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| Ten-man Manchester City trim Chelsea's lead | | | Agencies
LONDON, Mar 15: Manchester City survived the 10th-minute dismissal of captain Vincent Kompany to win 2-0 at Hull City on Saturday and reduce Chelsea's lead in the Premier League to six points.
Kompany saw red for a last-man foul on Nikica Jelavic, but David Silva put City ahead with a glorious curling effort just four minutes later and Edin Dzeko made sure of victory at the death.
It was City's first league match for three weeks and they still have two games in hand on Chelsea, although the leaders can reassert their nine-point advantage with victory at Aston Villa later on Saturday.
City's success at the KC Stadium also saw them climb to second place above Liverpool, who visit Manchester United on Sunday, and Arsenal, who travel to Tottenham Hotspur later the same day.
City were missing top scorer Sergio Aguero due to injury and they received a further setback in the 10th minute when Kompany was given his marching orders.
Jelavic appeared to foul Kompany as they jostled for possession, but play was allowed to continue and when the City captain hauled the Croatian down, referee Lee Mason immediately brandished the red card.
Kompany kicked out at a door in frustration as he stalked down the tunnel, but City reacted in stirring fashion, with Silva gathering a pass from Yaya Toure and arcing a glorious shot inside the left-hand post from 25 yards.
Visiting right-back Pablo Zabaleta then saw a tremendous volley hit the bar and bounce on the goal-line, but Hull finished the first half strongly.
Jelavic had earlier put a volley wide from an Ahmed Elmohamady cross and after David Meyler had seen a goal ruled out for offside, Jake Livermore drilled a shot just off-target from long range.
Joe Hart saved from Shane Long, twice, and Jelavic early in the second period, while substitute George Boyd had a penalty appeal turned down after tumbling over a challenge by the City goalkeeper.
Fernandinho spurned a gilt-edged chance to double City's lead when he scuffed wide from only 10 yards, but Hart saved from Boyd and Jelavic to preserve the visitors' advantage.
Hull goalkeeper Allan McGregor prevented Dzeko from putting the game to bed in the closing stages, but the Bosnian atoned in the last minute by sweeping home from Silva's incisive pass.
Saturday afternoon witnesses a potentially significant fixture at the bottom of the table, with second-bottom Sunderland welcoming fifth-bottom Crystal Palace to the Stadium of Light.
Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew begins his seven-game ban for headbutting Hull midfielder Meyler as his side visit bottom club Fulham, while third-bottom Cardiff City travel to Everton.
In the day's other games, Swansea City host fellow relegation candidates West Bromwich Albion, Norwich City visit Southampton, and Stoke City tackle West Ham United in a mid-table clash at the Britannia Stadium. |
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