Manchester City: Edin Dzeko Becoming Sky Blues' Rescue Man

Edin Dzeko is a goal-scorer who scores huge goals.

Maybe you remember, possibly you don't, but on that fateful day last May with City trailing 10-man Queens Park Rangers 1-2 in extra time, it was Dzeko who scored the equalizer.  Sergio Aguero's title-winner naturally (and deservedly) received all the attention, and will be the clip that City fans will see forever.  

Without Dzeko's goal, though, Aguero never has the chance, and instead we would still be living in a world where Manchester United can never be toppled by its noisy neighbors.  

Without Dzeko's goal, City's loss to a relegation-threatened side at home with the Premiership on the line would have inflicted untold psychic trauma on City's fans.  Not to mention the team, or the manager.

City's title defense is still young, and in six games, the champions have yet to lose in Premier League play.  Again, it is Dzeko (with a nod to Carlos Tevez) who has kept City in the discussion at the top of the table.

Given City's embarrassment of riches at striker, Dzeko can often be the forgotten man.  Mario Balotelli is brash, gifted and incandescent (literally and figuratively).  Aguero is, well, Aguero, now the man who will never buy another drink or meal in Manchester as long as he lives.  

And Tevez.  Yeah.  Tevez is the controversial, mercurial one from whom anything or nothing can be expected depending on his mood and how much he misses playing in South America or whether he was asked to warm up at an inconvenient time.

With all of that going on, Dzeko is easily underappreciated and at times unnoticed.  His style of play is not flashy.  He does not draw much media attention because he does not run his mouth.  At times, because of City's depth, Dzeko is left out of the side.  If it bothers him, you would not know it.

Dzeko has three goals in Premier League play this season.  His first came in the opener against newly-promoted Southampton, four minutes after the Saints took a 2-1 lead at the Etihad.  Samir Nasri's eventual game-winner got the bold type in the papers, but Dzeko made it possible.

Two weeks later, City was again struggling at home against a decidedly mediocre-or-worse QPR side. Dzeko scored the game-winning goal just two minutes after Bobby Zamora had evened the match and caused no end of concern to the home fans.

Then, yesterday, with City looking very much like it would get just one point at Craven Cottage, there was that man again.  Dzeko scored in the 87th minute, and City claimed a much-needed three points to stay within speaking distance of the top of the table.

Dzeko is almost certain to be in the side on Wednesday against Borussia Dortmund as City's Champions League run continues.  Dzeko scored City's first goal at Real Madrid in the opening-game loss.  He clearly belongs.

Strikers' form, of course, is notoriously changeable.  They are invincible today, invisible tomorrow.

Right now, though, Edin Dzeko is answering a lot of Manchester City's questions.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1352899-manchester-city-edin-dzeko-becoming-sky-blues-rescue-man

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