WBA reax

Tim Rich, The Independent

This was not a victory that ends the debate about his suitability to marshal the disparate and brilliant talents of this club but it stilled the crisis triggered by their last trip to the Black Country, eight miles away and eight days ago.

At Wolves, they had looked a disjointed jumble of egos. At West Bromwich, we were reminded why they might be the most refreshing thing to have happened to the Premier League since Kevin Keegan wrote his first programme notes at a newly-promoted Newcastle in 1993, saying he was after Manchester United's title.

Jason Burt, Daily Telegraph

With an impressive performance, City easily arrested their run of three straight defeats which had ratcheted up the pressure on manager Roberto Mancini, who was on the pitch at the end to acknowledge the relentless backing of the visiting supporters.

Daniel Taylor, The Guardian

This will be remembered as the day Mario Balotelli announced his arrival in the Premier League and his new audience stared back with a glazed expression of shock and awe. Balotelli's first two goals in English football had therapeutic qualities for Manchester City, who will like to believe they have answered a few questions about their spirit of togetherness, but then we saw the other side of this gifted but temperamental striker.