Match Report: Manchester City 3-1 Aston Villa (Premier League)

Manchester City moved three points closer to Arsenal with a crushing 3-1 win over Aston Villa, asserting that the title race is far from over.

In a week when the club desperately needed a win, both on and off the pitch, Pep Guardiola’s men picked up a statement victory against Aston Villa and reduced the point difference at the top.

City kickstarted the game on a solid note with ample creativity upfront – a factor missing the team’s matches post-World Cup. Loud chants for Guardiola and the club rang through the Etihad Stadium from the first minute as fans expected a befitting response from the team to recent controversies.

Jack Grealish’s swift corner met with Rodri’s thumping header to give City its first goal of the evening. Rodri found space through the Villa defence and moved closer to the corner, heading the ball past Emiliano Martinez, who was too puzzled to react.

City created multiple attacks as the match reached the half-hour mark. Kevin De Bruyne led the charge and produced a moment of midfield magic as he glided past Villa players, singlehandedly carrying the ball into the opponent’s box. He cut the ball to Jack Grealish, but the latter couldn’t convert it into a goal.

Although De Bruyne’s crafty move was unfruitful, it was important as it indicated that De Bruyne was seemingly back to his best. The Belgian often elevates his game in the season’s second half, as has been evident over the past few years. This could be huge for City looking at their upcoming fixtures in February.

Not long after, Erling Haaland received a long ball that forced Villa’s defender and goalkeeper out of their positions. The Norwegian ignored a chance at goal and crossed the ball to Ilkay Gundogan in the centre. Martinez had already committed himself to the City striker, which allowed Gundogan to bury the ball into the net.

The entire sequence of attacks was similar to Gundogan’s title-winning goal on the final day of the 2021/22 season.

The final moments of the first half saw Grealish win a penalty for Manchester City. Riyad Mahrez stepped up to the task and bagged the third goal for City.

Ruben Dias announced his return to the team with a crucial tackle that stopped Leon Bailey in his tracks. However, the Portuguese defender later received a yellow card and was replaced by Nathan Akanji at half-time.

Guardiola also replaced Haaland with Julian Alvarez before City kickstarted the second half. The Blues continued to create chances, but lapses in concentration occasionally put the team in danger.

Villa halted City’s attempt at playing out from the back, and the ball reached Ollie Watkins, who found a straight path to the goal amidst a scattered defense. He strutted towards Ederson and found the perfect angle to score his goal to pull one back for the visitors.

The final ten minutes of the match tested the Manchester City defence.

Ederson made important saves as Aston Villa managed to string multiple attacks at short intervals. Rodri and Bernardo Silva joined the back four in shutting Villa’s attempts to bag a second goal and stood their ground until the final whistle.

Guardiola indulged in a fiery press conference on Friday in light of the recent allegations against Manchester City. The Catalan would be pleased to see his team back their words with a strong performance on the pitch that carried glimpses of a ruthless City side.

The defending champion will now prepare to face Arsenal later this week. Manchester City are now just three points behind Arsenal, and a win against the league leaders could take them to the top of the table.

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