Wigan reax

Andy Hunter, The Guardian

City were workmanlike on the whole. There was little between two teams at opposite ends of the financial spectrum and until Tevez stamped his class on proceedings, the biggest influence was a bog of a pitch that made a mockery even of the warm-up. Players were slipping and sliding with or without the ball, you could hear squelching from up in the stands and a groundsman had to re-mark the centre circle at half-time.

Rory Smith, Daily Telegraph

For all the money lavished across Europe by Mark Hughes and Roberto Mancini, none looks better spent than the £25 million which smoothed Tévez’s short journey from Old Trafford to Eastlands. The Argentine, who scored the first and made the second to see off Wigan Athletic, stands alone as City’s difference maker.

Here, he was the difference between a comfortable, though perhaps not inspiring, victory, and the disappointment of another two points dropped. He is the difference between fourth and 13th in the nascent Premier League table.

Ian Herbert, The Independent

It has been hard to deduce at times in the past 12 months, just how much the Argentine has wanted to be at Manchester City, and that odd, unheralded decision to make him captain seemed like an exercise in keeping a prime asset happy. It was good work, given how integral to City's progress he still is, for all the £130m which has been spent this summer.

Danny Pugsley, Bitter and Blue

The partnership of Kolo Toure and Vincent Kompany has been excellent. I was watching Kompany's positional play and movement today and it was very impressive. Time and again he made the right choice as in when to tackle, when to cover and when to stand his ground. He has been as consistently good as anyone this season.

Salzburg reax

Daniel Taylor, The Guardian

Operating at the front tip of a midfield diamond, Silva played as though he wanted to shed himself of any frustrations, a firefly of a player, always wanting the ball, elusive to mark and, when he had possession, running with his head up, looking for the killer pass.

Chris Wheeler, Daily Mail

A stuttering start to life in England and concerns about his slight frame being suited to the physical demands of the Premier League have led some to wonder whether City had made the right decision in paying Valencia £24million for the Spain forward this summer.

But manager Roberto Mancini insisted on the eve of his side's opening Group A clash he had no doubts Silva was ready to deliver, and the World Cup winner took less than eight minutes to start proving him right as his first goal in a City shirt helped his club launch their Europa League campaign with a win in this picturesque Austrian city.

Sandy Macaskill, Daily Telegraph

Jo exhibited signs of rust, but he created Silva’s goal and generally made a nuisance of himself, scoring his first goal for City since September 2008, his fourth goal in total, but it was Silva’s performance which will have been the one on supporters lips last night.

Even though he has only been in the England since July, the 24 year-old has already been criticised as too lightweight for the Premier League. Not a bit of it: his eyes, like a lizard, permanently on a swivel, makes his size inconsequential. On this evidence he will soon challenge those stick-in-the-muds who think you must be built like a baobab tree to cut the mustard in English football. “He is a fantastic player, he can play in every position,” Mancini said.

Timişoara reax

Daniel Taylor, The Guardian

Timisoara, in short, were woeful, lacking any sense of adventure, or the gumption to test whether any of City's old shortcomings in cup competitions might resurface. The Romanians managed only one attempt on target in the first leg and two here, all aimed straight at Hart for the England international to pluck nonchalantly out of the air. Even in those spells when City lapsed into a going-through-the-motions feel, the home side always looked utterly in command. Patrick Vieira, on his first start of the season, was particularly impressive and, though Boyata was named as the official man-of-the-match, the truth is he may never have an easier game in his professional life.

Tim Rich, The Independent

However, perhaps it was as well that the club's owner, Sheikh Mansour, did not extend his stay in Manchester to take in this game. However comfortable City were, Eastlands was half-full and the evening had little of the drama or the long-term significance of Monday evening's dismissal of Liverpool in the Premier League, when the sheikh had been in attendance. The spadework had been done in the first leg amid the lavender-coloured seats of the Dan Palitinsanu Stadium and this should have been a night to avoid the self-inflicted wounds that have become woven into Manchester City's history.

Danny Pugsley, Bitter and Blue

The second half showed even more of a marked improvement. The side looked far more fluid, controlled and dangerous in attack. David Silva came more to the fore, confident in the play of Vieira behind him he buzzed around the front line, always looking for the incisive ball through to the front man. He looks to have the capability to really be able to forge a partnership with Carlos Tevez.

