Hull City 0-3 Manchester City: Yaya Toure and Kelechi Iheanacho strike late on for visitors

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In the technical area, Pep Guardiola clenched his fist tightly and pumped the air. As Yaya Toure's penalty kick hit the net, there was palpable relief. City had been in a game and how Guardiola knew it.

Forty-five minutes later, he was breezing out of the KCOM Stadium press lounge with a smile on his face and one of Humberside's finest mince pies in his hands. Yet it could have been so different.

This was an important win that keeps Guardiola's side within seven points of Chelsea. After an autumn blip, results are improving.   

Yaya Toure runs off to celebrate after the Ivorian Manchester City midfielder broke the deadlock against Hull City

Toure calmly tucked home from the penalty spot, past Hull's David Marshall, as City finally ended the hosts' resistance

Kelechi Iheanacho tucked home from close range just five minutes later to secure the win for the visiting side

Curtis Davies turns Raheem Sterling's cross into the back of his own net as City ran out 3-0 victors at the KCOM

Michael Dawson almost scored for Hull on the hour mark after beating Claudio Bravo to the ball in the air

Mike Phelan reacts after Sagna managed to clear Dawson's header off the line around the hour mark of Monday's game

MATCH INFORMATION, TABLE AND MATCH ZONE

Hull City (5-4-1): Marshall 6; Elmohamady 6, Maguire 6.5, Dawson 5.5, Davies 5, Robertson 4.5; Snodgrass 6, Livermore 6 (Henriksen 74, 6), Huddlestone 5.5 (Mason 63, 6), Clucas 5 (Diomande 78); Mbokani 6

Subs not used: Jakupovic, Meyler, Maloney, Weir

Booked: Mason

Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Bravo 5.5; Sagna 7, Stones 5.5 (Kolarov, 18, 5.5), Otamendi 6, Clichy 6; Fernandinho 7, Toure 7; Sterling 8, Silva 7 (Fernando 87), Nolito 5 (Iheanacho 57, 7); De Bruyne 6

Subs not used: Caballero, Zabaleta, Fernando, Kolarov, Navas, Iheanacho, Garcia

Goals: Toure (72 pen), Iheanacho (78), Davies (O.G 90+4)

Referee: Robert Madley 7

Attendance: 23,134 

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Raheem Sterling was tripped in the area before Yaya Toure converted from the spot. See more here from our fantastic MATCH ZONE

 

 

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City have won seven of nine Premier League away fixtures, as many as they won during the entirety of last season under Manuel Pellegrini.

'When a team wins 12 in a row (Chelsea), every game is a final for us if we want to be there for the rest of the season,' Guardiola said.

This, however, was a tricky night and the final scoreline was more than Man City merited. Hull manager Mike Phelan spoke afterwards of sensing 'anguish and frustration' in Pep's dugout.

After 70 minutes this had threatened to develop into a very awkward evening for Manchester City. Guardiola's team had toiled in the biting wind and, in truth, his talented set of players had appeared rather short of ideas. Hull, dogged and determined, were beginning to dream. In City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, they had reason to.

A precious point awaited Phelan, maybe even a second victory in 16 games for struggling Hull.

And then, in one tired misjudgement by defender Andrew Robertson, the game was gone.  

Manchester City defender John Stones goes down with an injury in the 18th minute of Monday evening's match in Hull

It represented another low for Stones, who has struggled with fitness and form in recent months after his move

Stones had to be substituted off for Aleksandar Kolorov as City were forced into an early change during Monday's game

City manager Pep Guardiola watches on during a frustrating opening period for his side as they struggle to break down Hull

Raheem Sterling collected possession on the right wing, put his head down, dropped a shoulder and drove into the area. 

He skipped by a couple of opponents and set himself to shoot on his left foot. As he pulled the trigger, the left back Andrew Robertson came lunging in from behind, hacking Sterling to the ground. It was a certain penalty, a daft foul, a tackle that could never hope to cleanly take the ball.

