It was a thoroughly deserved win after the Blues dominated the game from start to finish with Joe Hart not having to make one meaningful save in the entire 90 minutes.
It perhaps should have been a bigger winner margin, but nobody will complain, particularly given City’s history at this venue.
On a day when the heavens opened in Wigan, it was perhaps fitting that Moses was sat on the bench as the Blues chased their first ever win at the DW Stadium.
It was 1999 when City last tasted success away to the Latics, with the home team having an inexplicably good record against their Manchester cousins during the interim.
Roberto Mancini recalled Micah Richards and James Milner to the starting line-up with Jo and Wayne Bridge the only changes from Thursday’s 2-0 win over Red Bull Salzburg.
Backed by just shy of 5,000 fans, the Blues knew that, after the hiccups against Sunderland and Blackburn recently, this was the ideal time to end their DW Stadium jinx and start to climb the table.
The hosts offered little in the opening exchanges with Joe Hart not having to make a single save until just on the half-hour mark, but City themselves only threatened once with a low drive from Carlos Tevez skimming inches wide on 13 minutes.
Both teams had difficulty keeping their feet on the sodden surface with players on each side continually over-hitting passes or giving away possession – it certainly wasn’t a game to please the purists!
Ironically, it was one such faux pas that finally led to the Blues taking the lead on 42 minutes. With the home fans still cheering Hart’s slip as he kicked the ball upfield, the lower trajectory of the ball seemed to catch the Wigan defence out, it was glanced on by defender into the path of Tevez who deftly chipped the on-rushing Ali Al Habsi to score his second goal of the campaign.
It was a moment to savour for the travelling army and they were almost cheering a second a minute later as Milner, Silva and Tevez raced forward only for Milner’s attempted pass to Silva to catch the eye of the linesman.
The Blues came out for the second half and continued where they’d left off and a smart move by Milner, Tevez and Zabaleta deserved a goal, but was safely gathered by Habsi.
Tevez came in for some rough treatment from the Wigan players as City bossed the game and continually threatened to break a static offside trap, but each time it seemed they’d got through, the referee’s assistant raised his flag.
A wayward pass by Steve Gohouri almost did the job for the Blues but Tevez hit a powerful drive straight at the keeper from 12 yards out.
The City skipper had been a constant thorn in the Wigan defence so it was perhaps no surprise when he played a huge part in the Blues’ second, decisive goal. After charging down a Habsi clearance, the ball found its way back to Tevez who crossed powerfully for Yaya Toure to net his first goal for the club on 69 minutes.
It was no more than Mancini’s men deserved after a controlled, dominant display.
