Wigan Athletic 0 - 1 Manchester City: Edin Dzeko seals points for City but Wigan prove stubborn

It was enough to overcome a spirited Wigan side, although the visitors did have chances to make life a little more comfortable against the basement boys, with Dzeko taking the best chance off the toe of Sergio Aguero.

And Blues manager Roberto Mancini ended the game in animated conversation with the fourth official after Martin Atkinson’s inexplicable failure to show Maynor Figueroa a red card for deliberate handball as he denied Aguero a clear run on goal two minutes from time.

Mancini said: “It was about the victory not the performance tonight. It was really important to win tonight.

“I was nervous when it was still 1-0 but that’s normal, every player and manager is nervous.”

Scotland midfielder James McArthur had Wigan’s best chance, a snap-shot from the edge of the area, which Joe Hart gathered at the second attempt.

Silva had a couple of shots blocked, almost sent Aguero through and supplied the free-kick for Dzeko’s goal. Having not found the net since 5 November, the Bosnian could not have wished for more accommodating opponents.

Wigan failed to get close enough to Dzeko and as Gary Caldwell and Antolin Alcaraz floundered, Dzeko found the bottom corner with a precise header.

Wigan remained spirited opposition after the break but it was not long before City were back on the offensive, although how they had not increased their advantage by the hour mark was a bit of a mystery.

First of all, Al Habsi made a magnificent double save to deny Dzeko and Silva, clawing the Bosnian’s curling effort away from the top corner, then repelling the midfielder, who had aimed low from barely seven yards.

What followed next was infuriating for Aguero, who weaved his way past three Wigan defenders and seemed to have the simplest of tasks to find the net.

Instead, Dzeko whipped the ball off his toe and went for goal himself. But his shot was so weak Al Habsi was able to make a comfortable save.

It meant Roberto Martinez was able to introduce Ben Watson and Franco Di Santo midway through the second period still harbouring hopes of snatching something from the game.

And how close they came too as Hugo Rodallega rolled a pass to James McCarthy on his left and the midfielder forced Hart into his best save of the match.

Though they worked hard to fashion another opportunity, Wigan could not find a talking point to match Figueroa’s deliberate handball as he got the bounce of a De Jong clearance all wrong and, knowing he was the last man, stuck up a hand to prevent Aguero bursting clear.

Wigan: Al Habsi, Alcaraz, Caldwell, Figueroa, Stam, McCarthy, Gomez (McManaman 81), McArthur (Watson 68), Crusat (Di Santo 68), Rodallega, Moses. Subs not used: Pollitt, Gohouri, Boyce, Sammon.

Manchester City: Hart, Zabaleta, Savic, Lescott, Clichy, Milner,Barry, Silva (Onuoha 81), Aguero (Johnson 90), Nasri (De Jong 74), Dzeko. Subs not used: Pantilimon, Kolarov, Hargreaves, Rekik.