Pre Match news:
City made several changes from the defeat to Spurs - Nedum Onuoha replaced Richards at right back, Ben Thatcher returned from suspension in place of Jordan, Steve Ireland came in for Claudio Reyna and with Ishmael Miller in for Samaras Vassell would partner Dickov up front.
The Match
A minute’s silence was held just before kick off to former City players, colleagues and loved ones who passed away in 2006.
Only eight minutes were on the clock when City old boy Nicolas Anelka gave the visitors the best possible start. The Frenchman received the ball from Nolan just inside the right of the area and he drilled the ball home between Weaver and the post.
The Blues came right back at Bolton and were unlucky not to equalise a minute later. Dickov headed the ball goalwards from close range but Jaaskelainen palmed it away in midair from right over the goal-line. Replays could not clarify whether the ball had crossed the line or not. .
Only another couple of minutes had gone by when the Blues were screaming for a penalty, when it appeared on first glance that Nedum Onuoha’s shot had struck Pedersen on the arm inside the box. This time, however, the replay showed clearly that the ball had struck the Dane’s head.
Anelka came back to haunt City again when he doubled the lead on 25 minutes. Pedersen broke down the left and slid the ball across the area between several City defenders, and after the ball bypassed Diouf, the Frenchman arrived to place the ball to Weaver’s left again and into the back of the net.
Ishmael Miller’s run into the box on 35 minutes livened the City fans up, but the teenager was dispossessed just as he was getting into a threatening position.
City had the better of the start of the second half, with Joey Barton going close on 52 minutes. After winning a free kick to the right of the area, the midfielder’s effort bent around the wall, bounced and was looking to sneak in at the near post before Jaaskelainen pushed it behind to concede a corner.
Stuart Pearce made a double substitution on 55 minutes, Samaras and Dabo coming on for Dickov and Thatcher, with the team’s shape changing to 3-5-2.
City had another penalty shout turned down two minutes later when Meite appeared to catch Vassell inside the area, but Mike Riley waved away the striker’s appeal for a spot kick.
Temperatures were rising as the half reached the midway point, with first Stuart Pearce receiving a talking-to from the referee and then El-Hadji Diouf being booked for kicking the ball away at a throw-in.
With less than 10 minutes on the clock Ishmael Miller was rising at the near post, but as he was in the air, the linesman flagged for offside against Samaras.
But with three minutes left City were reduced to ten men when Joey Barton was sent off. The midfielder was chasing the ball near Bolton’s area when his lunge towards Faye as the Bolton player was going towards the touchline made Mike Riley reach for the red card. Replays showed that Barton had barely, if at all, touched Faye who had got straight up afterwards, and indeed shook Barton’s hand as he was leaving the pitch.
That was the last meaningful action of the match, with City now heading for Bramall Lane for a vital Boxing Day encounter with Sheffield United.
