HULL, England -- Three quick thoughts from the KC Stadium as Man City fought hard for a 3-0 win vs. Hull.
1. Late trio fires Man City to victory at Hull
Thanks to Monday's win, Manchester City kept within something approaching reaching distance of Chelsea. The leaders' earlier 3-0 stroll past West Brom had made victory at Hull a necessity, but Pep Guardiola's team were made to wait until the last 20 minutes to deny Mike Phelan's team and climb into second place, though they still remain seven points behind Antonio Conte's near-runaway outfit.
Until Hull tired in the second half, it had been a tough assignment for the title hopefuls. On the sideline, Guardiola had looked harried before his team at last built up a head of steam, culminating in Hull defender Andy Robertson committing a tired foul on Raheem Sterling in the 72nd minute. The penalty was given and Yaya Toure, who had spent much of his evening as a defensive anchor midfielder, sent David Marshall the wrong way from the spot.
With space at last opening up and Hull exhausted by their earlier efforts, substitute Kelechi Iheanacho tapped in from close range after David Silva had bewitched Hull's defence. In the space of five minutes, City had collected a third successive Premier League victory and the rout was completed in injury time by a Curtis Davies own-goal after Sterling had burst down the left of Hull's defence.
The comfortable scoreline was a tad unfair on Hull, even if a pattern of Manchester City attack against Hull City defence was set from the start. Guardiola's forwards, though, struggled in the first half, with their best moment being a free kick that Toure drifted narrowly over the bar.
Aside from Sterling wafting a wayward shot over the bar and Nolitio having an effort blocked after Sterling had hesitated in playing the pass to release the Spaniard, Man City were reduced to little but mounting frustration. With Sergio Aguero sitting out the final match of a four-match suspension, Kevin de Bruyne was again employed as the centre of an attacking trio, but the lack of a natural centre-forward was glaring. Iheanacho's introduction for Nolito on 57 minutes was a necessary measure that was key to eventual victory.
Hull had gained a sense of adventure after half-time, as home fans' voices raised in expectation. Harry Maguire's 52nd minute near miss after a Tom Huddlestone free kick had a catalytic effect on the noise levels, and Bacary Sagna was required to clear a Dawson header off the line after goalkeeper Claudio Bravo had lost the flight of the ball.
Those chances came either side of De Bruyne rattling a shot off the inside of the post; the Belgian also fizzed a 67th-minute shot wide. It was at this point that Man City finally began to gain momentum as Hull's previous energy ebbed. Robertson's clumsy foul on Sterling was unfortunate, but Guardiola's team seized their chance expertly.
2. Caution from Pep Guardiola?
City's manager rotated his pack for his first taste of a hectic English Christmas schedule -- and with New Year's Eve at Liverpool in mind. Four changes were made, with John Stones' return to partner Nicolas Otamendi the headline as Guardiola continued with a defensive quartet; he last played a trio when being punished 4-2 at Leicester on Dec. 10.
Stones would last just 17 minutes, leaving the field with what appeared to be a knee injury. Aleksandar Kolarov came on in Stones' stead and now looks likely to play at Anfield. With Vincent Kompany again on the long-term injured list, Guardiola is running short on centre-halves at a busy point of the season.
Toure stayed deep in midfield on the express instructions of his manager, who angrily reminded the Ivorian in the early stages of his mission to screen the defence alongside Fernandinho, who had returned from the suspension he received for his sending-off against Chelsea on Dec. 3. For Toure, the bursts forward of yore were being rationed. He was often his team's deepest player when Bravo had the ball at his feet.
It seems that Guardiola was safeguarding against the long-ball football that English opposition of all types (including Chelsea) have employed against his team, though that had the effect of slowing down the speed of attacks until Hull finally opened up.
Though City's manager remains defiant that his philosophy cannot and will not change, there was visible caution on show at Hull, perhaps as a dry run for a trip to Liverpool that may dictate if they or Jurgen Klopp's team will be Chelsea's closest challengers.
3. Hull's bravery is ultimately denied
Only three teams have been bottom of the Premier League at Christmas and survived to tell the tale. Hull City have a chance to emulate them, though mostly because of the sheer hopelessness of peers like Swansea and Sunderland.
Phelan, manager of the month for August, has presided over one win in 16 matches. The chances of him replenishing a desperately thin squad ebb away while the club waits for a takeover that has yet to materialise. "We want Allam out," sang the home fans, a reminder of the civil war between supporters and the family that currently has the club on the market.
Phelan selected the same team that lost 1-0 in the last minute to West Ham, and as they have throughout a largely thankless season, his players gave every last ounce for the cause. They were dominated in possession from the start but fought manfully. Dieumerci Mbokani as a lone striker fed off the merest scraps but always made life uncomfortable for Guardiola's defenders when the ball was launched in his direction. And it was an output matched by each of his colleagues before tiredness became their undoing.
If Hull are heading down, they are at least doing so fighting.