Aston Villa 1-2 Man City: Ruben Dias and Bernardo Silva’s strikes see visitors keep pace at top
That took a fair chunk out of Manchester City and it only took one glance at Pep Guardiola, perhaps the most emotionally transparent manager in this division, to realise.
He stood in the mouth of Aston Villa’s dugout, once his team had ridden a feverish storm, waiting for key members of staff to congratulate.
He set a record on the night, becoming the quickest Premier League boss to reach 150 victories, but the manner of this bears far more relevance to him. ‘We won some games, eh?’ Guardiola smiled. He could afford to smile afterwards. ‘There are more to come.’
Manchester City kept pace with the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool at the top of the table with a 2-1 victory at Aston Villa
Ruben Dias gave the Premier League champions the lead after he swung his left foot at a ball back from Raheem Sterling
Gabriel Jesus (left) and Bernardo Silva (right) then combined for City’s second and a sumptuous volley from the Portuguese
Ollie Watkins halved the deficit for Steven Gerrard’s men at the start of the second half with a clever near-post finish
And this was a big one with tired limbs. City, missing six first-team players for varying reasons, were down to only two senior outfielders on the bench. Guardiola labelled their situation an ‘emergency’ earlier this week and, while he will have few sympathisers outside the Etihad Campus, there is something to be said for grinding these results out.
Quality was by no means missing – pantomime villain Jack Grealish and Phil Foden were in reserve, both returning from injury – but the ability to freshen this up when Villa were in the ascendency was not a luxury Guardiola had at his disposal. And as this frantic game became more stretched, he could have been staring at dropped points.
Guardiola was not kidding when suggesting that the lengthy absentee list constituted something of a crisis earlier in the week – even for such a ludicrously talented squad. He was perfectly justified in fearing that an upwardly mobile Aston Villa, with the impetus of Steven Gerrard, could represent trouble.
Joao Cancelo (centre) and midfielder Rodri were among the City players to test Emiliano Martinez early on in the Villa goal
The deadlock however was broken by Dias is unusual fashion, hitting a left-footed shot into the corner from outside the box
City then scored a brilliant second before the break, with Bernardo Silva volleying home Jesus’ lofted cross into the box
They very nearly did, buoyed by the febrile atmosphere prompted by Jack Grealish’s first return. Cheering or jeering, and there were both in equal measure – even during a late three-minute cameo – this place remained loud throughout. It made for a pulsating night.
But this City team constantly find a way of getting it done, although towards the end, they needed to dig deep and relied on their goalkeeper. Ederson completed a super stop to deny the lively substitute, Carney Chukwuemeka, when the 18-year-old was set to equalise. Kevin Friend, in the VAR booth, also said no to Chukwuemeka’s penalty appeals.
Forget the gloves and scarf, Guardiola will have been warmed by the collective spirit. Titles do not arrive without that. ‘I didn’t have any doubts about the commitment or our response because they show me many times,’ Guardiola said.
Titles do not flow without a bit of class, too, of course. And their second goal was the epitome of Guardiola’s City. One worthy of a siren, Bernardo Silva’s sumptuous finish the sort that ought to be bottled and sent to the Football Museum as evidence of Guardiola’s genius tenure in England for future generations.
But Villa’s hopes of a fight back were boosted early in the second half when Watkins squeezed an effort home from a corner
The home side then lost defender Matt Targett to injury, with the left-back replaced by Carney Chukwuemeka
And Chukwuemeka nearly found an equaliser after coming on as a substitute, but was denied by a brilliant Nathan Ake block
What a stunner it was, two minutes before the break. The sort of move that had even Guardiola laughing on the City bench. Villa were attacking but not for long, Fernandinho looped a ball forward for Jesus and suddenly the visitors were in. Two on two. Villa were done for. Jesus waited, clipped a perfectly weighted pass right onto Silva’s left instep. Volley, goal, Emiliano Martinez looking over his shoulder in admiration.
Twenty-one other players on this pitch would have put their laces through that or taken a touch. Not Silva. Prince William, sat in the directors’ box, might well have bowed at its grace.
At that stage, City were out of sight. Raheem Sterling, the best player on the pitch, was purposeful and constantly drove at Villa’s byline, flying beyond John McGinn in the 27th minute, cutting back into area for someone to attack. City did not legislate for that man to be Ruben Dias.
Dias was on the edge of the box and, despite watching his manager earlier berate Oleksandr Zinchenko for shooting wildly, swung a left leg. Brave guy. The effort took a nick off Leon Bailey and curled into Martinez’s corner. Dias, quite incredibly, became City’s 17th different scorer of the season.
Jesus missed the chance to add a City third with a left-footed shot which went high and wide from Bernardo Silva’s cross
Jack Grealish came on as a late second-half substitute as he made his first appearance at Villa Park since leaving home side
This looked done at the break – City with too much control – but Villa found a way back into it two minutes after the restart and that prompted Gerrard to speak of his pride at their progression over his fortnight in charge.
Silva did not cover himself in glory, uncharacteristically sleepy from Douglas Luiz’s corner, allowing Ollie Watkins to steal a yard and steer into Ederson’s near post.
From nowhere Villa Park was suddenly alive, telling Grealish – jogging up and down the touchline – rather loudly that he ‘used to play for a big club’.
They fancied it, pushed to complete a memorable comeback, but wounded City stood tall.
