Pablo Zabaleta speaks ...
Asked about his emotions on the occasion of his final home game as a Manchester City player, he has lots to say for himself. “When I first came to Manchester City, I never thought I’d be here this long,” he admits in his best Manchester accent. “It’s been a wonderful nine years but in life you have to make tough decisions for yourself and your family and I think now is probably the time for me to leave.”
On the subject of his final 30 minutes of action at the Etihad: “It was so tough to play that half an hour,” he says. “There were so many emotional moments and all the good memories were coming to my mind. I’m so proud of all I’ve done for this club on and off the pitch. I’m so proud to have been involved in the most successful period in City’s history.”
He goes on to thank his team-mates, various Manchester City managers he’s played under and the club’s owners before listing a series of highlights during his time at the club. “Beating Manchester United in the semi-final at Wembley in the 2011 FA Cup,” is the first that springs to his mind.
Photograph: Anthony Devlin/AFP/Getty Images
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Full time: Manchester City 3-1 West Brom
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeeeep! It’s all over - Manchester City have secured the three points that leave needing just one point against Watford at the weekend to guarantee themselves Champions League football next season. They go third in the table, two points ahead of Liverpool. Arsenal are back in fifth needing to beat Everton while hoping Liverpool mess up against Middlesbrough.
90+3 min: And while some might say it’s condescending to award Zabaleta the man of the match award for a 30-minute cameo in which he had little to do, that throw-in he took after James Morrison put the ball out of play in the 78th minutes was textbook.
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90+1 min: The game enters its knockings – all four minutes of them – with McClean on the attack again. Pablo Zabaleta gets the man-of-the-match award for his sterling contribution over the past half-hour and the nine years building up to it.
89 min: Nicolas Otamendi needs medical attention after clattering into the post as he attempted to prevent Robson-Kanu converting another fine James McClean cross from the right. He’s passed fit to continue, but walks away gingerly holding his ribs. A corner from West Brom, who are ending this match with considerably more aplomb than they started it with.
GOAL! Manchester City 3-1 West Brom (Robson-Kanu 87)
The comeback is on! Hal Robson-Kanu sweeps home from close range after stealing between defenders to get on the end of a low cross from the right.
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86 min: In a pertfect world, West Brom would concede a late penalty, which City’s players would insist Pablo Zabaleta take ... oh, hold on.
84 min: Ben Foster pulls off a fine double-save from Gabriel Jesus after the Brazilian was put through on goal by a fine ball from Fernandinho. Jesus bears down on the West Brom keeper, who saves his first effort and is quickly back on his feet to tip the follow-up effort out for a corner from which nothing comes.
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83 min: After patient build-up play from City, Fernandinho finds himself with the ball at his feet on the edge of the penalty area. He tries his luck, but shoots high over the bar.
81 min: The game enters the final 10 minutes. West Brom haven’t disgraced themselves tonight, but have caught City at something approaching their best - some of their play has been mesmerising.
80 min: Manchester City substitution: Yaya Toure off, Fernando on.
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78 min: Entering into the spirit of the evening, James Morrison sends a loose pass towards James McClean out of play for a throw-in, allowing Pablo Zabaleta to milk more applause from the crowd as he takes it.
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77 min: It’s all over at the Emirates, where Arsenal have beaten Sunderland 2-0. Back at the Etihad, Vincent Kompany is replaced by John Stones. He gives the captain’s armband to the man of the hour, Pablo Zabaleta and the pair embrace warmly.
76 min: Lively since he’s come on, James McClean gets on the ball again out on the left win and attempts to cut inside. He runs down a blind alley manned by Fernandinho and Manchester City go on the attack again.
75 min: Allan Nyom has been given a torrid time by Leroy Sane tonight, but exacts a measure of revenge with a rather agricultural challenge that earns the Manchester City winger a free-kick, but leaves him complaining bitterly.
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72 min: Sergtio Aguero shoots from the edge of the penalty area and his low effort is deflected wide for a corner. The ball’s swung into the mixer, where Robson-Kanu clears.
70 min: Leroy Sane is booked for diving in an embarrassing attempt to win a penalty. On the West Brom bench, Tony Pulis rings another change: Salomon Rondon off, Hal Robson-Kanu on.
68 min: Aleksandar Kolarov gallops down the left flank and sends in a splendid cross that takes a nick off Salomon Rondon before being cleared.
67 min: Surrounded by Claudio Jacob, Chris Brunt and Jonny Evans on the edge of the West Brom penalty area, Gabriel Jesus demonstrates his best soft-shoe shuffle to skip past them and bring a fine save out of Ben Foster with a surface to air screamer.