Mark Ogden, Daily Telegraph

Having brushed aside FC Timisoara with a clinical and professional display at Eastlands, City can now look forward to vying with Champions League royalty when they begin the serious business next month of attempting to win Uefa’s much-maligned second tier trophy.

Ian Ladyman, Daily Mail

It was a good goal and in truth a little out of keeping with what had gone before. City had been a little predictable in much of their play up until that point but the goal gave them some life and some impetus and they were much improved in the second half.

Liverpool reax

Sam Wallace, The Independent

Mancini's side played like a team of international superstars rather than the fractious individuals they have proved to be at certain times over the two years of the Sheikh's reign in east Manchester. They demolished a Liverpool team that looked totally out of sorts and without Javier Mascherano missed some of the familiar midfield bite.

Zonal Marking

City won comfortably without ever playing spectacular football, which simply demonstrates how poor Liverpool were. The use of Toure further forward worked reasonably well (although he doesn’t look completely fit) and Mancini’s use of inverted wingers and a false nine was very successful – Tevez had a good game, Milner got two assists, and Johnson v Agger was probably the game’s key battle. With Silva and Balotelli waiting in the wings (literally), personnel might change, but this looks like being City’s first-choice formation this season.

Henry Winter, Daily Telegraph

The Blue Moon rising last night cast an encouraging light on England. Gareth Barry, looking more svelte-like than usual, delivered a heavyweight performance in central midfield, powering forward to score City’s first and also putting in some important tackles. He was named man of the match but the sponsors’ bubbly could easily have gone to Adam Johnson, who had Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel spinning like feathers in a wind tunnel.

Matt Lawton, Daily Mail

James Milner, selected alongside five other England internationals, enjoyed an excellent debut. He not only delivered the final ball for the first two goals but combined brilliantly with the excellent Adam Johnson in providing a real threat down the flanks.

Kevin McCarra, The Guardian

Aspiring clubs have to hit a rhythm that makes victories natural if not inevitable at their own ground. Roberto Mancini's team did that on this occasion and the studied football he favours took its toll on the visitors eventually. Adam Johnson's first start of the campaign increased the refinement that will be essential if there is to be a genuine bid for the title.

Timişoara reax

Daniel Taylor, The Guardian

Over time, as the new players bed in and the club becomes more accustomed to its newly acquired fame, it has to be imagined City will develop the knack of coming to these kind of places and asserting the sort of authority that comes from being the most expensively assembled squad in English football.

It is a state of mind as much as anything to do with talent and, for now, what we are seeing is a work in progress. Mancini is searching for the right balance between creativity and conservatism but currently seems to be veering towards the latter, with eight defence-minded players in his £180m starting line-up. David Silva and Carlos Tevez played behind, and wide of, Adebayor but in terms of creativity there were long spells when they scarcely threatened to get behind the opposition defence.

Mark Ogden, Daily Telegraph

Roberto Mancini’s team were treading water, lethargic and uninspiring prior to Balotelli’s 56th minute introduction as a replacement for Gareth Barry.

Yet once the former Inter Milan forward, described as ‘unmanageable by Mourinho, had entered the fray, Mancini’s team was transformed and provided the potency they had so painfully lacked without him.

Colin Young, Daily Mail

As promised, Roberto Mancini gave Balotelli his debut but decided to blood him into a side which, on the evidence of their sorry first-half showing, can best be described as a work in progress.

If Mancini wanted an immediate impact, he got one after sending him on for Gareth Barry in the 57th minute. At that point, City fielded a front line that consisted of Balotelli, Carlos Tevez, David Silva and Emmanuel Adebayor.

Spurs reax

Ian Herbert, The Independent

The gulf between the sides was tactical. City lacked a striker because Tevez felt that he had to head back into midfield to forage for the ball and only looked a force once Emmanuel Adebayor had arrived for the last eight minutes. Tottenham had a striker in Peter Crouch, whom Aaron Lennon found. World Cup hangover? It was as if South Africa had never happened.

Zonal Marking

Mancini’s defensive-minded formation will come in for some criticism, but one suspects he got the result he was looking for. The three central midfielders actually did their job rather well, but Tevez dropped too deep considering neither Silva nor Wright-Phillips were comfortable in becoming the temporary centre-forward when he did. Wright-Phillips wasted City’s best chance, through on goal with a bouncing ball, but he didn’t even manage to get a shot away.

