Tevez Hammers former club
MANCHESTER CITY boss Mark Hughes last night hailed strike duo Carlos Tevez and Craig Bellamy after the former West Ham players put their old club to the sword.
Tevez scored twice against his old colleagues, with Martin Petrov also on target for the home side and Carlton Cole replying for the Hammers.
Victory lifted City to fifth in the table, just three points off the top with a game in hand, and Hughes laid the credit at the feet of his two Upton Park alumni.
“All night Carlos and Craig were a real handful for the opposition, they couldn’t handle them,” he said.
“It was hard for West Ham to stop them from having an influence because their movement and energy was outstanding.”
Hammers boss Gianfranco Zola, meanwhile, struck a morose note after a fourth league defeat that leaves them 18th.
“I’m not feeling well now as you can imagine,” the Italian said. “We’re much better than we are showing right now.”
Tevez scored his first league goal since joining City in the summer after just five minutes, tucking away winger Martin Petrov’s square ball and then refusing to celebrate as a mark of respect to the visiting Hammers faithful.
Cole brought the away side level on 24 minutes, diverting a Robert Kovac shot past Shay Given from close range, but City were soon back in front through Petrov’s low, curling free-kick.
Tevez sealed victory on the hour with his second of the game, steering a header past Robert Green from Bellamy’s left-wing delivery.
Defeat capped a miserable day for the Hammers, who were earlier handed four Football Association charges for the crowd trouble at last month’s Carling Cup match against Millwall. The Lions, meanwhile, were charged with three offences.