Zabaleta eases pressure on Hughes but 10-man City fail to impress

Pablo Zabaleta’s first goal for Manchester City earned his club a crucial 1-0 win over Wigan at Eastlands here on Saturday.

Yet City, who hope to sign Brazilian star Kaka from AC Milan in the next few days for a world record fee in excess of 100 million pounds, secured their second win in seven Premier League games the hard way.

Mark Hughes’s side played most of the second half down to 10 men after captain Richard Dunne was shown a straight red card for kicking Wigan’s Egypt striker Amr Zaki.

It led to a tense finish as Wigan pressed hard for an equaliser, Zaki guilty of an amazing miss from point blank range.

But City, who had started the day just two points above the relegation zone, held on to claim three points thanks to the finishing of Argentina’s Zabaleta. All the pre-match talk surrounded City’s astonishing bid for Kaka.

Hughes made reference to the AC Milan player in his programme notes and insisted that his arrival would demonstrate that City are serious at becoming a major presence on the world stage.

While it remains to be seen whether Kaka will follow fellow countrymen Robinho, Elano and Jo to Eastlands, City have already made a significant impact in the January transfer window having secured Wayne Bridge from Chelsea.

The left-back was making his first start in City colours as Hughes made three changes to the side which was embarrassed by Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup in their last outing.

Wigan’s record transfer fee paid is 5.5 million pounds for England striker Emile Heskey, around 103.5 million pounds less than City are prepared to pay for Kaka.

But despite the huge financial gulf between the two clubs, Wigan started the game eight places and nine points better off than their hosts.

City had never beaten Wigan in a Premier League game but they ought to have established a two-goal lead by half time.

Robinho looked set for his 13th goal in a City shirt when he found himself clean through with only keeper Chris Kirkland to beat in the 11th minute.

But the usually reliable striker wasted a golden opportunity to break the deadlock when he screwed his effort wide.

Then a move made in Brazil saw Elano send Robinho clean through again, but he was once again denied by Titus Bramble’s hooked clearance off the line after lifting the ball over Kirkland.

Wigan had their moments. Heskey spurned a fine opportunity when he headed wide, while Tottenham target Wilson Palacios went even closer with a low effort from 20-yards in the 39th minute.

But if the first half was rather subdued, then the second 45 minutes more than made up as City took the lead only to be reduced to 10 men less than 60 seconds later.

A poor headed clearance by Paul Scharner from a 52nd minute corner fell straight at the feet of former Espanyol player Zabaleta, who dispatched a tremendous 25-yard effort beyond the outstretched hands of Kirkland.

However, City’s celebrations were cut short momentsa later when Dunne was sent off for the second time this season for kicking out at Zaki after an aerial challenge between the duo on the edge of the City area.

Wigan should have equalised in the 84th minute yet Zaki, who has scored 11 times this season, was left wishing the ground would swallow him up after heading wide from inside the six-yard area after Lee Cattermole’s effort had rebounded off the crossbar.