Paul Wilson, The Observer

Hart won the first round of his goalkeeping battle with Shay Given and was kept busy for almost the entire first half, City rarely crossing the halfway line and taking something of a battering as a result. The visitors' £100m outlay does not appear to have bought them much style or shape. There was little width on show and an unbridgeable gap between their line of three defensive midfielders and their Subbuteo front three of Shaun Wright-Phillips, Carlos Tevez and David Silva. The newcomer from Spain must have spent the first half-hour wondering if he was going to spend the whole of his City career seeing so little of the ball.

Danny Pugsley, Bitter and Blue

Despite the first half struggles, the day was a positive one. Ending a wretched run at White Hart Lane, the side showed it possesses plenty of fortitude and appetite to battle out results. Undoubtedly there are improvements to be made, but these are not fundamental problems but more a need for the side to gel.

Steve Tongue, Independent on Sunday

In short, they looked nothing like a team. That was always a risk in introducing three new players (who had cost £85m) in David Silva, Yaya Touré and Aleksandar Kolarov after so little time together. More baffling was a formation in which Carlos Tevez was the only striker, with David Silva and Shaun Wright-Phillips alternating flanks.

More Villa reax

James Ducker, The Times

Five of the Villa players who started the match hope to go to the World Cup with England this summer, but the only Englishman who enhanced his chances of inclusion in Fabio Capello’s 23-man squad played in opposing colours. Patrick Vieira was City’s star man, the Frenchman offering a timely riposte to those who claimed he is past it by dominating the midfield, but the former Arsenal player was gushing in his praise of Adam Johnson.

Steve Tongue, The Independent

Once ahead, City were able to play Villa at their own game of counter- attack, denying them a single dangerous attempt in the second half and wrapping up the points just before full-time as Shaun Wright-Phillips' thrust down the left set up Craig Bellamy. In Johnson and Wright-Phillips (as well as the refusenik Wayne Bridge), City therefore had the more influential England candidates for Pearce to recommend than Villa's crop; the exception, as ever, being the industrious James Milner.

Chris Wheeler, Daily Mail

Victory over Villa was shaped by two players signed by Mancini in January. Although Patrick Vieira was well known to the former Inter Milan boss, it is fair to say that Adam Johnson was not.

Vieira has made a slow start after arriving with a calf injury, but was more like his old self on Saturday. Mancini would still not be drawn, however, on whether the midfielder's short-term deal will be extended.

Tim Rich, The Guardian

Fulop, who was once on Tottenham's books, will again be at the centre of things on Wednesday despite looking so kittenishly nervous in the first half that it seemed unlikely that, growing up in Budapest, he was ever referred to as "mukso" or "the cat". Nevertheless, Manchester City's defence, directed by Patrick Vieira in front of them, protected him admirably while Adam Johnson, whom Mancini brought to Eastlands with Vieira in the January transfer window, won the penalty and set up Emmanuel Adebayor seconds after Carew's shot had thundered against Fulop's crossbar.

Birmingham reax

George Caulkin, The Times

And, of course, once Tévez became involved, then City knew they were treading on the securest of territories. This squat pugilist has become an extraordinary talismanic figure for his club, who have won every league match in which he has scored, a statistic that was seldom in jeopardy from the second that he stroked his 38th-minute penalty beyond Maik Taylor.

Graham Chase, Daily Telegraph

Manchester City are building a head of steam in their pursuit of fourth place and Carlos Tévez could not be in better form going into arguably the most important derby for decades.

Ivan Speck, Daily Mail

Against a Birmingham team which has ground out results in parsimonious fashion all season, City were simply rampant once Emmanuel Adebayor had lured Scott Dann into an unwise challenge eight minutes before half-time and the splendid Carlos Tevez gleefully set City free from the penalty spot.

Flowing from left to right and back again, thrusting into space, dropping in behind, this may not have been the safety-first catenaccio upon which Mancini was reared in Italy's Serie A, but it is lapped up at Eastlands.

Sachin Nakrani, The Guardian

Five goals were scored by the hosts and such was the fullness of attacking display that even the full-back Nedum Onuoha was able to contribute to the tally in impressive style, galloping forward as he did on 74 minutesbefore sweeping the ball into the corner of the net to make it 4-1. This win, however, bore the hallmark of City's frontpair. Carlos Tevez and Emmanuel Adebayor were irresistible, scoring twice each and threatening throughout to get more.

