Manchester City vs. Aston Villa: Winners and Losers from Premier League
Manchester City beat Aston Villa 3-2 in an enthralling match on Saturday evening at the Etihad Stadium, a result that perhaps ended whatever remaining intrigue there was to the Champions League qualification race—but only increased the tension at the other end of the table.
City looked to be cruising to a comfortable three points when Brad Guzan's awful mistake allowed Sergio Aguero to score after barely three minutes, especially when Aleksandar Kolarov converted from a long-range free-kick midway through the second half.
But Aston Villa responded immediately through Tom Cleverley—his first goal for his temporary side—and then drew level five minutes from time, as Carlos Sanchez broke his Villans duck with a controlled first-time finish.
Tim Sherwood's side were to be denied a well-deserved point in agonising fashion, however, as Fernandinho fired home from another corner just a minute from time to belatedly clinch victory for Manuel Pellegrini's men.
The result means City temporarily move back up into second in the table—they can be overtaken by both Manchester United and Arsenal on Sunday—while Villa are now just two points above the relegation zone following the rest of Saturday's results.
Click on for some winners and losers from the game.
Winner: Sergio Aguero
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While he had a reasonably quiet game by his own exceedingly high standards, an early gift from Villa keeper Brad Guzan meant Sergio Aguero was nonetheless able to get his 21st goal of this Premier League campaign—moving him to the top of the goalscorers charts on his own.
Aguero's third-minute tap-in allowed him to move clear of Harry Kane (who failed to score in Tottenham Hotspurs' 2-2 draw with Southampton) and put him closer to winning the league's golden boot award for the first time in his career, with Diego Costa two goals in arrears.
With only a handful of games left in the season, the man at the top of the charts at this stage is always likely to be a heavy favourite to go on and clinch the crown. Aguero is currently that man, with a game against Spurs and Kane next on the slate.
The Champions League race might already be dead, but that game could have individual award ramifications.
Loser: Brad Guzan
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Brad Guzan's horrific third-minute error set the tone for Aston Villa's defensive performance at the Etihad Stadium, as they conceded three soft goals on the way to a defeat that their overall performance surely did not warrant.
Guzan can have few excuses for Sergio Aguero's opener; he simply seemed to switch off (or, more accurately, had not switched on yet) during his first real action of the match. The United States goalkeeper could have just hoofed the back pass he received long into the City half, but instead he tried to square it across goal to his covering team-mate.
It should have been a straightforward task, but instead Guzan proceeded to scuff his pass horribly—presenting the stalking Aguero with the simplest of tap-ins. Considering there has been speculation this week that back-up goalkeeper Shay Given—so good in the FA Cup run for Villa—could replace Guzan in the league as well, this was no time to make such an egregious mistake.
It did not help that City's second goal also involved a defensive mistake—how was Aleksandar Kolarov's shot able to squeeze between players in the wall?!—or that the third came from a corner that was not well cleared.
Villa's league position remains worryingly precarious; Guzan's mistake is not the sole reason for that, but it certainly did not help Villa in a game where they needed everyone to be at their very best.
Afterward, Sherwood told Sky Sports (via Eurosport):
"Coming here and playing like we did (and getting nothing) is a big disappointment.
I think we edged it, to be honest. We're coming to the home of the champions. We controlled possession, certainly in the first period, coming on the back of a devastating start for us. We showed a lot of character, bounced back, got our goals.
[...]
You've got to look for positives. The positives are we came here and were not fazed. (But) the goals we gave away—not good enough. We need to be able to defend properly. The free-kick was a real disappointment. And the defending for the corner wasn't good enough.
But overall it's a good performance from us. We played well. If we play like that (for the rest of the season), we should be okay.
"
Winner: Christian Benteke (and Jack Grealish)
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Considering the individual defensive mistakes that marred Villa's performance, it is a wonder that most neutral observers would concede that the visitors probably deserved at least a point from the game. Villa controlled large parts of the contest—after slow starts to both halves, they quickly grew in confidence—something that Christian Benteke can take a lot of credit for.
The Belgian was offside frustratingly often and did not get on the scoresheet himself, but his overall play for the team was fantastic. He was often untouchable in the air, causing City problems from every set piece or long ball, and seems to have already fashioned a solid understanding with Jack Grealish—the duo working together cleverly to create a number of chances for supporting team-mates.
It remains to be seen if Benteke will stay at the club next season—if Villa go down, he is almost guaranteed to leave—and this sort of performance underlined why he would be so sought-after.
Grealish, too, deserves praise; after announcing himself to the general public with his performance against Liverpool in last weekend's FA Cup semi-final, this was a respectable follow-up display—full of smart touches and instinctive movement. The duo seem to make each other better.
Loser: Manuel Pellegrini
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On one level, Manuel Pellegrini was the big winner of the day, as at least Fernandinho's goal essentially assured City of Champions League football next season—the minimum expectation for the club, and one that, if it had not been achieved, would almost certainly cost him his job.
In reality, however, perhaps this performance did not exactly aid Pellegrini's short-term hopes. In front of watching representatives from the club's ownership, City were often outplayed by what is, empirically speaking, one of the worst teams in the league. That will have hardly done much to convince those on the club's board who might be thinking a change in manager will turn around the club's fortunes next term.
Fernandinho's winner papered over the cracks, but it hardly offers much long-term clarity for the club. If anything, it now allows City to pursue the options with greater knowledge at their disposal. Now that they know, for all intents and purposes, they will be in the Champions League again next season, they can look more aggressively at their options—both managerial and on the playing side—to ensure they are back fighting for the domestic title again.
Afterward, Pellegrini said, via BBC:
"Today we didn't play as well, but we had the spirit and fight to win in the last five minutes despite their late equaliser.
The results are always more important than the performances, but I think that we normally play well, today we showed the spirit and the belief that perhaps we have not had in other games when we have had more possession.
I was not satisfied with the way we played today, but sometimes you need different things to win games.
"
Winner: The Relegation Battlers
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While Fernandinho's late winner effectively ended the race for the top four—draws earlier in the day for Liverpool, Southampton and Tottenham mean City now have a nine-point cushion on fifth—it only served to heighten the competition at the bottom, with Villa remaining in the thick of a relegation scrap.
Victories for Leicester City and Hull City earlier in the day, along with Sunderland's draw, mean Villa are now just two points above the 18th-placed Black Cats, having also played a game more than the three teams just below them.
Sherwood's side might have the FA Cup final to look forward to at the end of May, but it is clear that they have four other finals to contend with prior to that. Every Premier League point is going to be vital—as Saturday's game proved—and Villa are still going to need to pick up a few of them if they are to secure top-flight status for another season.
