Manchester City 3-0 West Bromwich Albion

Ivorian Wilfried Bony scored his first Manchester City goal

• Referee Neil Swarbricksends off 'wrong' West Brom player
• Wilfried Bony scores first Manchester City goal
• Fernando nets City's 1,000th Premier League goal
• Manuel Pellegrini's side close gap at top to three points

Wilfried Bony's first goal for Manchester City helped his side on their way to a much-needed victory after Gareth McAuley was controversially sent off for West Brom.

Fernando and David Silva added further goals as City cut Chelsea's lead at the top of the table to three points, at least until Jose Mourinho's side play their two games in hand.

But the game turned on McAuley's dismissal after just 89 seconds - the fastest in the Premier League this season - when it was unclear whether referee Neil Swarbrick had shown the red card to the wrong man.

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Man City 3-0 West Brom: Referee decisions changed the game - Pulis

Another Baggies defender, Craig Dawson, had committed the initial foul on Bony, who got up before running into McAuley inside the area.

Swarbrick, however, awarded City a free-kick before calling McAuley over, and proceeded to send him off despite his pleas of innocence and protests from his team-mates.

It was the second case of apparent mistaken identity in the Premier League in less than a month, following Wes Brown's red card at Old Trafford for a foul by his Sunderland team-mate John O'Shea.

On this occasion it was debatable whether it was a sending-off at all but City, reeling from their Champions League exit against Barcelona and desperately short of domestic form, were not complaining.

They still had to wait until the 27th minute to make the breakthrough against West Brom's 10 men, when the ball bounced kindly for Bony in the box and the £25m January signing calmly side-footed home.

From then on, the result was never in question with West Brom concentrating on defending in numbers in front of their own area rather than trying to threaten at the other end.

The Baggies' resistance was broken again five minutes before the break, when some disastrous defending from a corner allowed Fernando to pounce and score City's 1,000th Premier League goal.

In total, Manuel Pellegrini's side mustered 26 shots in the first 45 minutes, the most in a top-flight game since 2003-04.

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Man City 3-0 West Brom: Manuel Pellegrini on 'important' Wilfried Bony

Such was their dominance, they were also enjoying upwards of 80% of possession and only wayward shooting and the excellence of West Brom keeper Boaz Myhill kept the score down after half-time.

Sergio Aguero sent a shot thudding against the post and Bony hit the bar with his follow-up as the hosts continued to attack.

West Brom did briefly threaten at the other end, with Saido Berahino heading against the woodwork from close range before former City defender Joleon Lescott followed up to nod over.

But City had the last word when substitute Stevan Jovetic let fly and Silva was in the right place to turn the ball home.

West Brom's Gareth McAuley was sent off instead of Craig Dawson

Fernando tapped home the second from close range after sloppy West Brom defending

West Brom's Saido Berahino headed onto the bar from close range

Referee Neil Swarbrick (right) told a BT Sport reporter at half-time that Gareth McAuley's sending off was a case of mistaken identity

• Line-ups
• Match Stats
• Live Text

Line-ups

Man City

• 1Hart
• 5Zabaleta
• 4Kompany
• 20Mangala
• 22Clichy
• 15Navas
• 6Reges
• 18LampardSubstituted forJoveticat 65'minutes
• 21SilvaSubstituted forMilnerat 81'minutes
• 14BonySubstituted forDzekoat 78'minutes
• 16Agüero

Substitutes

• 3Sagna
• 7Milner
• 10Dzeko
• 13Caballero
• 25Fernandinho
• 26Demichelis
• 35Jovetic

West Brom

• 13Myhill
• 25Dawson
• 23McAuleyBooked at 2mins
• 3Olsson
• 6Lescott
• 29SessegnonSubstituted forMulumbuat 90'minutes
• 24Fletcher
• 8Gardner
• 4Baird
• 7Morrison
• 18BerahinoSubstituted forAnichebeat 86'minutes

Substitutes

• 2Wisdom
• 10Anichebe
• 14Davidson
• 15Pocognoli
• 21Mulumbu
• 36Nabi
• 38Rose

Referee:

Neil Swarbrick

Attendance:

45,018

Match Stats

Home TeamMan CityAway TeamWest Brom

Possession

Home78%

Away22%

Shots

Home43

Away3

Shots on Target

Home16

Away0

Corners

Home9

Away2

Fouls

Home6

Away5

Live Text

Posted at

Match ends, Manchester City 3, West Bromwich Albion 0.

