Aston Villa 4 Manchester City 2: IT WAS the kind of finishing Mark Hughes would normally admire but this was not the day for the Manchester City manager to stand back and applaud.
Having suffered a humiliating defeat in midweek, Hughes witnessed another chastening display from his team yesterday as Aston Villa and Gabriel Agbonlahor ran riot.
Fabio Capello was not present but the watching Stuart Pearce should ensure that word gets back to the England manager about the strikers superb eight-minute hat-trick.
Not a bad response to being left out of the latest England squad. Hughess players had a point to prove in the wake of the result against FC Midtjylland on Thursday but there were few signs of the "significant improvement" the manager had envisaged.
Elano's penalty in the 64th minute, after Luke Young clumsily hacked at Michael Johnson's heels, brought parity, but normal order was quickly resumed when Agbonlahor swept home his first and Villa's second.
City duly capitulated, shambolic defending inviting a Villa side replete with pace and power to record an emphatic victory.
To make matters worse for Hughes, Valeri Bojinov, who had been sidelined for the past year, will be out for a further six months after he suffered a serious injury in the warm-up.
Hughes revealed the Bulgarian had snapped an Achilles tendon which, with Jo at the Olympics and Darius Vassell and Benjani Mwaruwari injured, leaves City short up of options up front.
The City manager said "we are in the market for a striker" but it was notable he also said "time's pressing and we may have to go with what we've got".
At this moment that is Ched Evans, a young striker who had not made a Premier League appearance until yesterday.
Presumably this was not what Hughes had in mind when he swapped Ewood Park for the City of Manchester Stadium two months ago and was told of the club's interest in some of the leading forwards in the world, including Ronaldinho.
Since then little has gone right. Thaksin Shinawatra, the owner, was again conspicuous by his absence here. The same could be said for the City back four in the final 25 minutes, when Agbonlahor came to life.
The 21-year-old's hat-trick, his first in senior football and the second fastest in Premier League history, was a timely reminder to Capello, who omitted him from the squad to face the Czech Republic on Wednesday.
"His time will come," said Martin O'Neill, the Villa manager.
"It was a great start for him. I was a bit surprised that Ashley (Young) was not in the (England) squad. He's been absolutely class for us, but his time will come as well."
On this evidence that should happen sooner rather than later. Young, who is to be offered a new contract, was involved in three of the four goals. His deep cross for John Carew two minutes after the interval set the home team on their way.
The Norwegian headed powerfully beyond Joe Hart to give Villa a lead that should have arrived long before half-time, such was their dominance in the opening 25 minutes.
Villa's profligacy must have been uppermost in O'Neill's mind when Elano converted from the spot.
City suddenly sensed an unlikely point but that was before Agbonlahor, who signed a new four-year deal on Friday, flashed a right-foot volley over Hart after Curtis Davies outjumped Vedran Corluka to nod Young's corner back across goal.
Five minutes later Agbonalhor grabbed his second after Young released the impressive Gareth Barry. Agbonlahor took full advantage of City's slack marking as he sent a twisting header from Barry's left-wing cross into the top corner.
Worse was to come for City when Barry's measured pass split the visitors' square and static rearguard. Showing first his pace and then his composure Agbonlahor outstripped the City defence and had the presence of mind to apply a deft left-foot dink over Hart. Corluka then tapped in a late consolation.
"It was a brilliantly taken hat-trick," reflected O'Neill.
"After his first goal the confidence came flooding through him and he took the other two goals magnificently."
• Guardian Service
