Manchester City 3 Aston Villa 1
This was the first chance for Manchester City players to post an on-field riposte to the Premier League charges and they did not disappoint.
A three-goal, opening-half blitz put Aston Villa away via their particular brand of shock and awe that has been missing since the September-October period, when 24 goals and six wins in a row were reeled off. One blot on the landscape – and for their game at Arsenal on Wednesday – was a possible injury to Erling Haaland, which meant he was taken off at half-time.
Then, as this afternoon, they could score at will and leave opponents with an inferiority complex, so after the past eight days this was the apt performance. The 101 counts for alleged financial wrongdoing – which City deny – had drawn an emotional “coach-welcome” as Pep Guardiola and the squad arrived to fans who held banners that declaimed “F**k the Premier League” and “Investigate That” (with a finger in an obscene position), while the Premier League’s anthem was booed before kick-off.
At the end, City were three points behind Arsenal before their trip to the Emirates: win there and Guardiola’s team will be top, on goal difference.
Yet, inside 30 seconds, they had the frights put up them. Ollie Watkins fed strike partner Leon Bailey and his shot was deflected for a corner. This came to nothing, unlike the hosts’ first such same kick: Riyad Mahrez floated the ball in from the left and Rodri’s header squeezed past Emiliano Martínez to his right: the roar that greeted this came with extra decibels, which was no surprise.
For a No 1 who can be cocksure, this opener was a black mark against Martínez and a reminder how the game can bite the posterior. But the Argentinian redeemed himself when, moments later Rodri swapped passes with Kevin De Bruyne, and Ilkay Gündogan unloaded, Martinez, diving right, saved. Next a pell-mell passage for the goalkeeper had Haaland crashing into him and Gündogan finishing but Robert Jones ruled this out for the No 9′s foul.
City were rampant: a state that has been a rarity recently. Jack Grealish went close to a showstopping volley that would have muted the fans of the side he used to captain and who taunted him. Then, Haaland missed from near in, following City’s latest corner. Guardiola configured his side in a 3-2-2-3, perhaps to tighten the gaps when out of possession that have been troubling him. Yet as his men were back in their familiar ball-hogging, free-flowing groove, the defence was underworked.
Kyle Walker’s pass initiated the latest move, feeding Rodri who tapped the ball to De Bruyne. The Belgian skipped inside as if a fleet-footed winger and scattered Villa, Grealish received the ball, and the wide man’s curler required a Martínez glove to save.
City’s second was a combination of De Bruyne’s genius and Haaland’s powerhouse pace. The former, seeing the latter lurking, swivelled and hit a no-look chip. Martínez rushed out and Calum Chambers panicked and headed the ball past the goalkeeper who was overtaken by a galloping Haaland: the Norwegian rolled the ball to the far post and Gündogan scored.
A scintillating opening 45 minutes ended with Grealish being yanked down by Jacob Ramsey in the area, Jones gave the penalty, and Mahrez made it 3-0. For the second period Julian Alvarez and Manuel Akanji replaced Haaland and Rúben Dias but City strolled on. De Bruyne, Grealish, and Alvarez combined to tee up Rodri, whose effort was held low by Martínez.
As a contest this was over. Alvarez took a pot-shot, Walker surged 50 yards, the City faithful told each other to “stand up for the champions”, which they did. Watkins scored, after a midfield mix-up involving Bernardo Silva that allowed him to pad forward and beat Ederson. And though City continued to be a touch sloppy – Ederson had to scramble clear and Jhon Duran hit the bar late on – the display, overall, might signal they are coming into prime form at the business end of the campaign.
If victorious over Arsenal, in north London, City will have overturned an eight-point deficit in 27 days and the quest to emulate Manchester United in the Premier League era by claiming three successive crowns will be squarely in their hands. – Guardian