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66 min: James McClean sends in another cross from the left, trying to pick out Salomon Rondon. Willy Cabellero charges off his line and clears with an unconvincing flap.
65 min: West Brom substitution: Jake Livermore off, James Morrison on.
64 min: Arsenal go 2-0 up at the Emirates, which means the final day of the season won’t be a complete waste of everyone’s time after all - they’ll still need Liverpool to slip up against Middlesbrough at Anfield, which seems unlikely.
62 min: Salomon Rondon squeezes between two defenders to get his head to a James McClean cross from the left. On a night of extremely slim pickings for the Venezuelan, he heads narrowly wide.
61 min: Manchester City substitution: David Silva off, Pablo Zabaleta on to a huge ovation for his final home appearance as a Manchester City player.
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60 min: Sergio Aguero it was who turned provider for Yaya, their little and large act giving Manchester City a three-goal lead as the game approaches the hour mark. Meanwhile at the Emirates, Arsenal have finally taken the lead against Sunderland.
GOAL! Manchester City 3-0 West Brom (Toure 57)
Yaya goal! Yaya Toure scores his fifth goal in as many matches against West Brom, slotting the ball past Ben Foster after completing a delightful one-two that began outside the box with ... leave that one with me.
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55 min: James McClean upends Gabriel Jesus with a challenge just inside the West Brom penalty area and you can tell by his reaction that he’s worried he might have coneded a penalty. No spot-kick is forthcoming, despite the appeals from the crowd and I’m not sure McClean could have had any complaints if the referee had pointed to the spot.
54 min: Jonny Evans loses possession to Kevin De Bruyne just inside his own half and the Belgian picks out Leroy Sane with a pass through the centre. The German scampers across the edge of the penalty area before shooting over the bar.
53 min: Craig Dawson gets booked for a foul on Sergio Aguero, following through in a challenge and catching the Argentinian striker on the knee.
51 min: Nacer Chadli gets booked for a foul on Leroy Sane and Tony Pulis makes his first substitution. James McClean comes on for Marc Wilson.
49 min: Kevin De Bruyne crosses from deep, but Ben Foster palms the ball clear of his goal and West Brom clear. A loud cheer goes up as Pablo Zabaleta, who is involved in his final game at the Etihad as a Manchester City player, is sent to warm up along the touchline. He claps his appreciation and will surely get a run-out unless there’s a startling turn of events.
48 min: Darren Fletcher crosses from the left, but in the Manchester City penalty area Salomon Rondon infuriates his team-mates by carelessly getting himself caught offside.
46 min: Manchester City continue as they left off, on the front foot. They win a free-kick about 40 yards from the West Brom goal, but opt to play the ball backwards and attempt to pass their way forward. Nicolas Otamendi looses possession with a loose ball towards David Silva.
Second half: Manchester City 2-0 West Brom
46 min: West Brom get the ball rolling for the second half, two goals down and looking unlikely to mount a comeback on all available evidence. They’ve taken just two points from the past 21 available and it would be a brave or foolish man who’d bet on them adding to that tally this evening. There are no changes on either side.
Meanwhile at the Emirates ...
Arsenal and Sunderland are playing out a scoreless draw as they approach the hour mark, which means Manchester City will be guaranteed Champions League football if things stay as they are. I’m not sure these damp squibs are what the TV companies had in mind when they scheduled all this end-of-season midweek action.
Half-time: Manchester City 2-0 West Brom
Peep! The teams go for their half-time refreshments with City leading comfortably courtesy of two goals scored in quick succession. A dreary first half sparked into something approaching life when Gabriel Jesus tapped in from a couple of yards out after 27 minutes. Kevin De Bruyne doubled City’s lead exactly one minute and 47 seconds later and it’s been plain sailing for Pep’s boys ever since.
45+2 min: David Silva curls a cross to the far post, where Nacer Chadli rises to put off Aleksandar Kolarov, who was lurking with attempt.
44 min: De Bruyne attempts to pick out Jesus with a through-ball in behind the West Brom defence, but it too is intercepted and the Baggies clear.
42 min: David Silva spots a good run in behind by Kevin De Bruyne, but his deft ball over the top is intercepted by the head of Marc Wilson. The ball breaks to Sane, whose knock-down tees up Gabriel Jesus for an acrobatic bicycle kick that goes over the bar.
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40 min: Leroy Sane fires not too far over the bar from the edge of the penalty area after being teed up by a pull-back from Gabriel Jesus, who’d been released down the right flank after good work from Kompany and De Bruyne.
