Manchester City 1 West Bromwich Albion 0: match report Dzeko was not the only City player with much to play for last night. With Joe Hart already aware that his deputy Costel Pantilimon will keep goal in the final, midfielders Samir Nasri and James Milner, along with forward Carlos Tévez and centre-half Joleon Lescott, could all reasonably have viewed the game as a last chance to claim a starting berth. That was certainly reflected in the elevated endeavour and productivity of Nasri, whose 36th-minute challenge on Youssouf Mulumbu saw him dispossess his opponent and send Tévez away down the right wing. The Argentine reached the byeline before pulling the ball back for Dzeko who finished clinically from 16 yards with a first-time, side-footed volley. It was the sort of flowing, devastating attacking play that was City's stock-in trade last season and seen sporadically this. Certainly, this night was no different to many others throughout the campaign, with Albion's lively forward Romelu Lukaku threatening Hart's goal three times in the opening five minutes alone. There was also an anxious moment for the hosts when Aleksandar Kolarov was shown a yellow card, when he might have expected red, for a high challenge which left Gabriel Tamas needing treatment for a deep cut behind his ear. "My impression ... was that Kolarov was high but Gabby stooped his head a bit," Albion manager Steve Clarke said. He has a nasty cut but I can't sit here shouting it should have been a red card. Milner and Nasri began to assert control on first-half proceedings, the former missing by ­inches from Nasri's cross, just before the goal, then striking the foot of the post after it. Jack Rodwell also came close twice in that period and Tévez struck the bar but City's control did not extend beyond the half-time interval with West Brom starting the second half even more impressively. The highlight was a 25-yard free-kick from Markus Rosenberg which struck the bar followed by Hart making a superb reflex stop to keep out a follow-up header from Billy Jones. "We were unlucky not to get anything," Clarke said. We had chances, Joe Hart made his usual good saves and we were unlucky with the free-kick that hit the bar. But we will learn as a group ... when you come to places like this you have to be at the top of your game all the time. City may not have been at the top of their game, although late chances for Dzeko and Gareth Barry might have allowed them a more comfortable margin of victory, but Mancini, his players and supporters were clearly focused elsewhere. "I think I know my team now, maybe," Mancini said of Wembley. I can change it though. We have four days and I need to see the players in those four days. I need to see the players and after that I'll take the last decision on Saturday. Manchester City (4-4-2) Hart; Richards, K Toure, Lescott, Kolarov; Milner, Garcia, Rodwell (Maicon 76), Nasri (Barry 73); Tevez (Razak 90), Dzeko. Subs Pantilimon (g), Nastasic, Silva, Aguero. Booked Kolarov, Nasri. West Brom (4-4-2) Myhill; Jones, Dawson, Olsson, Ridgewell; Tamas (Long 81), Mulumbu, Yacob (Dorrans 71), Morrison; Lukaku, Rosenberg (Odemwingie 86). Subs Foster (g), Popov, McAuley, Reid. Booked Yacob. Referee P Dowd (Staffs).