City sweating over Silva blow

MANCHESTER City are waiting to hear the extent of the injury suffered by David Silva in yesterday’s comfortable win over West Ham.

Silva suffered suspected cheekbone and collarbone damage after being caught by an elbow from Hammers midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate in the second half of City’s 2–0 Premier League success at the Etihad Stadium.

The 29–year–old Spanish playmaker was carried off on a stretcher after receiving eight minutes of treatment.

City boss Manuel Pellegrini said: “It looked serious, but we must wait to see what happens at the hospital.”

Kouyate was booked by referee Anthony Taylor, meaning the incident cannot be subjected to retrospective action, and Pellegrini gave the player the benefit of the doubt.

He said: “I always think a player doesn’t want to damage another player. The referee was so near and he decided he was unintentional.”

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce leapt to the defence of his player: “It was pretty innocuous. I didn’t think it was a foul.”

The other major talking point from the game was the freakish own goal scored by West Ham defender James Collins to set City on the way to victory.

The Wales international miscued attempting to intercept a Jesus Navas cross in the 18th minute and succeeded only in lobbing Adrian, with the ball dropping into the net via the woodwork.

Sergio Aguero doubled the advantage before half–time by finishing off a quick counter–attack after Yaya Toure had cut out a Stewart Downing pass.

It secured a win City badly needed to at least give them some respite from the pressure of defeats in six of the previous eight games.