfielder and he came close to scoring after his shot missed the target by inches. Jonathan De Guzman had a real scoring opportunity when he was put through on goal but Joe Hart was quick off his line to make the save and clear the danger.
There was a penalty claim in the 38th minute when Ashley Williams’ shot fired into Vincent Kompany’s arm, but it was not clear enough for referee Phil Dowd to point to the spot.
Minutes later though Swansea were rewarded for their efforts when Bony leaped above the City defence to latch on to a De Guzman cross, heading it neatly into the bottom right hand corner and leaving Hart no chance.
In the second half City had a chance to go ahead through Alvaro Negredo after Swansea defender Chico Flores let him nick the ball in his own area, but Tremmel made a decent save to deny him.
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In the 58th minute Yaya Toure made it 2-1 to City with a great strike into the bottom corner and soon after Aleksander Kolarov smashed one in with his right foot after dispossessing Wayne Routledge.
Swansea were not out for the count though and a late strike from Bony got them back in the game but it was too little too late.