Easy Win over West Brom Sets Up Manchester City for Strong End to Season

When David Silva is at his best, which he was during Manchester City’s routine 3-0 win over West Brom on Saturday, there’s no finer sight in the Premier League.

Silva produced a Man of the Match display, scoring the third goal and controlling the tempo of the game, as City secured three points to set themselves up for a strong finish to the season.

If retaining their title is out of the question—and it looks that way given the points deficit they need to make up on Chelsea—then ensuring they finish second and go into the summer in positive mood is of vital importance.

They were given a huge helping hand in this match when West Brom were reduced to 10 men after just 90 seconds. Craig Dawson brought down the impressive Wilfried Bony just outside the area with the Ivorian through on goal, and referee Neil Swarbrick, decided a red card was justified. Confusion ensued when Swarbrick proceeded to send the wrong player off, with Gareth McAuley the man punished in a case of mistaken identity, and West Brom’s afternoon was suddenly made much more difficult.

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The statistics tell the story of what followed. City enjoyed 78 percent possession. West Brom didn’t manage a single shot on target. City had 43 shots with 16 on target. It was completely one-sided, and credit must go to West Brom goalkeeper Boaz Myhill, who kept the score down in much the same way Joe Hart did for City on Wednesday night in the Camp Nou. It could have been a rout.

Bony opened the scoring with his first goal for City after bringing the ball down beautifully and finishing with precision. It was just what he needed after a misfiring start to his Etihad career.

But it wasn’t just his goal that caught the eye. Bony’s physical presence, hold-up play, intelligent flicks to onrushing players and all-round hard graft made this a game to remember for City’s newest recruit.

After the game, City boss Manuel Pellegrini said that Bony said it was an “important” moment for the former Swansea man. “It is important for him. He is just arriving to our squad and he is coming from playing six games in 18 days in the Africa Cup.

“That is not good for players in the moment of the season. That is maybe why he is not in the starting 11 but it is important not only for Bony but for all the players when you have the chance to do it, to do it as he did today.”

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Fernando tapped in City’s second—the club’s 1000th Premier League goal—and Silva wrapped things up with his 11th league goal of the season, the best haul of his career to date.

The Spanish midfielder pulled the strings wonderfully, orchestrating City’s attacks with beauty and eloquence. He floats into areas defenders don’t want to be in, picking passes that are intricate and inventive. It’s so difficult to contain him when he’s at his most expressive.

The result consolidates City’s position in the table and puts pressure on Arsenal and Manchester United to get results this weekend. City looked in danger of being dragged into a fight to remain in the top four given their form, but their remaining fixtures are favourable when compared with their rivals', and that should be enough to ensure they finish where they are currently.

Pellegrini said he was focusing on his team and no one else. "We are not thinking about that [Chelsea]. I spoke with the players, we play now eight games more. We can win the eight games and if Chelsea doesn’t drop points, we cannot win the title. The important thing is not to think about other teams, it is to think about our team, to improve and win the next game against Crystal Palace."

What’s most important for City now is to finish the season strongly. This summer is critical for the club, with a shake-up needed to put some youth and pace into an aging squad. With Micah Richards, Matija Nastasic and Alvaro Negredo all set to leave permanently, and with James Milner and Stevan Jovetic also looking likely to leave, there is plenty of room for manoeuvre within the squad.

City are also likely to be free from the Financial Fair Play restrictions that hurt them this summer, and with Pellegrini talking about the need to sign a “crack” in an interview with the Guardian’s Sid Lowe recently, it seems likely at least one big-name player could arrive in the next transfer window. “The way it’s growing, I think this team needs a crack,” he said. “We need a crack: that gives you a kind of ascendancy, status.”

It looks like being one of the most important summer windows in City's history.

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2014-15 season. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter: @RobPollard.