City recovered from a goal down to beat Luton Town 2-1 and end a run of four games without victory.
The Treble winners continued to pin the home side back after half-time and were rewarded around the hour-mark with two goals in two minutes from Bernardo and Jack Grealish to take all three points.
The Treble winners continued to pin the home side back after half-time and were rewarded around the hour-mark with two goals in two minutes from Bernardo and Jack Grealish to take all three points.
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SportTranscription
00:00 So the Blues are at Luton Town in the unusual position of being winless in their last four league games
00:08 and sitting fourth in the Premier League table.
00:12 The headline news of course is the absence of Erling Haaland with a foot injury.
00:18 At this stage we're not sure for how long.
00:21 Jeremy Doku is still also unavailable too, but Rodri and Jack Grealish return after suspension
00:29 while Nathan Ake plays his 100th City game.
00:33 The ball is played forward by Guardiola up towards Alvarez who helps it on to Foden
00:41 and on it goes to Bernardo Silva, a chance for City here and Foden's actually almost through on goal.
00:46 He's a bit wide, he props in a cross shot and then Bernardo Silva mishits a volley that could have gone in
00:52 and City really with their first attack of the game, first they force a save
00:56 and then Bernardo Silva by his standards scoffs a volley.
01:00 Yeah I mean it's a great turn by Phil Foden initially gives it to Silva, it's just that pass,
01:05 he is onside but he's just pushed it that little bit too far, Phil Foden's touch as well
01:10 just takes him a bit again away from the goal.
01:23 Perez who is the centre forward holds the ball now, tries to work an angle up towards Bernardo Silva
01:29 back to Alvarez, wide to Walker, Walker inside to Bernardo Silva in the penalty area
01:35 and it goes to Rodri, Luton sets up to defend, Rodri has a shot and Kaminski throws out what was almost
01:41 kind of his wrong arm, it was towards his left but he threw out his other arm and parried it over.
01:47 It was a good save actually from Kaminski.
01:49 Yeah it was a good save, he just gets the ball, he moves it to his right, it's a snapshot.
01:54 It's relatively central though for the goalkeeper.
01:58 Yeah what you were saying about Vardy as well, it's right, it's because Townsend's not even tracking him back at all
02:17 so he's got the freedom down that left-hand side.
02:20 Coming back to that tactical point in a minute as the ball is with Foden on the edge of the area
02:24 tries a shot, good save by Kaminski and the rebound pops back into the goalkeeper's arms.
02:29 Well it was a low driven ball, Kaminski saved it, the rebound could have gone anywhere
02:34 he was lucky enough to find it spin back towards him.
02:37 I think there would have been an offside anyway because Walker tried to get the rebound in
02:41 but we'll never know for sure, it is in the possession of Kaminski.
02:45 Okay, Vardy all plays it forward, City are going in the right direction
02:50 with Alvarez heading towards the centre of the pitch, wide it goes to Grealish
02:55 chance to maybe have a go down the left-hand side, puts in a low ball, good ball,
02:59 oh Alvarez, well he was caught in two minds.
03:01 It came towards him on the near post, I wasn't sure if he was trying to help it on or score
03:06 and in the end he kind of did neither, it kind of hit his right foot and his left foot and went harmlessly wide.
03:12 Yeah Grealish has done brilliant, he's looked along the line, he's just teasing the defenders
03:16 as he normally does, I think he should hit it with his left foot.
03:37 The ball is with Townsend, Townsend in the crossing position, should be Ederson's,
03:42 no he's not going to get it, and would you believe it, they've taken the lead!
03:46 Adebayo with a header at the far post, and right on the cusp of half-time,
03:51 a cross into the area and Adebayo has headed it into the back of Ederson's goal.
03:57 Steve Howie, can you believe it?
03:59 Absolutely not, but having said that you've got to give credit, I think it's a lovely, lovely ball in.
04:05 Adebayo, he's the one, just at the back stick, gets above the City defence.
04:11 Ederson's got no chance because it's point-blank range.
04:14 Grealish on the halfway line, plays it out wide to Walker,
04:22 bit of a gap to the right-hand side, Walker didn't want to play it,
04:25 goes inside to Kovacic, Grealish there, that's a foul,
04:29 through the foul really, didn't he, allowed Menge to come in and grab him,
04:33 and he brought him down with the right foot.
04:35 So free kick midway inside the Luton half, City were bossing possession in the first half,
04:41 they're bossing possession in the second,
04:43 but Luton only had one clear-cut opening in that first half and scored from it.
04:48 Yeah, one shot, sorry Alistair, I was just thinking, just as the build-up there,
04:53 yes, I know Jack Grealish is getting that free kick,
04:55 but Kyle Walker had a great opportunity putting Rodri...
04:58 City had the ball in the penalty area, claim of a handball,
05:01 and then Diaz has hit the bar, the ball went back to Diaz,
05:04 he hit it and it thumps against the top of the crossbar.
