Arzani's A-League magic works for City

Teenage whizkid Daniel Arzani has climbed off the bench to change Melbourne City’s fortunes, setting up a Ross McCormack double in City’s comeback 2-1 A-League win.

Arzani gave life to a desperately poor City side, which had conceded the opener to Roy Krishna after 42 minutes.

The 19-year-old’s injection just after halftime changed the contest, bringing City three points that lifts them to third on the A-League table.

Arzani fizzed a ball from the right wing to set up the Scot for a back-post tap-in in the 72nd minute.

And eight minutes from time his shot-cum-cross from the left landed on McCormack’s head to give City a scarcely deserved win.

“We had a lot of ball in the first half and couldn’t do anything with it,” coach Warren Joyce said.

“It was a big question at halftime … we were 1-0 down at half time against a team that’s supposed to be struggling.”

“(Arzani’s) definitely got X-factor.”

More than changing the result, Arzani changed the atmosphere.

Krishna’s opener saw City leave the pitch at halftime to raucous boos from the miserable 5,207-strong crowd.

The Fijian capitalised on a moment of indecision from City captain Michael Jakobsen, judged the bouncing ball better than the Dane, winning their one-on-one and chipping over Dean Bouzanis.

There were calls from the stands for Joyce’s head and that of chief executive Scott Munn as City’s lifeless performance looked set to earn them a fourth straight loss.

It might have been worse for City, when in-form hitman Andrija Kaludjerovic struck the bar from Krishna’s cross.

Instead, Arzani re-booted their stuttering campaign with a purposeful display against a defensively-minded Wellington set up.

Even before his match-winning crosses, the Sydney native of Iranian descent dazzled with sharp footwork, sparking his side.

Dario Vidosic, debuting for City against his former employers, wasn’t quite on the same page as his new teammates with fellow attackers Nathaniel Atkinson and Nick Fitzgerald having off nights.

Having lost the lead, Wellington responded substituting on Nathan Burns for his first A-League match in three years.

City required a goal-line clearance from Harrison Delbridge as the game entered injury time, with Goran Paracki and Michael McGlinchey having late efforts blocked.

Instead, Arzani’s invention and McCormack’s ninth and 10th goals of the season brought City three much-needed points.

Beaten boss Darije Kalezic said their fade-out was simple – Azrani’s intervention and two lapses at the back.

“He changed a little bit the game … we defended two crosses very bad and they score two goals,” he said.