39 min: Darren Fletcher and Jonny Evans get themselves in a tangle on the edge of their own penalty area, allowing Sergio Aguero a shot on goal. The Argentinian makes it easy for Ben Foster by firing straight at him.
37 min: Kevin De Bruyne takes the free-kick and tries to drop the ball in to the corridor of uncertainty between Ben Foster and his defenders for Sergio Aguero. There’s a mite too much weight on his delivery and West Brom clear easily. One suspects this match is already an exercise in damage limitation for Tony Pulis’s side, who appear to have travelled to the Etihad without any discernible Plan B.
36 min: Vincent Kompany gets on the ball and strides purposefully forward, showing no ill effects of the injury he picked up in his challenge on Rondon. He plays it forward to Gabriel Jesus, who is fouled and Manchester City get a free-kick about 35 yards from the West Brom goal, a mite right of centre.
35 min: Another Manchester City attack comes to an abrupt end when Jake Livermore dispossesses David Silva on the edge of the West Brom penalty area. Yaya Toure had picked out the playmaker with a good pass from the left.
34 min: In less upbeat news for Manchester City fans, Vincent Kompany appears to have picked up another injury in a challenge on Salomon Rondon. He’s playing on for the moment, but looks in a bit of distress.
31 min: Having turned provider for Gabriel Jesus after being sprung down the inside left by a deft touch from Sergio Aguero, Kevin De Bruyne gets his name on the scoreboard with a sublime finish. Aguero was involved again, with his passage into the box blocked by Wilson, only for the ball to break to De Bruyne. He made no mistake, sending a curling effort wide of Ben Foster’s reach.
GOAL! Manchester City 2-0 West Brom (De Bruyne 29)
De Bruyne doubles City’s lead! The Belgian fires home his sixth Premier League goal of the season and it’s a delightful finish. He guides a wonderful effort home from about 20 yards to end a wonderful team move by City.
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GOAL! Manchester City 1-0 West Brom (Jesus 27)
The deadlock is broken: Gabriel Jesus opens the scoring for City, tapping into an empty net from about four yards out after getting on the end of a cross from Kevin De Bruyne.
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25 min: West Brom win a free-kick wide on the left, in line with the edge of the Manchester City penalty area. Nacer Chadli curls the ball towards the far post, where Willy Caballero gets what might well have been his first touch of the match.
24 min: Manchester City fans half-herartedly jeering Ben Foster for time-wasting before the game’s even reached the half-hour mark, he eventually takers his goal-kick and within seconds Sane is on the ball agai9n. This time he loses possession to Darren Fletcher with a poor touch.
22 min: Marc Wilson concedes a throw-in deep inside his own half, but seems adamant it should have gone the other way. His protestations fall on deaf ears and from the ensuing throw-in, Allan Nyom helps shepherd the ball out of play under pressure from Leroy Sane.
20 min: Manchester City continue to dominate as this fairly turgid affair nears midway towards the first half. Both managers will be happy enough with the performances of their teams so far, but the fans aren’t getting too much bang for their Tuesday night buck.
19 min: Nicolas Otamendi tries his luck with an ambitious effort from a long way out. It bounces in front of Ben Foster, who saves comfortably nonetheless.
17 min: Chance! Leroy Sane sends a low diagonal effort wide of Ben Foster’s far post after being put through on goal after some poor defending by Craig Dawson.
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16 min: Standing in an offside position with his back to goal, Gabriel Jesus sticks out a foot in an attempt to divert a scuffed Kolarov effort from distance goalwards. His improvised effort fizzes wide, but wouldn’t have counted if it had gone in as the linesman had flagged.
13 min: Jonny Evans fouls David Silva and City win a free-kick about 35 yards from goal. Aleksandar Kolarov demands the ball and attempts to curl the ball inside the right upright, but Ben Foster gets across to save well, although I’m not so sure the ball was going in.
12 min: Leroy Sane and Silva combine down the left wing, before the former nutmegs Allan Nyom and zooms past him into the penalty area. The German goes to ground under pressure from Nyom and Darren Fletcher and appeals for a penalty, but none is forthcoming.
11 min: Kevin De Bruyne picks up the ball just outside the West Brom penalty area, but is immediately hustled and harried by Claudio Jacob, who looked so impressive after coming on against Chelsea on Friday night.
9 min: Out on the left touchline, Leroy Sane picks out David Silva with a ball to feet but the little Spaniard’s cross into the penalty area is cleared.
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8 min: Kevin De Bruyne is penalised for a high boot that catches Marc Wilson, but doesn’t hurt him.
5 min: Kevin De Bruyne sends in a cross from the right touchline, but it’s too high for Sergio Aguero. The opening minutes have been very flat, with Manchester City dominating possession but doing little with it.
