Reading vs. Manchester City: Score, Grades and Post-Match Reaction

Manchester City didn’t have much to play for on Tuesday, but that didn't stop them from dismantling Reading 2-0 on the Royals' home pitch to notch a Premier League victory without Roberto Mancini at the helm.

City got off to a strong start in the match with constant pressure in the final third and good movement at midfield. The opening minutes didn’t yield much action, though, short of an early injury substitution when Kolo Toure was forced to leave the pitch (via Fox Soccer Trax):

City clearly dominated in the early going, attempting five shots (four on target) through the first 14 minutes. Reading certainly looked like a relegated squad attempting to avoid a bottom finish in the Premier League (via BBC Sport):

Alex McCarthy saw plenty of work in the opening minutes in staving off Manchester City’s attack. Despite Mancini’s absence, City looked comfortable and relaxed, applying pressure and keeping the action away from Joe Hart.  

Reading would finally get a scoring look at the other end in the 28th minute when Hal Robson-Kanu broke free to fire a long shot from 25 yards, but his attempt was well wide of the mark (via Premier League Twitter account):

The possession gave the Royals a slight push in momentum, however, once again peppering Hart’s territory with a couple shots. It was their best scoring opportunity of the first 30 minutes, though City quickly turned the tables and brought the action back to the opposite end of the pitch.

For a club with little to play for after a tumultuous season, Tuesday’s match with Reading couldn’t have been an easy tilt to prepare for. With their loss to Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup final, memories of last year’s Premier League title were a distant reminder of what could have been this year (via Premier League Twitter account):

Rain and wet conditions didn’t help to enhance the action at Madejski Stadium in the first half of play, but City weren’t prepared to exit the pitch for halftime in a scoreless contest.

In the 40th minute, James Milner guided a perfect corner to Sergio Aguero, who found the bottom corner from 12 yards out to give City a 1-0 lead with halftime approaching. It was one-touch football at its finest (via Blue Army Headlines):

It was only a matter of time before City found a way to assume the lead. The visitors played superior football throughout the first half of action, and Reading were without an answer. For the Royals to pull even in the second half, they would have to hope for a little luck and a big break.

In the first half, City managed an 89 percent pass and 90 percent aerial success rate—both figures well ahead of their counterparts. The visitors also dominated possession, accounting for 68 percent control of the ball. It may have been a meaningless contest, but City appeared to be treating it as an easy practice session in the first 45 minutes.

Neither side made any changes at the half, but Reading should have probably considered including substitutes early in the second 45 minutes. As OptaJoe pointed out on Twitter, more than a fourth of the Royals’ goals this season have been scored by substitutes:

The second half continued where the first half ended. Manchester City continued applying pressure to an overmatched Reading squad, keeping more of the action at their opponent's end. Micah Richards and Carlos Tevez each saw quality scoring opportunities, but McCarthy continued doing his part to keep the Royals within a goal of the visiting side.

Reading weren’t without opportunities to net a lucky shot through the first 53 minutes, however. Just eight minutes into the second half, the home side trailed City by just three shots (17-14) and three shots on goal (7-4)—those three shots potentially making the difference between a 1-0 match and a tied contest.

While City were battling hard to retain the edge over Reading, the club that knocked them off just three days earlier were being decimated by Arsenal at Emirates Stadium (via Arsenal.com):

Not much changed in the following 15 minutes of play, though both sides made substitutions in an attempt to trod out fresh legs and swing the momentum of the contest. Gareth Barry, Pavel Pogrebnyak and Aguero all came off in the final minutes of the first hour.

City continued to apply enough pressure to keep Reading from getting much going. If not for McCarthy, the Royals may have been facing a much bigger deficit than 1-0 (via Premier League Twitter account):

The Royals managed to flip the field in the 76th minute, though, forcing Hart to make a couple nice plays to keep Reading off the board. Despite looking flat and overmatched throughout the contest, the home side weren’t bowing out without a bit of a fight (via Premier League Twitter account):

With a one-goal deficit against a Manchester City squad that began to play defensively in the final minutes, Reading certainly had some opportunities to make things interesting. The Royals turned the screws on City’s back line and battled at midfield to keep their opponents from making a surge and killing any momentum the home side were developing.

But again, Reading was unable to sustain that momentum.

In the 88th minute, Edin Dzeko took advantage of a Royals giveaway in their own half and nudged an attempt past McCarthy to increase City’s lead to 2-0 (via Manchester City FC Twitter account):

The final minutes would be a formality as City were in no danger of watching their lead slip away. As expected, the visiting side came away with a victory over the relegated Royals without much of a struggle, giving fans a reason to wonder what could have been for the second-place club this season.

Reading Grades

Player	Grade
Alex McCarthy	A
Chris Gunter	C
Adrian Mariappa	B+
Sean Morrison	C+
Stephen Kelly	C
Jem Karacan	C
Jobi McAnuff (69')	D+
Hal Robson-Kanu	B
Danny Guthrie	B
Pavel Pogrebnyak (62')	D+
Garath McCleary	C+
Substitutes
Nick Blackman	C
Adam Le Fondre	C-

Manchester City Grades

Player	Grade
Joe Hart	A
Micah Richards	C
Joleon Lescott	B
Gael Clinchy	B+
Kolo Toure (15')	N/A
James Milner	B+
Gareth Barry (58')	B-
David Silva	B
Yaya Toure	C
Sergio Aguero (63')	A
Carlos Tevez	C+
Substitutes
Edin Dzeko	A
Javi Garcia	C
Maicon	B

Alex McCarthy (A)

As strong as Manchester City looked throughout the contest, McCarthy was really the only obstacle keeping the visitors from tacking on extra scoring. The keeper played a tremendous contest from start to finish, his only blemishes coming on a flawlessly executed scoring chance from Aguero and a late score off the foot of Edin Dzeko.

The Royals' season may not have gone according to plan, but the 23-year-old certainly has a bright future ahead of him. His effort on Tuesday was a good sign considering how much pressure City exerted throughout the match.

Sergio Aguero (A)

Aguero's first-half scoring strike was enough cushion for City to coast through much of the match. There was never much worry of Reading making a strong push to even the score, but the match could have gone much differently had the Argentine not finished a beautiful play in the 40th minute.

City’s starters played a tremendous—albeit somewhat dull—match Tuesday, and Aguero deserves credit for keeping the victory well out of the home side's reach heading into halftime.

Joe Hart (A)

For as well as City played in Tuesday's contest, there's still plenty to be said for a clean sheet, regardless of the opponent. Hart wasn't without his opportunities to make a mistake or two.

Much of Hart's brilliance can also be credited to City's defense and a front line that kept the pressure at the other end of the pitch throughout. Still, the keeper did his job and gave his club an opportunity to close out the season on a good note.

Adrian Mariappa (B+)

Adrian Mariappa played a solid match all around, though there wasn't much to show for it in the end. He did enough to keep Reading in the contest and avoid the kind of mistakes that have plagued the Royals too often this season.

The 26-year-old defender also did plenty to help out McCarthy in keeping City from tacking on extra scoring, and quietly put together one of his more solid performances in recent weeks.

What's next?

Manchester City travels back to Etihad Stadium on May 19 for a final contest against Norwich City. Their opponent is coming off a 4-0 victory over West Brom on May 12.

Reading will be at Upton Park on May 19 for a contest with West Ham. The latter lost 2-0 to Everton on May 12.