Bartlett picks up the scraps as pallid City lose their appetite

Manchester City 0 Charlton Athletic 1

The one predictable thing about maddening Manchester City is that nobody has a clue how they are going to perform. Last week they oozed intent as they swept their nearest and dearest rivals out of Maine Road; yesterday they were so limp they would have been hard put to brush- clean their dressing room.

Charlton have been sinking remorselessly of late but, faced by a City team who were as bereft of ideas as they were of derby-fuelled passion, they emerged with only their second win in 11 games – and more comfortably than the scoreline suggests, too.

Only after Shaun Bartlett put Charlton ahead with 12 minutes to go did City up the tempo. But even then it was a case of the charge of the lightweight brigade and they managed only one shot on target all match. The lions that had mauled Manchester United had been replaced by unconvincing mongrels and there were boos as they left the pitch.

"I'm not saying the attitude wasn't right, it was different," Kevin Keegan said. "There wasn't the level of commitment we showed last week. Really good teams would have put them away but we're not a really good team yet. We had four or five players who were below par."

In the build-up, the manager had called for more of the zest that had secured City's first derby win in 13 years but it was soon apparent that things were different on and off the pitch. Maine Road, raucously one-eyed last week, was quiet while the home team began as if they had washed off their self-belief along with the mud in the showers last week.

Charlton made things difficult for them, defending deeply and attacking on the break, but not as difficult as City made it themselves. Possession was squandered with almost wilful carelessness and the two strikers who had terrorised Old Trafford's finest worked like they had never met. Indeed, the afternoon was summed up by Shaun Goater, who was irrepressible against United eight days ago but so anonymous yesterday that his substitution after 72 minutes was the first time you noticed him.

Which is not how you would describe Charlton, who should have scored after three minutes when Gary Rowett rose at the near post to meet Scott Parker's corner. An accurate header would probably have beaten Peter Schmeichel; instead he missed the target by a foot.

Charlton also had command of the air after 27 minutes when Chris Powell shot down the left and crossed immaculately to Bartlett. This time the header was true and it required a clearance from Richard Dunne to prevent a goal.

City, meanwhile, kept bouncing off the impressive visiting back three and even their best chance of the match, after 23 minutes, ended in dismal disappointment. Shaun Wright-Phillips won a tackle deep in his half and Nicolas Anelka was suddenly presented with a two-on-one opportunity that he wasted when he failed to find Eyal Berkovic with his pass. City were bound to improve after the interval and with Berkovic becoming an increasing influence, Anelka emerged as more of a threat, too.

After 55 minutes his header went close after Dunne had flicked on and another shot from distance had Dean Kiely saving to his right, the only occasion the Charlton goalkeeper had to deal with an accurate attempt on his goal. A draw loomed but Charlton broke the dreary mould after 78 minutes. Johansson strayed onside for a change and, when he crossed from the right, Euell ought to have got a touch.

Fortunately for the visitors, Bartlett was lurking behind him and he passed the ball into the net.

Manchester City 0 Charlton Athletic 1
Bartlett 79

Half-time: 0-0 Attendance:33,455