4 min: Much like they did against Chelsea, West Brom are sitting deep with two narrow banks of four attempting to repel what seems likely to be quite the onslaught.
3 min: Sane looks fit to continue, for the time being at least, and City press forward, albeit without much urgency. Nothing to see here ... yet.
Manchester City v West Brom is go!
1 min: Manchester City kick off in their usual home kit, with their opponents wearing black shirts, shorts and socks. Immediately, Gabriel Jesus takes up position on the right flank, with Leroy Sane on the left and Sergio Aguero playing through the middle. There’s early concern as Sane appears to have sustained some sort of niggle.
Not long now ...
The teams have marched out on to the Etihad pitch and are currently going through the last of the pre-match formalities. Kick-off is just moments away.
Meanwhile in the Championship
Reading and Fulham are playing out the second leg of their play-off semi-final with the sides level after the first. Simon Burnton is keeping tabs on events as they unfold at the Mad Stad.
A pre-match lap of honour
Following their FA Cup win last Saturday, Manchester City’s women’s team are currently enjoying a well earned lap of honour around the Etihad pitch led by their captain, Steph Houghton. They currently hold all three domestic trophies, which is three more than their male counterparts have won this season.
The teams ...
There’s no place for John Stones in the City starting line-up, but Sergio Aguero returns with uncertainty surrounding his future at the club. Gabriel Jesus also starts despite Pep Guardiola describing the pairing as “a disaster” when they lined up against Middlesbrough. Raheem Sterling misses out.
Tony Pulis has made three changes from the side that started against Chelsea, with Marc Wilson, Nacer Chadli and Claudio Jacob all beginning this match, having ended that one.
Arsenal v Sunderland
Bryan Armen Graham from the Guardian’s American beaureau will be monitoring Sunderland’s magnificent victory almost certainly feeble attempt to make Arsenal’s supporters as miserable as their own and you can follow that here.
Pablo Zabaleta: an appreciation
Back in 2013, the Guardian’s David Conn sat down for a pow-wow with the doughty Argentinian.
Manchester City v West Brom line-ups
Man City: Caballero, Fernandinho, Kompany, Otamendi, Kolarov, Toure, Gabriel Jesus, De Bruyne, Silva, Sane, Aguero.
Subs: Zabaleta, Fernando, Sterling, Jesus Navas, Clichy, Stones, Gunn.
West Brom: Foster, Dawson, Marc Wilson, Evans, Nyom, Yacob, Chadli, Fletcher, Livermore, Brunt, Rondon.
Subs: Robson-Kanu, Morrison, Myhill, McClean, Leko, Field, Kane Wilson.
Referee: Craig Pawson (South Yorkshire)
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An Etihad farewell for Pablo Zabaleta
Having spent almost a decade as a Manchester City defender, Pablo Zabaleta is on the bench for his final match at the Etihad as a city player, but seems certain to be introduced at some point during proceedings. A firm crowd favourite, the Argentinian is likely to get an exceptionally warm send-off before heading to pastures new when his contract expires at the end of June. Zabaleta has made 332 appearances since signing for City from Espanyol in 2008, the day before it was announced that his new club had won the football lottery and been bought by Sheikh Mansour.
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Early team news ...
John Stones is available for selection after recovering from a muscle injury, but Pep Guardiola will have to make do without Fabian Delph, who is expected to miss City’s two remaining matches with a leg injury.
West Brom look likely to be without central defender Gareth McAuley, who limped off towards the end of Friday’s defeat at the hands of Chelsea, while winger Matt Phillips is also sidelined with a hamstring injury. Hal Robson-Kanu has recovered from a similar problem, but may only be fit enough for a place on the bench.
Greetings sports fans ...
With Chelsea having won the title and Sunderland, Middlesbrough and Hull City all banished to the Championship, the only significant order of Premier League business that remains is the scramble to get into next season’s Champions League. Chelsea and Tottenham are already assured of their places in the group stages, where Manchester City’s hopes of joining them will be greatly enhanced by victory over West Brom. Unlike Arsenal, City’s destiny is in their own hands and a win tonight will send them third, ahead of Liverpool by two points with just one match of the campaign left to play. A draw will also send them above Liverpool, but only by a goal difference of one.
The Baggies have little to play for except pride, a commodity they showed no shortage of in defeat against Chelsea last Friday night and it will be intriguing to see if they are as enthused by denying City three points at the Etihad as they were by the prospect of stopping Chelsea winning the title at the Hawthorns. Kick off is at 8pm (BST), but stay tuned for team news and build-up as the clock ticks down.
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