Ex-Arsenal star makes least impact at Man City

Manchester City coach David Platt has defended the contribution of Samir Nasri after the Frenchman helped the Premier League leaders maintain their flying start to the season.

Roberto Mancini’s team collected their 12th win from 14 Premier League matches with a 5-1 rout of Norwich at Eastlands.

Of City’s expensive pre-season additions, France midfielder Nasri has arguably had the least impact under Mancini with the former Arsenal star starting just half of City’s 14 Premier League matches.

But he produced arguably his best display since his £24 million arrival in August as he inspired City to rout Paul Lambert’s Norwich.

And Platt insists the ex-Marseille man, 24, has made a significant contribution to City’s impressive opening to the campaign.

“Samir played the majority of the game against Liverpool and then played at the Emirates two days later and played in this one as well,” Platt said.

“He looked very bright against Norwich. Every player has joined in the performances of this season, we wouldn’t be in the semi-finals of the League Cup and top of the league if people hadn’t performed well.

“We see things in training and in games and when he plays with that zest where he wants to hurt people he is a force to be reckoned with but we’ve not been disappointed with him.”

City have managed 48 goals in the league this season. But although they have scored 24 goals in their seven home matches, they have had to wait until the second half to make the breakthrough in three of those games.

Platt feels City can cope with teams coming to Eastlands and flooding players behind the ball.

“Against Norwich it was always going to take a little bit of brilliance in a tight area to open it up,” he said.

“We know we’ve got that kind of player out here and you can get frustrated but it was a matter of moving the ball, shifting it and it was going to open up by a little bit of brilliance by somebody.

“The goals are irrelevant as long as we get the points and keep getting them.

“You hear things leading into the week, we were playing against a promoted side that’s in mid-table and has gone well.

“But people assume that we’re going to go out and score five, six, seven or eight goals against these teams.

“We’d take one without a reply because that gets you three points just the same.”

City now turn their attention back to the Champions League but they need to beat Bayern Munich on Wednesday and hope that Napoli fail to beat Villarreal if they are to progress to the knock-out stages.

Although Mancini’s side are enjoying a healthy lead at the top of the Premier League, Norwich manager Paul Lambert is adamant it is too early to write off the chasing pack.

“United are a top side as well, Spurs are going great,” he said.

“The Manchester City manager knows that they’ve got really hard games and combining Champions League football with domestic football is really tough.

“If you play them at their game they’ll pick you off all over the place because their movement’s that good.

“Not many teams will come here and take them on and we’re trying to stay in the league.

“We have come a long way in the last couple of years but we were pitting our wits against some of the best players in the world.”
 

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