Wigan Athletic 0 Manchester City 2: match report Back came Wigan and Di Santo fired a cross which caught Maicon in the throat, and then brimming with intent, James McCarthy gained possession and it opened up for Jean Beausejour who poked at his shot, allowing Vincent Kompany to make a diving block. Buoyed by their weekend victory - despite being shorn of regulars and having lost their last five meetings with City - Wigan were taking the contest to the champions for whom David Silva was struggling to find his passing rhythm and even discarded his gloves in disgust. City manager Roberto Mancini had rung the changes - rather than being forced into them as Wigan's Roberto Martinez had been - with Carlos Tévez carrying the can, again, for his side's failure to score at Chelsea. It meant Balotelli started and there was the rare early sight of him tackling back. In truth, however, the Italian inevitably struggled to get into the contest. Wigan erred again, however. This time Maynor Figueroa misjudged a header, allowing Aguero to break free on halfway only for Adrian Lopez to recover and deflect the shot into the side-netting. But the home side rallied. If anything they upped the pace and Ronnie Stam burst down the right, crossed, and Kone stole in front of Hart at the near post but could only head over. Jordi Gomez then slipped past Javi Garcia - who appeared alarmingly disinterested - and was caught by Aguero. He stepped up to the free-kick - but curled it narrowly over. Soon after and Gomez was throwing himself to the ground, claiming a penalty, before, at the other end, Yaya Touré tricked his way in from the left only for Ali Al Habsi to beat out his shot. It was finely, enthrallingly poised. City were quickly out-of-the-traps after the interval and when Maicon crossed deep, Balotelli drifted free - only to head wastefully wide. He should have scored. Wigan accepted the reprieve by gaining a foothold - and then missed a gilt-edged chance of their own, another header, this time with Kone picked out by McCarthy only to get his angles wrong. Wigan went even closer. Beausejour skimmed in a dangerous cross, Kone narrowly missed it and Gomez, charging in, headed into the side-netting. Interestingly it was the Aguero - rather than Balotelli - who gave way as the City formation as rejigged and there was an immediate dividend. Al Habsi spilled Barry's shot, Balotelli scooped up the rebound, only for that to be blocked by the goalkeeper but it fell again to the striker who drove it into the net. The game opened up for City. Silva twisted and turned and played the ball back to Barry who teed up substitute James Milner. No defender closed him down and Milner, who later limped off injured, drove in, unerringly, from 25 yards. Maicon was gifted the chance of a third - with a clearance straight to him. But he hooked his shot wide. But it was already all over. Wigan (3-4-3): Al Habsi; Boyce, Lopez, Figueroa; Stam (McManaman 90), McCarthy, Jones (McArthur 74), Beausejour; Kone, Gomez, Di Santo. Subs: Pollitt (g), Boselli, Fyvie, Golobart, Redmond. Booked: Gomez. Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Hart; Maicon, Kompany, Nastasic, Zabaleta; Garcia (Milner 59, K Toure 81), Barry; Silva, Y Toure, Aguero (Kolarov 68); Balotelli. Subs: Pantilimon (g), Dzeko, Sinclair, K Toure, Tevez. Booked: Barry. Referee: Mark Halsey (Lancashire).