Full Time

Posted at 90'+3'

Second Half ends, Manchester City 3, West Bromwich Albion 0.

Posted at 90'+3'

Offside, West Bromwich Albion. Darren Fletcher tries a through ball, but James Morrison is caught offside.

Posted at 90'+2'

Attempt missed. Edin Dzeko (Manchester City) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Jesús Navas.

Substitution

Posted at 90'

Substitution, West Bromwich Albion. Youssuf Mulumbu replaces Stéphane Sessegnon.

Posted at 89'

Foul by Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City).

Posted at 89'

Jonas Olsson (West Bromwich Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 88'

Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Craig Dawson.

Posted at 87'

Stevan Jovetic (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 87'

Foul by James Morrison (West Bromwich Albion).

Substitution

Posted at 86'

Substitution, West Bromwich Albion. Victor Anichebe replaces Saido Berahino.

Posted at 85'

Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Chris Baird.

Substitution

Posted at 81'

Substitution, Manchester City. James Milner replaces David Silva.

Posted at 80'

Foul by Fernando (Manchester City).

Posted at 80'

James Morrison (West Bromwich Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Substitution

Posted at 78'

Substitution, Manchester City. Edin Dzeko replaces Wilfried Bony.

Goal!

Posted at 77'

Goal! Manchester City 3, West Bromwich Albion 0. David Silva (Manchester City) left footed shot from very close range to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Stevan Jovetic following a corner.

Posted at 77'

Attempt missed. Stevan Jovetic (Manchester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Gaël Clichy following a corner.

Posted at 76'

Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Craig Dawson.

Posted at 76'

Offside, West Bromwich Albion. Craig Gardner tries a through ball, but Jonas Olsson is caught offside.

Posted at 75'

Foul by Vincent Kompany (Manchester City).

Posted at 75'

Craig Gardner (West Bromwich Albion) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at 74'

Attempt missed. Wilfried Bony (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Sergio Agüero.

Posted at 73'

Attempt missed. Joleon Lescott (West Bromwich Albion) header from very close range is too high. Assisted by Saido Berahino with a headed pass following a corner.

Posted at 73'

Saido Berahino (West Bromwich Albion) hits the bar with a header from very close range. Assisted by Jonas Olsson following a corner.

Posted at 73'

Attempt missed. Jonas Olsson (West Bromwich Albion) header from very close range is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Craig Gardner with a cross following a corner.

Posted at 72'

Corner, West Bromwich Albion. Conceded by Gaël Clichy.

Posted at 71'

Foul by Eliaquim Mangala (Manchester City).

Posted at 71'

Saido Berahino (West Bromwich Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 68'

Attempt missed. Stevan Jovetic (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by David Silva.

Posted at 66'

Corner, West Bromwich Albion. Conceded by Pablo Zabaleta.

Substitution

Posted at 65'

Substitution, Manchester City. Stevan Jovetic replaces Frank Lampard.

Posted at 64'

Foul by Fernando (Manchester City).

Posted at 64'

Stéphane Sessegnon (West Bromwich Albion) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Posted at 63'

Foul by Sergio Agüero (Manchester City).

Posted at 63'

Joleon Lescott (West Bromwich Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 60'

Attempt missed. Wilfried Bony (Manchester City) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Pablo Zabaleta with a cross following a corner.

Posted at 60'

Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Boaz Myhill.

Posted at 60'

Attempt saved. Jesús Navas (Manchester City) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Fernando.

Posted at 60'

Attempt blocked. David Silva (Manchester City) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Frank Lampard.

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