Micah Richards and Michel Vorm blows hit Manchester City and Swansea

Manchester City vs. Swansea City

Premiership - 6 months ago

Micah Richards and Michel Vorm blows hit Manchester City and Swansea

• Micah Richards and Michel Vorm carried off with injuries
• Injuries lead to longest game in Premier League history

by Paul Wilson at the Etihad Stadium 6 months ago

Also about this match

Roberto Mancini's meddling gets Manchester City players' approval

Manchester City overcome Swansea City thanks to Carlos Tevez strike

Show all Manchester City v Swansea City stories

Second-half injuries to Michel Vorm of Swansea City and Micah Richards of Manchester City produced 12 minutes and 40 seconds of injury time, making the match the longest in Premier League history at almost 105 minutes.

Vorm, the Swansea goalkeeper, tore a groin muscle when diving to try and keep out Carlos Tevez's winning goal, and will be out for between four and six weeks, according to Michael Laudrup.

Roberto Mancini did not know the extent of Richards' knee injury, though he feared it may be serious. "I hope it's not too bad but it looked as if it might be," he said. Richards collapsed in his own penalty area late in the game, going to ground clutching his knee without an opponent near him.

Having been knocked out of the Capital One Cup, Manchester City do not have a midweek game, whereas Swansea face Liverpool on Wednesday then Chelsea in the league on Saturday. "It's a tough week but if we play like we just have done there might be something there for us," Laudrup said. The Swansea manager will have to make at least two changes for the cup game, for in addition to Vorm he will be without Angel Rangel, who picked up his fifth yellow card of the season for a dive.

Replays seemed to suggest referee Martin Atkinson had made the correct decision. Rangel was clearly looking to win a free-kick, yet Laudrup was unimpressed. "If that's diving, it is a new form of diving, we have invented something new," he said. "To get a yellow card for that was something special. I can't say too much more."

After only the second clean sheet of the season, Mancini was in more jocular mood. Asked if he had read the riot act to his under-performing and allegedly mutinous players at half-time, the Manchester City manager shrugged and said no. "I was calm," he said. "This time I only shot three players."