Playing their first top-flight game for 51 years, Welsh club beat English giants 3-2
Cardiff City pulled off a major shock in their first top-flight home game for 51 years by stunning Manchester City 3-2 in the Premier League yesterday.
Back among the English elite after winning the Championship last season, the Welsh club roared back from behind to condemn the 2012 champions’ expensively assembled squad to a surprise defeat.
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Cardiff City’s Fraizer Campbell (2nd from left) celebrates with teammates after scoring yesterday. Pic/AFP
Fraizer Campbell was the match-winner, scoring twice in the last 11 minutes to give Malky Mackay’s men victory after Aron Gunnarsson had cancelled out Edin Dzeko’s fine 52nd-minute opener for Manchester City.
It was Cardiff’s first home game in the English top flight since 1962 and a capacity crowd at the Cardiff City Stadium made for a raucous atmosphere on a sunny summer’s afternoon in Wales.
Spurs survive
In the day’s other game, Tottenham Hotspur avoided the fate that befell City by overcoming Cardiff’s Welsh counterparts Swansea City 1-0 at White Hart Lane.
Tottenham were once again without the injured Gareth Bale, who is on the verge of a move to Real Madrid, but they had four new signings in their line-up in Paulinho, Etienne Capoue, Nacer Chadli and Roberto Soldado.
Swansea coach Michael Laudrup left record signing Wilfried Bony on the bench and the visitors were lucky not to concede a goal amid one-way traffic in the first half.
Paulinho threatened on a number of occasions and Swansea captain Ashley Williams headed the ball against his own post, while Spurs should have been given a penalty shortly before half-time. Jonjo Shelvey was adjudged to have fouled Andros Townsend, but although the offence appeared to take place inside the Swansea penalty area, referee Neil Swarbrick awarded a free-kick. However, when the same players came together in the second half, Swarbrick did point to the spot, and Spain striker Soldado kept his cool to convert his second Premier League penalty in two games.
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