Manchester City vs. Norwich: Winners and Losers from Premier League
Manchester City used a bit of luck to get out of their home match with Norwich City on Saturday with three points.
City went ahead in the 67th minute on a Nicolas Otamendi header, but Joe Hart handed Norwich an equalizer as he committed a howler in front of his own goal in the 83rd minute.
Luckily for Manuel Pellegrini's men, they capitalized on a blunder by Norwich goalkeeper John Ruddy in the 88th minute to clinch the game from the penalty spot via Yaya Toure.
The victory kept the Citizens ahead of Arsenal in the title race on goal difference, but City must be better than they were on Saturday to avoid more slip-ups against teams in the lower half of the Premier League table.
Here's a look at our winners and losers from City's close win over Norwich.
Winner: Nicolas Otamendi
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Nicolas Otamendi finally broke the deadlock in the 67th minute as he rose high in the air and placed a perfect header into the back of the net.
The Argentinian center back rose like a salmon out of water to connect with Kevin De Bruyne's corner from the right side of the field that was earned by Jesus Navas seconds earlier.
The goal was the first for Otamendi in a City shirt, and it came at a vital time as the fans on the blue half of Manchester were starting to get a little nervous about their side's Saturday result.
Otamendi didn't have to do much in defense, but he was in the right spots when City called upon him to make key interactions.
Loser: Wilfried Bony
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Wilfried Bony had plenty of opportunities to strike the back of the net on Saturday, but he was unable to convert for the normally high-scoring Citizens.
Bony's best chance was his first one, as he somehow sent a shot wide to the right of the net in the 21st minute, despite having plenty of space to shoot on the right side of the box.
Five minutes before Otamendi scored on a header, Bony displayed how not to connect with a corner in the air, as his attempt drifted out of the box. Once again, Bony had plenty of space to take his time and shoot and sent his shot nowhere near the target.
Bony was active in front of the net for long stretches of the contest, but when it came down to making a decisive run or a shot on target, he was ineffective.
In games against better sides, Bony must do better in the final third to help City distance themselves from their opponents early in the match.
Winners: Robbie Brady and Martin Olsson
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Norwich City manager Alex Neil opted for a five-man defensive setup on Saturday, and his tactical game plan worked for the majority of the game.
Robbie Brady and Martin Olsson aligned themselves on the wings against Kevin De Bruyne and Jesus Navas. For most of the first half, the so-called wing-backs were able to silence the attacking pair on the wings for the hosts.
Due to the containment by the Norwich duo, De Bruyne was forced to drift inward in search of the ball as the first half progressed.
Although Navas and De Bruyne were able to break free on a few occasions in the second half, Brady and Olsson still held them in check enough for the Canaries to stay in the game for 90 minutes.
Since the shift to five at the back worked for the majority of the game, don't be surprised if Neil tries it against other big sides later in the season.
Loser: Joe Hart
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Joe Hart committed a calamitous error in the 83rd minute as he made a mess of Brady's cross from the right wing.
Hart dropped the ball straight down at the feet of Cameron Jerome, who easily slotted in the equalizer to cause a few nervy moments at the Etihad Stadium.
Luckily for Hart, he was bailed out by a goalkeeping miscue on the other end of the pitch in the 88th minute. Yaya Toure converted from the spot after John Ruddy hung his defense out to dry.
Hart made up for his error in stoppage time as he kept City in the lead by making a fine save on Olsson's shot from distance.
Despite making two strong saves, one in each half, the only thing fans will remember from this game about Hart will be his howler late in the second half.
Loser: John Ruddy
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John Ruddy cost Norwich a valuable and unlikely point with his goalkeeping catastrophe in the 88th minute.
Ruddy came off his line in an attempt to collect the ball, but he could not reach it before it was knocked over to Raheem Sterling at the top of the box.
Sterling's shot was destined for the back of the net, but Russell Martin stuck out his arm while diving to his right to make sure City did not score the game-winning goal that easily.
However, Martin paid for his attempt to bail out Ruddy as he conceded a penalty and was sent off. Toure proceeded to knock in his shot from the spot to put City ahead for good.
Ruddy's error cost the Canaries a vital point in the early relegation race. How Norwich recover from this brutal mistake remains to be seen, but they must stay positive despite a rough result on Saturday.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