05:08 It was a claim of a handball amidst all of that, the referee is way play on,
05:12 Rodri from distance hits it low and wide, and it goes out for a goal kick.
05:17 Now the referee's telling them to just wait for a moment while VAR check for a handball,
05:22 after the handball was claimed for, there was then a shot that broke to Diaz
05:27 and he thumped it against the crossbar.
05:29 Don't think it was a handball, was it?
05:31 I don't think so, I think it kind of hit his chest and kind of under his arm.
05:36 Looking for a runner, gets beyond the camber, who's on a yellow card, Rodri,
05:47 goes out wide to Walker, Walker in the right-wing position,
05:52 just on the edge of the final third, but not quite in it yet.
05:56 Now with Foden, and it goes to Kovacic, Kovacic out wide to Gvardiol,
06:02 Gvardiol on to Kovacic again, now it's to Foden, and back it goes to Kovacic,
06:07 and Kovacic to Diaz, Diaz plays it out wide to Walker, Walker to Rodri,
06:14 Walker looks as though he was fouled, the referee's way play on because Rodri is advancing,
06:19 and then he lost the ball, and then it's a brilliant goal!
06:22 Bernardo Silva, that is a wonderful left-foot drive,
06:26 Rodri made a darting run in towards the penalty area,
06:29 he kind of got boxed off as he got into that position,
06:33 it broke for Bernardo Silva, and Bernardo Silva bent it,
06:37 and from the moment that he struck it, you knew it was going in the goal,
06:40 and it's City 1-1 Luton, Bernardo Silva.
06:44 Yeah, it was a fantastic finish, I think the camera was right behind Bernardo Silva,
06:49 he bent it, what a fantastic finish.
06:52 Yes, the goalkeeper's been superb, but I don't care what goalkeeper you are,
06:56 you're not saving that.
06:58 The moment Bernardo Silva connected, I could hear Steve Howie shouting "goal" in my ear,
07:09 because he knew that was arrowing into the corner,
07:12 that's a handball by Alvarez, well, the referee's not giving it,
07:15 and Alvarez is darting forward, and the ball goes across the face of the goal,
07:19 and Grealish puts it in, I've got a feeling this won't count,
07:22 I've got a feeling this will go back and be cancelled for a handball,
07:26 we're going to say that it's 2-1 to City at the moment,
07:29 and indeed the referee's got his hand in his ear,
07:31 but City lead 2-1, unless it was a handball,
07:34 and I just saw Grealish say to one of his teammates "was that a handball?"
07:39 and I think he wasn't totally sure, I think it's Alvarez who handled it possibly.
07:44 We'll be able to see.
07:45 This is the replay.
07:46 It's hit his fist.
07:47 No, it's not, it's 2-1 City, City fans everywhere, you can express yourselves with joy,
07:52 it wasn't a handball, it just looked like it was,
07:55 I think Luton Pound players all thought that it was,
07:58 and then it broke for Foden, and unless there's an offside in the build-up,
08:01 and I don't think there is, Alvarez plays it across,
08:04 Grealish puts it in, and City lead by two goals to one,
08:08 and the fact that even Grealish asked Alvarez if he'd handled it,
08:11 probably tells me that most out there weren't totally convinced,
08:15 but it is 2-1 to the Blues.
08:17 On it goes to Ross Barkley, Barkley gets away from Foden into the final third,
08:27 brilliant from Barkley, oh and then he missed it in the shot,
08:30 well everything up to that point was absolutely superb,
08:34 he gets away from Foden, he then turns and twists away from Kovacic,
08:39 but he hits his shot all wrong wide of the post.
08:42 Going into the last few minutes, there's a very vulnerable lead,
08:50 the likes of Spurs and Liverpool, and the other two others,
08:54 as Alvarez hits a shot that fizzes over the bar,
08:57 it was a really good hit by Alvarez, and it was travelling at enormous speed,
09:02 just fizzed over the bar.
09:05 CHANTING
09:07 Chong tries to help it out wide, it's a good ball,
09:15 Doughty round the outside, tackle by Rodri Corner,
09:18 Kaminski's making his way forward, Luton fans believing.
09:23 We're in the seventh minute of added time, Chong on the far side,
09:28 puts in another ball, Edison claims, referee sounds his whistle,
09:32 and City's winless run is over.
09:35 There's a hug between Pep Guardiola and Rob Edwards,
09:38 the Blues know they had to work for it, but they have got that victory,
09:43 the Blues are just four points behind the leaders Liverpool,
09:46 and the reality is that those who write City off better think again.
09:51 Luton 1-2 City.
09:53 CHANTING
09:56 APPLAUSE
09:58 CHANTING
10:00 CHANTING
10:02 CHANTING
10:04 CHANTING
10:06 CHANTING
10:08 [BLANK_AUDIO]