Manchester City 3-0 Stoke: Brazilian is the trio thing

Any lingering questions about Robinho's ability to cope with life in the Premier League were dispelled as British football's most expensive player capped a virtuoso display with a stunning hat-trick.

In the build-up to this game, boss Mark Hughes was forced to defend Robinho's ability to adapt to the unique mental and physical demands of English football.

But the most emphatic defence came on the pitch from the man himself.

Robinho's hat-trick was the perfect way to mark the 100th Premier League game at the City of Manchester Stadium and silenced those who foolishly claimed the Brazilian star would go missing when the going got tough.

The driving rain and biting cold so typical of Manchester is a world away from the warmer climes of Madrid or his native Brazil.

But he shrugged off the appalling conditions to produce one of the performances of the season. As Hughes keeps stressing, Manchester City remain a work in progress.

But when Robinho can hit such heights - and lift those players around him to his exalted level - their fans have every reason to be optimistic about the future.

With City's £19million Brazil striker Jo ruled out with tonsilitis, 19-year-old Ched Evans was handed only the second Premier League start of his career .

In fact, without the lumbering Jo up front, City looked much more dangerous. And Evans made an instant impact, playing a key role in City's opening goal in the 14th minute.

Shaun Wright-Phillips floated a cross into the Stoke area which was cushioned by Elano into the path of Evans.

Rather than go for goal himself, Evans showed great composure to steer the ball into the path of the Robinho, who picked his spot for the first of three superb goals.

This touch of class gave the home side the platform to go on and secure a much-needed win.

For all the hype surrounding City following their dramatic takeover by the mega-rich Abu Dhabi Group on transfer deadline day, they had won just once in the Premier League under their new owners before yesterday.

Having squandered a 2-0 lead to lose against Liverpool a fortnight ago and failed to beat 10-man Newcastle despite holding a 1-0 lead, Hughes warned his players they needed to show greater mental resolve, which they duly did.

Yet Stoke were not without opportunities to score and twice in the first half City keeper Joe Hart saved his team with impressive reflex saves to cement his status as a future England No.1.

He dived at full-stretch to keep out a low, goal-bound shot from Ricardo Fuller.

And he, then saved a header at point-blank range from Ryan Shawcross.

Evans saw his afternoon come to a premature end three minutes before half-time when injury forced him off, with another young striker, Daniel Sturridge, replacing him.

Although City failed to add to their lead before the break, they went 2-0 up in the first two minutes of the second half.

Sturridge set up Robinho with an exquisite pass which took out three Stoke defenders.

Sturridge cut in from the right and ran at the retreating Stoke defence, before befuddling them with a reverse pass to Robinho, who displayed his customary coolness in front of goal to score his second of the afternoon.

The goal extinguished any faint hope Stoke had of mounting a comeback.

City should have made it 3-0 when Stephen Ireland set up Micah Richards only for the defender to volley over from six yards.

And Robinho would have completed his hat-trick earlier but for a fine save from Thomas Sorensen, who palmed the Brazilian's angled shot behind for a corner.

Robinho was thwarted by Sorensen again when the Stoke keeper gathered his shot, made possible by fine play from Ireland and Wright-Phillips.

But Robinho was not to be denied his hat-trick.

It duly came in the 72nd minute, from a wonderful counter-attack which owed everything to the pace and quick-thinking of City's formidable attackers.

Ireland won the ball in midfield and exchanged passes with Robinho before clipping the ball forward to Wright-Phillips.

Although he lost possession following a tackle from Shawcross, the ball fell to the feet of Sturridge.

Again he passed the ball when he could have shot and Robinho added his third with a perfectly-placed shot.

Man City: Hart 8, Ben Haim 7, Richards 7, Dunne 7 (Fernandes 76), Garrido 7 (Onuoha 70, 5), Kompany 7d, Elano 7, Wright-Phillips 7, Ireland 7, Robinho 9; Evans 7 (Sturridge 42, 8). GOALS: Robinho 14, 47, 72.
Stoke: Sorensen 6; Griffin 6, Faye 6, Shawcross 5, Higginbotham 6; Delap 6, Diao 6 (Whelan 76), Olofinjana 5, Soares 5 (Cresswell 70, 5), Fuller 6, Sidibe 5 (Kitson 65, 5).
Referee: Steve Tanner
ATTENDANCE: 44,624

Man Of The Match
Robinho (MAN CITY) 9
Stunning hat-trick took his tally to six in eight games for City.

VILLAIN OF THE MATCH
Ricardo Fuller (STOKE) 6
Could have made it 1-1 but blasted over the bar just before half-time.

ANORAK
This was the 100th Premier League game at the City of Manchester Stadium

NEXT THREE GAMES
Manchester City
Wed: Middlesbrough (h) Prem
Sun: Bolton (a) Prem
Thur Nov 6: Twente (h) Uefa Cup

Stoke City
Wed: Sunderland (h) Prem
Sat: Arsenal (h) Prem
Sat Nov 8: Wigan (a) Prem

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