Ian Edwards, The Independent

"We want to win for our supporters and for our position in the league table. That is the most important thing," he said. After scoring 14 goals in their last three games confidence could not be higher – even if it goes against Mancini's more pragmatic Italian theories.

At times Birmingham were spellbound by City's movement and pace. "It seemed like they had extra men on the field. That is what good sides can do to you," said Alex McLeish, the Birmingham manager who will not have seen his resolute side capitulate in such a fashion at any stage previously this season. "We did not down tools, but there was some pretty dreadful defending at times," he added.

More Burnley reax

James Ducker, The Times

For all Burnley’s failings — and they were too plentiful to list — City were as unrelenting as the torrential rain, but Roberto Mancini’s team can ill afford to be lulled into a false sense of security as they pursue that much-cherished Champions League place.

Having leapfrogged Tottenham Hotspur, fourth position is theirs to lose, but even though four of their remaining six matches are at home, their run-in is strewn with pitfalls.

Joe Lovejoy, The Guardian

It seems a long time ago now that the Red Army were chortling at the alarming concession of goals that cost Mark Hughes his job in December. Hughes's City let in four against United and threes against Burnley, Bolton, Tottenham and Sunderland. If the 3-3 draw at home to Burnley in November was a low point, Saturday's 6-1 drubbing of the same opposition hit a new peak, in that it was City's biggest away win since the Premier League began. At last it seems Croesus, aka Sheikh Mansour, is starting to get some sort of value for that eye-watering investment.

Chris Wheeler, Daily Mail

The ineptitude of Laws’ side contributed to one of the most one-sided contests you are likely to see. Only a torrential downpour that followed a first-half deluge of goals spared Burnley greater humiliation.

It was not serious enough for referee Alan Wiley to abandon the game, but it mired the attacking threat of Carlos Tevez, Emmanuel Adebayor, Craig Bellamy and Adam Johnson in a way Burnley never could.

Krystyna Rudzki, The Independent

Inspired by Spurs' 3-1 defeat to Sunderland earlier in the day, City's prolific display ensured a much-improved goal difference in the race for the final Champions League spot, with City now on +24 compared to Spurs' +26.

"The targets are very clear," Kompany said. "We have to get fourth place. We all want it, the players want it, the manager wants it. The way we are playing at the moment, there is no reason to think that anything is going to change."

Burnley reax

George Murray, Independent on Sunday

Ruthless, clinical, making the most of others' misfortune, this was most unlike the Manchester City we have grown used to. Up to fourth, with Tottenham still having to travel to Eastlands, Roberto Mancini, who linked himself with a move back to Italy with Juventus on the eve of this game, looks like he may deliver Champions League football after all.

Graham Chase, Sunday Telegraph

With Tottenham, who still have to travel to City, slipping up at Sunderland history suggested that Roberto Mancini's side would shoot themselves in the foot.

Instead, they were three goals up within six minutes and played with a ruthlessness that has rarely been associated with the light blue shirt, with three goals coming from Adam Johnson corners.

Paul Rowan, Sunday Times

Within seven minutes, Burnley were three behind, and they had conceded five by half-time — equalling the Premier League record — as Tevez and Adebayor ran riot. Burnley’s defence couldn’t deal with Adam Johnson and Bellamy on the flanks either.

Joe Lovejoy, The Observer

The outcome was settled before the match was seven minutes old, by which time City were three goals to the good, and the Burnley players, and their suffering supporters, were thoroughly demoralised. It cannot be too often that a home team are booed while latecomers are still filtering into the ground, but that is what happened here. After 20 minutes, at 4-0, some were already heading for the exits.

Fulham reax

Dominic Fifield, The Guardian

"This could prove an important win, and it was deserved," said Mancini, even if it still felt unconvincing. There had been aspects to admire. Chances had been passed up but City's pace on the counter-attack was irrepressible, Craig Bellamy scuttling down the left flank as a striker-turned-winger and supplying Carlos Tevez, a constant blur of energy, while Adam Johnson cut inside at will on the other flank. The Englishman's emergence since his January move from Middlesbrough bodes well for England's future, even if he is surely staking his claim too late for the summer's World Cup.

Tom Dart, The Times

City employed a Patrick Vieira impersonator in midfield. The 33-year-old’s physical decline from his Arsenal heyday is dramatic: not so much box to box as box to centre circle these days, alas. But there is perpetual dynamism from Craig Bellamy and Carlos Tévez, the team’s greatest assets.

