Mark Hughes was extremely pleased with Martin Petrov’s performance against West Ham in which Manchester City won 3 – 1. Petrov had been struggling to find a place in the starting line-up and when Stephen Ireland went down with a bug before the game against West Ham, Petrov grabbed the opportunity with both hands. “The great thing about the evening from my point of view is that Martin Petrov came in and made a real impression. That shows what a great professional he is,” said Mark Hughes. “He’s had to be patient and bide his time but he trains correctly and works exceptionally hard every day. he knows you have to be in the right physical state to make a positive impact.”

Petrov scored his first goal for competitive City goal since July last year when he beat West ham keeper Robert Green from a free kick. “He had a really positive influence and that’s what we need – guys who, when they get an opportunity, are ready to perform, not sitting in the stands feeling sorry for themselves, added the manager. “We need that quality through the squad – when somebody isn’t available, we need somebody else to come in and make an impact like that.”

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