HULL CITY 0, MANCHESTER CITY 3
- John Stones limps off after 18 minutes with a knock
- Yaya Toure opens scoring with 70th minute penalty after Raheem Sterling fouled in the box
- Kelechi Iheanacho taps in from 6 yards out to put the game out of Hull’s hands after 78 minutes
- Raheem Sterling’s cross turned into his own net deep in injury time by Curtis Davis
Manchester City left it late to defeat a stubborn Hull City side to send them back to second place in the Premier League, seven points behind Chelsea.
Goals by Yaya Toure, Kelechi Iheanacho, and an own goal by Hull’s Curtis Davies ensured that City returned home on the M62 with all three points, giving Pep Guardiola a happy first Boxing Day competitive game.
But City suffered a blow after John Stones was taken off after just 18 minutes after sustaining a knock to his knee.
Having spoken at length about his first experience of British Boxing Day football, Pep Guardiola repeated his assertion that the football fixtures after Christmas are “for the fans.”
Guardiola was not too concerned about Stones’ injury, declaring it was “just a kick” but it may affect the England defender’s availability for the game against Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday.
City played a first half in which Raheem Sterling seemed more concerned with trying to make an extra pass instead of taking on his defender, and the Spaniard corrected this to devastating effect in the second half.
Guardiola added: “In the first half we forgot the goal was there. In the second half our strikers saw a little bit more of the goal.
“After the first goal it was easy.
“Chelsea is in top form and winning all their games. We are seven points down so every one of our games is like a final.”
Sergio Aguero was serving the final game of his four match ban but Fernandinho was clear to return for City from suspension and he was joined in the team by John Stones, Bacary Sagna, and Nolito as they replaced Fernando, Pablo Zabaleta, Aleksandar Kolarov and Leroy Sane.
As expected, Hull City made it very hard for the visitors with a spirited defence of their goal.
Yaya Toure had a free kick tipped over by David Marshall while Kevin De Bruyne, who has not scored since the win against Barcelona 11 games ago, hit the post in the first half.
It was the sixth time the Belgian was thwarted by the woodwork this season and Hull were otherwise coping well with City’s attacks in the first period.
Bacary Sagna had to clear off the line after Claudio Bravo went for a ball he couldn’t reach before City made the late breakthrough.
Raheem Sterling was fouled by Andrew Robertson to concede their ninth penalty this season, and Yaya Toure stepped up to confidently send David Marshall the wrong way in the 70th minute after a staggered run for his third Premier League goal of the season.
The penalty was Toure’s 10th straight conversion at a 100% success rate, and the Ivorian dedicated the goal to his son for his birthday.
Guardiola reiterated that new signing Gabriel Jesus will add to City’s attacking firepower in January, but City still had attacking talent available despite missing the suspended Sergio Aguero today.
Kelechi Iheanacho, who might have expected to play more during the Argentine hitman’s absence, added a missing cutting edge from the bench for City.
He was directed into a central shooting position by Kevin De Bruyne who passed to David Silva on the right flank. The Spaniard immediately returned the pass to the Nigerian youngster who profited by firing home from six yards out.
And Raheem Sterling finished the rout when his cross was turned into his own net by Hull captain Curtis Davies deep into added time.