Conrad Leach, The Independent

Manchester United's win over Liverpool earlier had cleared up the picture concerning fourth place, with it now seeming to boil down to a fight between City and Tottenham, who are currently fourth. Should City win their game in hand, then Mancini's men, who owed this victory largely to the sweat and energy of Carlos Tevez, will leapfrog Harry Redknapp's side. Mancini realised three points were vital. He said: "This was important for fourth place. It will be a fight to the end of the season. We are not favourites, Liverpool are a fantastic team, and we will fight with Spurs, Villa and Liverpool to the end."

John Ley, Daily Telegraph

Roque Santa Cruz scored only his fourth City goal before Carlos Tévez claimed a stunning second - and the club’s 600th in Premier League football. Fulham struck back late on when Danny Murphy converted a penalty and had the chance to level, but City held on and look well placed to challenge for the coveted Champions League place.

Sunderland reax

Tim Rich, The Independent

For a side that had put four past Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in their last fixture, this was a reminder that you can change the manager, you can pump in hundreds of millions to revolutionise the squad, but changing the soul of a club is rather more difficult.

For much of the game, this was Manchester City as they have been since 1938, when, as reigning champions, they managed to get themselves relegated while scoring more goals than any other team. Their inconsistency is a constant, summed up by the way Patrick Vieira was caught dawdling on the ball in a way he would never have been at Arsenal.

George Caulkin, The Times

It was difficult to equate Mancini’s side with the one that had tormented Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. While the second half brought improvements in application and attitude, what preceded it bordered on the shambolic, with too many passes squirting astray and the syndrome known as “Cityitis” re-emerging from a brief period of dormancy.

Louise Taylor, The Guardian

Earlier City's manager had pressed almost every conceivable tactical button, repeatedly reconfiguring his side as Bruce's newly renascent team variously left him sighing, grimacing and even tugging anxiously at both his elegantly knotted blue and white scarf and immaculatelycoiffed hair.

Indeed judging by Mancini's demented charge down the touchline to order his celebrating players to calm down and regroup after that late leveller, the Italian knows his long-term future at Eastlands remains very much in the balance. There is no doubt he wants to remain in situ. Asked if coaching Italy after the World Cup interested him, a smiling Mancini – whose side stand fifth, two points behind Tottenham Hotspur with a game in hand – replied: "No, I intend staying here for ten years."

Colin Young, Daily Mail

In the first half Sunderland looked hungrier and the number of stray passes, missed tackles and dreadful shots from the visitors was just too much for Mancini. Once, Carlos Tevez hit a stray pass into touch.

The City boss shook his head, looked to the heavens, chuntered something to himself and sent Roque Santa Cruz on for Wayne Bridge.

More Chelsea reax

James Ducker, The Times

Bridge was applauded for a solid display at left back, but City’s real stars were Tévez — who underlined why his team-mates have missed him so much by offering a masterclass in how to lead a line single-handed — and Bellamy, a pest throughout, plus Gareth Barry, who gave Fabio Capello, the England manager, something to cheer by bossing midfield.

Chelsea’s main weakness this season has been an inability to defend set-pieces, but time and again in the second half, City exposed their vulnerability on the flanks to fast counter-attacks, with both of Bellamy’s goals coming by virtue of swift breaks forward.

Mark Fleming, The Independent

At the back, Chelsea limited Inter and City to eight goal attempts each. But in both games they were susceptible to counter attack every time the opposition crossed the halfway line. With Ashley Cole and Petr Cech injured, Chelsea resemble heavyweights with a glass chin.

City, galvanised by the sense of injustice concerning Bridge's shattered love life, proved what a good side they are, when they can be bothered. Tevez returned after missing four games to be at the birth of daughter Katie in Argentina, and promptly brought Chelsea's 37-game unbeaten run at Stamford Bridge to an end with his tenacity and creativity.

David Hytner, The Guardian

City had entered the game against a backdrop of poor form and talk of a bust-up between Mancini and Bellamy. "If Craig is arguing with someone around the club, it's normal," said Barry, with a smile. But they departed having staged the most eye-catching of smash-and-grab raids. Their first, second and fourth goals came on the counter-attack.

