Manchester City put their League Cup failure of last season firmly behind them with a 2-0 win at Crystal Palace
After losing at Brighton & Hove Albion last season, this could have been the game where Mark Hughes’ men slip up and the doom and gloom band would have been out in force by the final whistle but thankfully, City got through it. New signing Joleon Lescott made his debut for City, while Robinho played his first League Cup game in England after being left out of the team for the Brighton game last year.
After an early Tevez shot that went over the bar, Palace pressed the blues but Shay Given comfortably kept the home side at bay. Both sides had opportunities to take the lead in the first half but with no-one able to break the deadlock, it was all square at half time.
The second half was a different story and it only took five minutes to make the breakthrough. Stephen Ireland sent a fantastic pass to Shaun Wright-Phillips and the England man fired home for his first goal of the season.
City began to turn the screw after the goal and Emmanuel Adebayor was denied by the Palace keeper as City threatened to turn their dominance into goals. But it wasn’t until the 70th minute that City made it save. Carlos Tevez heading in from close range for his first City goal wrapped up the tie.
City could have got a third late on in the game which would have given me my first spot on prediction of the season but it wasn’t to be as City ran out winners.