Manchester City vs Norwich City report: Late Yaya Toure penalty spares Joe Hart's blushes

Manchester City 2 Norwich City 1

(Getty Images)

The belief that English goalkeepers are the best in the world is one that did not survive the Winter of Discontent, let alone the formation of the Premier League. However, this was not an afternoon that did much for their reputation.

First, Joe Hart dropped an in-swinging cross at the feet of Cameron Jerome to give Norwich hope they might steal a precious point if they could hold out for the final seven minutes.

Hart stood for most of that time with hands on hips, imagining headlines that would never be written because of what happened next. Fellow England international John Ruddy went out to claim even more of a regulation cross from Jesus Navas, dropped it, sprinted to clear it and cleaned out Fernandinho in the process.

Robert Madley should have awarded a penalty for that. Instead, the referee pointed to the spot after a shot from Raheem Sterling struck Russell Martin on the arm. The Norwich captain was dismissed and Yaya Touré (right) scored it to deliver the win with a swing of his boot.

In stoppage time Manchester City were awarded a second penalty for a trip on Sterling and since Touré had, much to his irritation, been substituted, Aleksandar Kolarov drove the last kick of the game hard into the advertising hoardings. Ruddy remained on his haunches, contemplating the turf and the fact that but for a single irrational action, his team would have returned to Norfolk with more than just pride in their performance.

This season Norwich have picked up plenty of plaudits but worryingly few points. They have thus far beaten only Bournemouth and Sunderland, and on Tuesday they had been knocked out of the Capital One Cup at Everton on penalties. For their manager, Alex Neil, the frustrations are building.

Joe Hart's error almost cost his side (Getty Images)

Noting that Norwich had conceded 14 goals in their three previous visits to the Etihad Stadium, Neil opted to play three or sometimes five at the back for the first time and try to snatch something on the break.

They had attempted to go toe-to-toe with Newcastle at St James’ Park six days earlier and lost 6-2. This was time for Plan B.

But for Ruddy’s rush of blood and Norwich’s inability to mark Nicolas Otamendi, who headed Kevin de Bruyne’s corner powerfully home after 67 minutes, it might just have worked.

However, it is worth pointing out that had Sergio Aguero, rather than Wilfried Bony, been leading the City attack, it would have come apart after a quarter of an hour.

Neil said: “If you are going to get beaten by a big team, you want it to be because of a quality strike. But to lose a goal to a set piece when someone did not pick up their man and then to lose a goal to another error is very hard to take.”

Manchester City: (4-2-3-1) Hart; Sagna, Kompany, Otamendi, Kolarov; Touré (Demichelis, 90), Fernandinho; Navas, Iheanacho (Sterling, 54), De Bruyne (Fernando, 73); Bony.

Norwich City: (3-5-2) Ruddy; Bennett, Martin, Bassong; Brady, Tettey, Howson, Mulumbu (O’Neil, 70), Olsson; Jarvis (Redmond, h-t), Jerome (Grabban, 87).

Referee: Robert Madley.

Man of the match: Otamendi (Manchester City).

Match rating: 6/10.