Jeremy Wilson, Daily Telegraph

It [our equaliser] was the pivotal moment of the match and also a glimpse of genuine individual quality from a player who had only arrived back in England on Friday after being in Argentina with his partner and prematurely born daughter.

As Chelsea wilted and the collective purpose and belief of Manchester City visibly grew, Craig Bellamy scored twice on the counter-attack while Tevez converted a penalty after Juliano Belletti was sent-off for into Gareth Barry. It all ensured that Lampard’s late penalty was merely a consolation.

Matt Barlow, Daily Mail

Two more goals for Frank Lampard was the only positive for Ancelotti. For City, there was so much more. Bellamy looked dangerous and boss Mancini insisted their disagreement was now forgotten.

That was the beauty of Team Terry v Team Bridge. For once, City and Bellamy had a common enemy and they were all smiles.

Chelsea reax

Henry Winter, Sunday Telegraph

Under pressure following recent anaemic displays and reports of dressing-room objections towards his training methods, Mancini came up trumps here. When the heat was on, City's team spirit and tactics underpinned one of the results of the season, a win that gives them real hope of claiming the fourth Champions League position.

In shielding the back-four, Mancini again deployed three pedigree dogs of war, Nigel de Jong, Pablo Zabaleta and Barry.

Mancini's tactics are defensively-minded but City can counter-attack venomously, a quality displayed in an extraordinary second period.

Steve Wilson, The Observer

While that made City's job easier towards the end, the visitors had put themselves in a winning position against 11 men, not nine. Only the final City goal, when Tevez led a breakout from his own half and Craig Bellamy picked up his second of the afternoon from a Shaun Wright-Phillips cross, was attributable to Chelsea's lack of numbers. Everything else was their own fault, and even after one of the most boring and uneventful opening half hours of the season it was impossible to see it coming.

Duncan Castles, Sunday Times

In the past week, Internazionale and City have demonstrated different ways to unbutton Chelsea in open play. Jose Mourinho won the Champions League tie by playing two quick forwards and leaving Wesley Sneijder free to manufacture chances behind. Here City triumphed with classic counterattacking, Roberto Mancini lining up five in midfield and asking Tevez to sniff opportunities around the centre-backs.

Steve Tongue, Independent on Sunday

Astonishingly, an unmarked Lescott should have added a second goal almost immediately, heading Craig Bellamy's free-kick beyond the far post as Terry lay on the ground. Five minutes into the second half, City were ahead anyway after the first of three superb counters, all involving Bellamy. For this one he raced away from a static Mikel on to Gareth Barry's pass and shot across Hilario, who was again badly positioned.

Jeremy Wilson, Sunday Telegraph

Manchester City had created nothing and looked in danger of falling further behind before equalising on the stroke of half-time in the most unexpected of circumstances. Bridge had thumped a hopeful ball forward which John Obi-Mikel attempted to head back to Terry, only for Carlos Tevez to intercept.

He then turned inside Ricardo Carvalho and scuffed a shot which carried just enough power to dribble beyond Henrique Hilario and into the Chelsea goal.

Liverpool reax

Kevin McCarra, The Guardian

The sorriest aspect was the indifference to entertaining the woebegone spectators, with the home support summoning up the energy for a little light booing at the close. There was insufficient volume for it to be considered a protest against Mancini or anyone else. It may have been a yelp of annoyance over a perfectly good afternoon totally wasted.

Henry Winter, Daily Telegraph

Some culpability must lie with Roberto Mancini and Rafael Benítez, whose mindsets seemed focused on the draw. Both teams lined up 4-5-1: Emmanuel Adebayor and Dirk Kuyt led the lines while Gerrard and Stephen Ireland played between the lines. Liverpool’s lack of width, with Maxi Rodriguez peripheral, was particularly alarming. At least Mancini tried to stretch Liverpool through Johnson, Shaun Wright-Phillips and eventually Craig Bellamy.

Ian Herbert, The Independent

A match between two contestants each so badly wanting to avoid defeat was never likely to summon up much cavalier spirit. But when opportunities to break out arrived, City advanced with such diffidence it was scarcely believable that this was the core of Mark Hughes' ambitious, high-rolling side. It took them precisely an hour and 15 seconds to conjure any shot on target – Pepe Reina was still conscious enough to palm Emmanuel Adebayor's strike smartly around his right- hand post – though Mancini denied that his club's first thought is now always to defend. "For me, as a team, this is important we didn't concede any chances," Mancini said. "We played a top squad."

