Manchester City vs. Hull City: Winners and Losers from Premier League Game
Manchester City lost ground in the English Premier League title race Saturday, as they drew 1-1 with Hull City at the Etihad Stadium.
The Citizens needed a stoppage-time equalizer from James Milner to save face in front of a shocked home crowd on the blue half of Manchester.
Despite holding over 70 percent of possession against the 17th-place side in the EPL, Manuel Pellegrini's men failed to break down the Hull defense until the waning moments of the match.
Here's a look at the winners and losers from the surprising result in Manchester.
Winner: David Meyler
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David Meyler perfected the role of opportunist, when he knocked in his 35th-minute strike at the Etihad Stadium.
Meyler was wide open on the left side of the penalty area after Gaston Ramirez's shot deflected off the right post.
With no City defenders in sight, Meyler had all the time in the world to beat Joe Hart to score the only Hull City goal of the match.
The goal handed the Tigers a ton of confidence, and it gave them something to fight for as the hosts continued to pressure the Hull defense.
Meyler's strike also boosted Hull out of the relegation zone for the time being. They can stay above the bottom three if Burnley fail to earn points at West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.
Losers: Martin Demichelis and Pablo Zabaleta
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Meyler had a ton of space in the box because of poor marking by Martin Demichelis and Pablo Zabaleta.
Both defenders stood flatfooted in the center of the area after Ramirez's shot blasted off the post. Instead of rushing to cover Meyler on the left flank, the pair of defenders watched the ball sail past Joe Hart in the City goal.
A defensive error like that in the middle of a title race is just unacceptable, and because of that, City are now seven points behind Chelsea in the English Premier League table.
If City fail to cut the seven-point deficit over the next few months, Saturday's defensive error could be looked at as a major turning point in the club's season.
City boss Manuel Pellegrini, however, wasn't looking too far ahead.
"We are more concerned about returning to our normal performance than the gap." Pellegrini said, per Andy Hampson of the Press Association.
Winner: James Milner
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James Milner rescued Manchester City from a complete disaster at home with a goal off a free-kick in stoppage time.
The second-half substitute blasted his shot past Hull 'keeper Allan McGregor, who had no chance of saving the set-piece attempt from the Englishman.
Leading up to his free-kick, Milner did not make a massive impact on the match after he entered for Edin Dzeko in the 66th minute.
Despite his lack of punch in attack before his free-kick, Milner must be lauded as a hero for handing City a lifeline in the title race.
If City were to lose this match and fall nine points behind Chelsea, the league leaders may have been able to cruise to the title.
“We did not trouble them enough. We've dropped far too many points at home this season," Milner said after the match, per the Premier League's Twitter account.
Loser: Ahmed Elmohamady
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In the 16th minute, Ahmed Elmohamady had a golden chance to put the visitors ahead, but his header hit the top of the crossbar.
Robbie Brady provided the 27-year-old with a perfect cross from the left wing, but the Egyptian failed to capitalize on one of the best scoring opportunities of the match.
At that moment, no one would have expected the missed attempt would play a major role in the final result. But if the midfielder's header dipped a few inches under the crossbar, we could be talking about a 2-1 Hull win.
In a game where the Tigers' attacking chances were limited, Elmohamady should have done a better job in front of goal.
If chances like that fall during the remainder of the season, Hull should steer themselves clear of the relegation battle. But if shots like Elmohamady's 16th-minute chance continue to miss the target, the Tigers might be headed back down to the Championship.
Winners: Hull's Back 3
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All three of Hull's central defenders turned in tremendous showings to leave the blue half of Manchester with a point.
The trio of Paul McShane, Michael Dawson and Alex Bruce combined for 31 clearances, seven interceptions and five tackles in the club's eighth draw of the season.
The center backs were especially impressive on set pieces, as the tall trees in the Manchester City lineup failed to challenge the Hull defense on 13 corners.
Although they conceded late, the back three should take a ton of positives out of the draw. If they can continue to play organized football in their own half, the trio of defenders should be able to help lift Steve Bruce's side from the bottom three for good.
Loser: Sergio Aguero
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Sergio Aguero was surprisingly quiet for most of the match for the second-place side in the English top flight.
The Argentinian attempted a single shot on target, which bounced off the post in the 89th minute, and made 41 touches.
Compared to the other creators in the Manchester City attack, Aguero did little to contribute to the team's success.
Samir Nasri, David Silva and Gael Clichy all recorded over 75 touches, but they could not connect with their top striker in the penalty area.
Aguero also failed to take charge when Edin Dzeko was lifted in the 66th minute for Milner. Instead of thriving as the lone target man, Aguero struggled against the stingy Hull defense.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
All statistics obtained from WhoScored.com.