In Toure, City had a player who has seen these occasions many times before. Hull were plucky and committed opponents but they had grown tired and needed to be killed off. Toure took responsibility, dispatching the penalty. 

There was vindication for Guardiola. City have now won all five games the Ivorian has started since his return from agent-induced exile. Even at 33, he retains the ability to shape a game.

In the days that follow, Guardiola will concentrate more on what took place before the breakthrough goal. This was tough going, harder than it should have been against a team that are, sadly, on the treadmill towards Premier League oblivion.  

David Silva lines up a shot at goal during a first-half lacking in opportunities for both the visitors and the hosts 

Raheem Sterling takes on Hull midfielder Tom Huddlestone during Manchester City's Boxing Day fixture in Hull

Hull manager Mike Phelan watches on as his relegation-threatened side look to overcome Guardiola's title challengers

Enthralled Hull City supporters watching on as they hope for some festive joy for their team on Monday evening

David Silva remonstrates with referee Robert Madley as the City midfielder complains about a decision

Afterwards Guardiola admitted his frustration. He suggested his team 'forgot the goal was there' during the first half and it was easy to see his point. Guardiola, for all his ideals, recognises the obvious — in this case, the obvious is you do need to shoot to score a goal.

In the first half City had 78 per cent of the ball but it was possession for possession's sake, too much patience, not enough purpose. There were only three shots on target, tame ones at that.

'It was pass, pass, pass,' Guardiola said. 'We needed Raheem one-against-one. That's how he created the penalty. The winger has to be aggressive. In the second half, he gets us the penalty and creates the third goal.'

It might have helped if City had a striker on the pitch. In the absence of the suspended Sergio Aguero, City played with Kevin De Bruyne as a false nine but they lacked menace in the final third, too often painting pretty pictures in front of the Hull defence without offering the defining flourish. 

It was little surprise to see Kelechi Iheanacho arrive early in the second half and he took only 20 minutes to score the second goal to sealed victory.

For City, this was only a second clean sheet away from home all season but issues remain. John Stones, returning to the line-up after a brief spell out of the team, was forced off through injury after only 16 minutes.  

Substitute Kolarov battles for the ball in the air with Hull City's Harry Maguire during Monday's late kick off

City's makeshift defence struggled to deal with Hull target man Dieumerci Mbokani throughout the encounter

Guardiola shows his frustration as the game threatened to slip away from City at the KCOM on Monday

Andrew Robertson was responsible for the defining moment of the game as he tripped Raheem Sterling in the area

'A big kick to the knee,' Guardiola explained. 'The knee is a bit swollen but it is just a kick.'

Stones or no Stones, City retain chinks in their amour, not least in Bravo, who retains the ability to create alarm at a moment's notice. It was this eccentricity that nearly led to City falling behind.

Only moments before Toure's penalty, a set-piece came in towards the goal and as Bravo came careering out, he was caught in no-man's land when Michael Dawson steered a header goalwards. Fortunately for Bravo, Bacary Sagna had read the danger and headed away from goal.

'We were lucky,' Guardiola said.

After Toure's penalty, City were in their element. Hull committed men forwards and City dazzled on the counter.

The second, deciding strike was a picture-book goal and exactly the kind of flowing football that Guardiola aspires to. De Bruyne led the break, feeding David Silva, who slid the ball across perfectly for Iheanacho to finish.

In stoppage time, a third. It was cruel on Hull, Sterling driving to the byline and squaring, where Curtis Davies could only divert the ball into his own goal. Suddenly, festive football did not seem so bad for Guardiola.

Toure finally scored the first goal of the game from the penalty spot after Sterling was tripped in the area

Iheanacho added a second from close range to secure the victory for City as they came through a tough challenge

Iheanacho celebrates with Silva and Kevin De Bruyne as City look set to take three points at the KCOM Stadium