Matt Hughes, The Times

For such an expensively assembled side, City are not creating enough chances in the first place, and it was not until the final ten minutes that the visiting team were placed under concerted pressure. Adebayor demonstrated impressive pace to get away from Martin Skrtel as he chased a long ball over the top in the 80th minute, but was denied by a well-timed sliding tackle from the Slovakia defender. Adebayor was presented with another opportunity from the resulting corner, heading Vincent Kompany’s cross over the bar.

Stoke reax

Paul Wilson, The Guardian

Even with Abdoulaye Faye, dismissed with more than half an hour left, Stoke were deservedly winning until five ­minutes from the end when Barry showed determination to hook in a second effort after his first shot had been touched on to a post. Liverpool themselves will be putting City back in their place at Eastlands on Sunday unless Mancini can effect a dramatic improvement.

Sandy Macaskill, Daily Telegraph

Aggression, intensity, authority — call it what you want — City lack it. After losing to Everton, Hull, and now drawing at the Britannia, we are left with one immutable fact, one which brings to mind Lance-Corporal Jones of Dad’s Army: Manchester City don’t like it up 'em.

True, Roberto Mancini’s side have moved into fourth place, ahead of Liverpool, but this was not a performance that suggested they will stay there long. Mancini had ordered full attack mode, but he was rewarded with a sluggish start and a lapse in concentration just when things finally started going their way, Glenn Whelan’s shot from outside the area burying itself in the bottom corner after 71 minutes.

Tom Dart, The Times

The point pushed the visiting team above Liverpool into fourth place, and they still have a game in hand on Rafael Benítez’s side, whom they host on Sunday, but it was impossible to feel optimistic about City’s Champions League prospects after this display. It was a night to reinforce prejudices: Stoke the bustling bullies, City the flaky travellers.

Phil Shaw, The Independent

A surfeit of draws cost Mark Hughes his job as manager of Manchester City, but Roberto Mancini should have been grateful for the one he scraped against Stoke last night because his team would have been deservedly beaten by 10 men but for a contentious refereeing decision deep in stoppage time.

Monday's Hull reax

Jeremy Cross, The Independent

City's soft underbelly away from Eastlands was brutally exposed once again, this time by a Hull City team put together at a cost of less than £10m, which is not much more than the likes of Robinho earn in a season's wages in Manchester, when he is there of course.

Robinho wouldn't have relished this contest, that is for sure, but what is worrying Mancini more is the fact that some of the missing Brazilian's colleagues appear to have been infected by his lethargy when it comes to securing wins on the road.

Tom Dart, The Times

Tactical and individual deficiencies were evident in this defeat, but Mancini blamed complacency. “I don’t want to be mid-table, I want to win, I want to be in the top four. For this, we must change the mentality,” he said. City have been defeated twice in six league games under Mancini — as many losses as his predecessor, Mark Hughes, endured in 17 fixtures. All four have come on their travels.

Jeremy Alexander, The Guardian

City were unprepared for the onslaught. Roberto Mancini admitted it: "When you play against a squad at a different level you think you can play softer. It's not possible in football, if you want to be a winner." He was so disconcerted that he ended ­chasing the game with three defensive midfielders, adding Patrick Vieira for Craig ­Bellamy and a podgy, puffing debut. Adam ­Johnson's was in skipping contrast.

Jonathan Liew, Daily Telegraph

They have now won just one of their past 10 league games away from home, and worryingly for their Champions League aspirations, they appear to be shirking the fight just as Liverpool are rediscovering their taste for it.

Arindam Rej, Daily Mail

But the rest of Mancini's players produced the worst showing of his tenure. As they trudged in at the interval, trailing 1-0, the Italian expressed his views in a brief and sharp manner before leaving them in the dressing room as he returned to the dugout.

This is the first time that his patience has been tested since he took over as City boss. His team improved after the break but were still out-fought.

Sunday's Hull reax

Jeremy Cross, Independent on Sunday

Yet City produced one of the most woeful halves of football since Mancini took charge. To Hull's credit they failed to let the visitors settle but this could not excuse City's overall lack of urgency and desire. It took them until first half stoppage time to have a shot on goal and the fact it was the full-back Bridge spoke volumes for their plight.

