Lacklustre Manchester City Do Manuel Pellegrini Few Favours for Future

Manchester City consolidated their grip on a top-four place with a 3-2 win over Aston Villa on Saturday evening, but it was yet another unconvincing display from Manuel Pellegrini’s side.

City have leapfrogged Arsenal and Manchester United, for the time being at least, and now sit second in the table with just four league games of the season remaining. The pressure on United to get three points at Goodison Park on Sunday has now been increased hugely, and Arsenal, which have two games in hand over City, will also be under strain going into their home game with Chelsea later in the day.

With Tottenham, Southampton and Liverpool all dropping points prior to City's win, a gap is now emerging between the current top four and the chasing pack. In terms of their position in the table, this was a significant result for City.

Jon Super/Associated Press

However, for Pellegrini, whose job is thought to be under threat after an underwhelming campaign, the performance of his side against Villa is unlikely to have helped his case to remain in charge next season.

Again, it was a lacklustre display, lacking inventiveness and flair, a scenario unthinkable throughout last season as City scored over a hundred goals en route to a league-and-couple double. What has changed so dramatically is open to debate, but City are a weaker proposition than they were 12 months ago, and the club's owners are unlikely to look upon that favourably.

For Pellegrini to remain in charge, the side need a strong end to the season. The club's board will want assurances that this season has been a blip rather than indicative of a more deep-rooted failure. This result may have ensured that City completed back-to-back victories for the first time since early February, but it did little to suggest that Pellegrini is any closer to returning his side to their best.

City started brightly and were ahead inside four minutes when Sergio Aguero capitalised on a total miskick from Brad Guzan to finish left-footed from close range.

Jon Super/Associated Press

It was the kind of mistake that makes the end-of-season bloopers and gaffes videos, and the home fans compounded Guzan’s misery with chants of “There’s only one Shay Given.” The Villa sub keeper, who played in the FA Cup semi-final win over Liverpool, has left a lasting impression on the City fans after his two-and-a-half-year spell at the Etihad.

It was Aguero's 21st league goal of the season, and he now looks likely to finish as the top scorer in England's top flight.

Aleksandar Kolarov capped his best performance of the season with a superb free-kick to make it 2-0, but City, as they so often have done in recent months, looked vulnerable defensively and allowed Villa a route back into the match.

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You voted Aleksandar Kolarov as today's Man of the Match. Thank you for taking part. #cityvvilla #mcfc pic.twitter.com/T3LKfYaroH

— Manchester City FC (@MCFC) April 25, 2015"

Moments after Kolarov's goal, Villa pulled one back through Tom Cleverley, and with just five minutes remaining, they were level through Carlos Sanchez.

But credit to City, they rallied late on, and Fernandinho, who had replaced the injured Yaya Toure at half-time, scored a superb winner with a minute of normal time left on the clock.

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88. GOAAAAAALLLLL!!! FERNANDINHO!! 3-2!! pic.twitter.com/aJMLlVDZJZ

— Manchester City FC (@MCFC) April 25, 2015"

Why Fernandinho has been relegated to the bench in the last two games after being City's best player in the recent defeat at Old Trafford is a mystery to most, but his second-half display here, which was full of energy and quick passing, added some much-needed tempo to the City side.

With Toure struggling to produce his best form and with Fernando a more restricted player, Fernandinho is City's most dynamic midfielder at present, and Pellegrini will surely consider reinstating him to the starting lineup for the final four matches of the season.

The City boss needs something to give his side a lift. A positive end to the season is vital if he wants to lead City into the final year of his contract. Right now, there are few signs suggesting his players can offer that.

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2014-15 season. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter: @RobPollard.