ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE Wigan 1 Manchester City 1: IT IS a measure of Manchester City's new ambitions that they will have been disappointed not to have completed a second-half recovery, even having had to play the last 25 minutes with only 10 men.

Pablo Zabaleta’s second yellow card will cost him a one-match suspension but, of more immediacy, it significantly damaged their hopes of concocting a winning goal.

A goal down, playing a team that loves cutting down to size wealthier opponents, these are the moments, as Carlos Tevez will testify, that can demonstrate a side’s aspirations. Last May Manchester United found themselves in the same position and won 2-1, with Tevez flicking in a goal that effectively settled the championship. His current team, however, came up short, unable to fashion the decisive moment amid a fiercely competitive match.

For that, an accusatory finger can be pointed at Zabaleta, their Argentina international right-back, who was sent off after 65 minutes of an evenly contested and entertaining game.

For the remainder of the match they did not force the Wigan goalkeeper, Chris Kirkland, to make a noteworthy save when, until that point, they had passed the ball well enough and committed enough players forward to suggest they were capable of adding to Martin Petrov’s goal early in the second half.

“When we got level I felt we had enough to go on and win, but the sending-off changed our momentum,” said City manager Mark Hughes. “I still thought we showed some great qualities, though, and we have to be reasonably happy after going down to 10 men. Wigan are a good side – a lot of power, a lot of pace – and we got something out of the game in difficult circumstances when maybe last season we wouldn’t have been able to. But the sending-off took away our momentum.”

Wigan took the lead in first-half stoppage time after Shay Given, captaining City in the absence of Kolo Toure, had managed only to turn Hugo Rodallega’s diagonal left-foot shot into the path of Charles N’Zogbia. Their manager, Roberto Martinez, argued they had been the “better side” and it was a measure of the game that he, like Hughes, could look back with regret at a number of chances, particularly when his side had the extra man. In that period Given made amends for any criticism that could be directed towards him for N’Zogbia’s goal.

Martinez’s players also had a couple of goals ruled out for offside and, a minute before scoring, N’Zogbia beat Given only to be penalised for unbalancing Joleon Lescott in the process. This, however, was not a day when the referee, Alan Wiley, deserved to be demonised, taking charge of his first game since Alex Ferguson accused him of not being physically fit enough to officiate a top Premier League match.

Hughes did complain, with little justification, that Shaun Wright-Phillips should have had a second-half penalty, but at least the City manager was good-mannered enough to compliment Wiley on having kept up with play, with only a flicker of a smile.

The City supporters were not so forgiving and Wiley will inevitably have to get used to all the “fat” chants from now on. “Could you see past Alan Wiley?” Hughes was asked afterwards.

Having passed up the chance to move into third place, City’s annoyance would be better directed towards Zabaleta and it was strange that Hughes should give the full-back a pat on the back as he left the pitch. Zabaleta had already been booked for a first-half challenge on Maynor Figueroa and his attempt to win the ball from Jason Scotland was, at best, reckless after a little passage of play when players from both sides, but most notably City’s Nigel de Jong, had demonstrated the art of how to time a hard but fair sliding tackle.

City reorganised by moving Wright-Phillips to right-back and shortly afterwards Hughes had to make another change when Emmanuel Adebayor complained of a sore ankle. Tevez, whose probing in attacking positions had been outstanding, was also withdrawn and it meant City losing their impetus at a point of the match when their opponents had begun to look vulnerable.

It also gave Wigan renewed hope and they played with a bristling determination.

The 10 men held on but it is a measure of City’s new ambitions that their relief should also be mingled with disappointment.

Guardian Service