Manchester City up to second in Premier League after win over Aston Villa

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Manchester City put on a second-half show to see off Aston Villa 3-0 at the Etihad in the Premier League, reducing the gap to Liverpool to three points for 24 hours at least.

City struck inches wide on two occasions in a goalless first half through Gabriel Jesus and David Silva, but within seconds of the restart, Raheem Sterling had slotted home his sixth goal in four games for club and country (46).

David Silva then got the slightest touch on Kevin De Bruyne's cross for a controversial second after a VAR review for a potential Sterling offside (65), but there was nothing contentious about Ilkay Gundogan's half-volley for 3-0 (70).

Fernandinho was dismissed late on for a needless second yellow card (87), but the result means City make up ground on Liverpool, who host Tottenham on Super Sunday, live on Sky Sports Premier League at 4:30 p.m. BST.

Player ratings

Man City: Ederson (6), Cancelo (6), Stones (6), Fernandinho (5), Mendy (7), Bernardo Silva (7), Gundogan (7), David Silva (7), Sterling (8), De Bruyne (7), Jesus (7)

Subs: Angelino (6), Foden (6), Aguero (6)

Aston Villa: Heaton (5), Guilbert (5), Mings (4), Engels (5), Targett (5), Nakamba (5), Luiz (6), McGinn (5), Trezeguet (6), Grealish (5), Wesley (4)

Subs: Davis (6), El Ghazi (NA)

Man of the match: Raheem Sterling

How the champions finally found a way

Villa were as long as 30/1 with some bookmakers to win at the Etihad, among the longest odds ever seen for a team before kick-off in Premier League history, but they held their own in a goalless first half.

Predictably, most of the ball and chances fell to City in the opening 45 minutes, the first seeing Gabriel Jesus flash wide on the turn as Villa routinely struggled to clear their lines.

Villa used their pace on the break to good effect though; John McGinn's curling effort from the edge forced Ederson to parry, but Villa appealed for a penalty as Douglas Luiz went down under pressure from Joao Cancelo, only for VAR to deem the challenge fair.

The best chance of the half fell to Silva, collecting a pass from Sterling from the left, only to drag inches wide left-footed unmarked from 12 yards as the Etihad expected to see the net bulge.

But City came alive after the break. Before the clock turned to 46 minutes, a long ball upfield saw Jesus win an aerial battle with Tyrone Mings, flicking on for Sterling to slot left-footed under Tom Heaton.

Mings then did his best to keep the score down, clearing superbly off the line as Jesus' effort deflected off Heaton, but it was soon 2-0 in contentious circumstances.

From a short corner, De Bruyne's curling cross from the left somehow found its way through a crowd of shirts and into the far post, with Sterling, who was inside the six-yard box and in front of Heaton, deemed onside by VAR. But replays showed the ball touched Silva's boot on its way through, meaning Sterling would have been offside from that touch, and potentially deemed to be interfering with play in front of Heaton.

Despite Silva claiming the goal and De Bruyne saying after the game that it was Silva's goal, the Premier League and Manchester City insist the goal is De Bruyne's.

Gundogan made it 3-0 with a clever half volley through the crowd from 12 yards as the ball fell kindly to him, but City's day ended on a sour note as Fernandinho was dismissed for a silly second yellow card, before Ederson brilliantly diverted a low McGinn drive onto the post.

City eventually looked like champions and found a way, with Sterling in particular at his dazzling best as the pressure and attention now turns to Anfield.

Team news

Gabriel Jesus started again for Manchester City in the Premier League, with Sergio Aguero on the bench. The only change from the 2-0 win over Crystal Palace was John Stones replacing the injured Rodri in defence; he lined up alongside Fernandinho.

For Aston Villa, Hourihane and El Ghazi made way following the 2-1 win over Brighton, replaced by Trezeguet and the more defensive David Luiz. 

Opta stats

  • Manchester City have won their last 10 Premier League home games against Aston Villa by an aggregate score of 33-4. It's their joint-longest winning run at home versus a single opponent in PL history (also currently 10 vs Newcastle).
  • Raheem Sterling has scored in 43 Premier League games for Manchester City without ever ending on the losing side (W41 D2 L0) - he's scored in more games for a single club without ever losing than any other player in the competition's history.
  • Man City's Fernandinho (3) has been sent off at the Etihad stadium more than any other player in the Premier League since it opened in 2003.

What's next?

City now host Southampton in the Carabao Cup round of 16 at 7:45 p.m. on Tuesday evening again, and then face the Saints again on Saturday at 3 p.m. in the Premier League. Villa host Wolves on Wednesday evening in the Carabao Cup round of 16 at 7:45 p.m., and then welcome Liverpool on Saturday at 3 p.m. in the Premier League.

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