Sandy Mcaskill, Sunday Telegraph

But Manchester City’s away record is as bad as Hull’s at home is good: they have won just one of their last nine games away from Eastlands, and it appears as though opposition have got the measure of the side. It is a problem that Mancini must put right post haste. The Italian refused to admit any concern, reminding that “we have two games in hand” – but he did concede that his side must be more aggressive away from home. “If we want to make the top four, we must win away and we must fight. We must be aggressive away, not like in the first half.”

Mikey Stafford, The Observer

For the first half-hour, Bridge cut a pretty lonely figure as Hull focused on the visitors' right flank, with Stephen Hunt and, in particular, Altidore giving Pablo Zabaleta and Dedryck Boyata a torrid time. Mancini fielded arguably his strongest side, except for Boyata, who deputised for the injured Joleon Lescott in the centre of the defence, and his inexperience showed.

Richard Rae, Sunday Times

It was certainly true that the England left-back was one of City’s better performers on his comeback from injury. Unfortunately for Mancini, that isn’t saying a great deal. Required to stand up and be counted against a Hull team full of confidence, energy and determination after gaining a deserved draw against Chelsea on Tuesday, too many wearing Sky Blue wilted and several all but disappeared.

Bob Cass, Mail on Sunday

Maybe Roberto Mancini has not been at Eastlands long enough to get out the hair dryer. The Blues boss suggested his team improved as the game went on. He was right, but for players who pick up the equivalent of a decent Lottery win in wages each week, this was not good enough.

Manchester City looked as far away from the top four as Hull did from the bottom three. Goals by Jozy Altidore and George Boateng gave Hull breathing space and although Emanuel Adebayor pulled one back, there was no denying the merits of Hull's victory.

Pompey reax

James Ducker, The Times

“We didn’t play well,” said Roberto Mancini, the City manager, with considerable understatement. But, given that Liverpool and Aston Villa won on Saturday, the Italian could have been forgiven for not getting too worked up about the performance and instead savouring the three points and the goalscoring return of Emmanuel Adebayor.

The outcome might have been very different had John Utaka, in the fifth minute, and Anthony vanden Borre, in the 37th, not spurned excellent chances to take the lead. But even with City out of sorts, there seemed little chance of Portsmouth mounting a fightback after conceding twice in the closing stages of the first half.

Louise Taylor, The Guardian

Indeed after a low-tempo 45 minutes City were somewhat flattered by a ­two-goal half-time lead. With their usual attacking catalyst, Craig Bellamy, benched and Barry taking time to reacquaint ­himself with the wide left-midfield role, ­Mancini's team stuttered.

Michael Walker, Daily Mail

City are one point behind Tottenham in the all-important fourth place with two games in hand. Adebayor is back in the fold. Superficially things are looking up.

But this victory was achieved without anything approaching eloquence.

As Roberto Mancini said: ‘It’s a victory, it’s a clean sheet, but we didn’t play well. But today is important because sometimes it’s like this.’

Derby reax

Henry Winter, Daily Telegraph

No amount of consoling words can possibly comfort City, particularly with the Stretford End crowing long and loud, but they should take pride in defeat. Carlos Tevez never stopped running, never stopped worrying Rio Ferdinand and Jonny Evans. Micah Richards never stopped seeking to break down the right, even bringing an unbelievable save from Edwin van der Sar.

Sam Wallace, The Independent

It was a monumental effort from City to haul themselves back into the game from two goals behind to take it to the brink of extra time. There were impressive performances from Craig Bellamy and Tevez; there were equally important contributions from Ryan Giggs and Darren Fletcher but in the end there was Rooney and only Rooney who really mattered.

Oliver Kay, The Times

On balance, United deserved it. They had been in control for long periods of the first leg last week, when two goals from Tévez gave Roberto Mancini’s side a 2-1 win, but last night, after an uncertain first half, they turned the screw.

Scholes, Carrick and the excellent Darren Fletcher took a grip of midfield and, as the pressure increased on City’s makeshift defence, there was a familiar air of inevitability about the outcome, even after Tévez had made the aggregate scoreline 3-3.

Kevin McCarra, The Guardian

The chance had been laid on by Bellamy, who ought to be a candidate for the footballer of the year award. His side was also vigorous and, before the interval, neither team had been in command for long. Mancini has had an early impact at the club by instilling a touch of rigour into the defence. This has occurred despite the current need to put a youngster such as Dedryck Boyata at the core of the back four while Joleon Lescott recovers from surgery.