Aston Villa 1, Manchester City 3: Manchester City must wish they could play Aston Villa every week. Stuart Pearce has seen his side's away record ridiculed over the past 12 months but the City manager could have been forgiven for picking out this fixture as the evening when everything would change. City's last win on their travels came here in April, a three-point haul that stretched their unbeaten record against Villa to nine matches. That sequence entered double figures last night.
City outplayed Villa for long periods and ought to have secured victory, only their second away from home this year, long before half-time. As it was, a wonderful Sylvain Distin goal 15 minutes from time did the job.
Darius Vassell, continued his extraordinary record against Villa, scoring City's first after 18 minutes to make it five goals in as many games against his erstwhile employers.
The visitors had been superb early on as they moved the ball around with confidence, carving Villa open with relative ease.
The Villa manager must have sensed that it was only a matter of time before City earned the reward that their bright opening merited and that moment arrived through a familiar face. Vassell's departure last year is still lamented by many Villa fans who believe he was discarded too quickly, and every time the forward faces his former team-mates he seems intent on proving that very point. He might even have had a hat-trick before the first half reached the midway point such was City's dominance.
The visitors were rampant, their second goal, converted by Joey Barton in the 33rd minute, confirming their overwhelming superiority. Distin's slide-rule pass released Georgios Samaras and although the Greek international was forced to run wide he still had the time, and freedom, to take a touch before picking out Barton's sprint into the area. Without breaking his stride, the midfielder stroked the ball past Stuart Taylor and inside the near post.
The Villa goalkeeper had been exposed in similar fashion when Vassell put City ahead. Micah Richards linked with Hatem Trabelsi on the right before the Tunisian swung a curling cross into the Villa area. His delivery was flicked on astutely by Bernardo Corradi for Vassell, lurking at the far post, to hammer an eight-yard drive beyond Taylor.
Villa were abject. Samaras's snapshot from the edge of the area after six minutes, which was beaten away by Taylor, should have served as a warning but it was the stroke of half-time before the home side stirred. Then Stilian Petrov struck a free-kick from 30 yards that hit the crossbar and bounced down on the line. Villa appealed in vain for a goal but anything less than a two-goal lead for City at the interval would have been a gross injustice.
Villa improved after the restart, with Juan Pablo Angel driving over the angle of crossbar and post before Petrov saw his deflected shot from the edge of the area pawed clear by Nicky Weaver. City's threat remained and a third goal ought to have followed in the 58th minute. Samaras fed Corradi, but the Italian's shot was palmed away by Taylor before the Villa goalkeeper clambered to his feet to deny Vassell.
Gavin McCann's speculative strike prompted the possibility of a Villa comeback but Distin, running from inside his own half before playing a one-two with Samaras and then beating Taylor, made sure City extended their hoodoo.
ASTON VILLA:Taylor, Mellberg, Cahill, Ridgewell, Bouma (Davis 63), Agbonlahor, Petrov, McCann, Barry, Angel, Baros. Subs not used: Olejnik, Whittingham, Hughes, Gardner. Booked: Barry.
MANCHESTER CITY:Weaver, Richards (Onuoha 90), Distin, Dunne, Thatcher, Trabelsi (Dickov 85), Reyna, Barton, Vassell, Corradi, Samaras (Hamann 76). Subs not used: Hart, Miller.
Referee:M Dean (Wirral).
