Jamie Jackson has filed his match report, so I’m going to wrap up the blog. Thanks for your company, emails, guitar riffs and financial expertise – night!
Rodri says he asked to take City’s penalty just before ha-fltime, but Ilkay Gundogan told him Riyad Mahrez was the designated taker.
What happened in THAT discussion about who was taking the penalty 👀 pic.twitter.com/Ue1soDT5k9
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 12, 2023
"Every game is a final for us" 👏
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 12, 2023
Rodri says today's performance was exactly what the team needed following their defeat to Tottenham 👇 pic.twitter.com/NXb9pq2KMH
Updated
The updated Premier League table
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 21 | 28 | 51 |
| 2 | Man City | 22 | 34 | 48 |
| 3 | Man Utd | 23 | 10 | 46 |
| 4 | Newcastle | 22 | 22 | 41 |
| 5 | Tottenham Hotspur | 23 | 7 | 39 |
Full time: Manchester City 3-1 Aston Villa
Peep peep! The champions move to within three points of Arsenal, having played a game more, after a comfortable victory over Aston Villa. Rodri, Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez ended the game before half-time; Ollie Watkins got one back for Villa in the second. At times City were mesmeric, at others sloppy.
Erling Haaland, who made Gundogan’s goal and then didn’t take the penalty that Mahrez converted to make it 3-0, went off with a thigh injury at half-time. We don’t yet know whether he’ll be available for the biggest game of the Prmeier League season so far: Arsenal v Manchester City at the Emirates on Wednesday night.
Updated
90+2 min: Duran hits the bar! My word, what an effort. Martinez launched a long free-kick that was helped on by Watkins towards Duran on the edge of the area. He controlled the ball on his thigh and then, in the same movement, swished a left-footed volley across goal that clattered off the bar before Ederson had moved.
90 min Four minutes of added time.
89 min I would say this game registers around 6.2 on the Cityareback-ometer. They started the game formidably, playing with ferocious purpose, but couldn’t quite get themselves up for the second half when they knew the game was already over. The most encouraging thing for City is the return to majesty of Kevin De Bruyne, who along with Rodri has probably been the best player on the pitch.
What we can all agree on is that it sets up a humdinger at the Emirates on Wednesday night.
86 min “I think it needs to be reiterated, over and over again, especially as it seems to be the cornerstone of City’s defence (see Daniel at 17 mins), that City were never ‘vindicated’ or declared innocent of charges by CAS,” says Simon James. “Firstly they were fined 10m, which is a pretty hefty fine, and indicative of a punishment for wrong doing; and most importantly, the only won their appeal on a technicality, that being the most serious charges brought by Uefa were deemed to be time-barred.
“As the Premier League doesn’t have such technical restrictions, I would be worried if I was a City fan. Regardless of the outcome, all this nonsense about them being innocent or vindicated on appeal, has to stop. It’s simply not the truth.”
Yes, fair point, and Pep was peddling it on Friday as well. That said, we should also reiterate that only some of the charges were time-barred – they were found not guilty of plenty of others. I think. I’ll be honest, I got bored after a while. I really need to put my phone down more often so that can I learn to focus.
Updated
85 min: City substitution Nathan Ake replaces Mahrez, who continued his fine form with a goal and an assist.
84 min: Comedy miss from Riyad Mahrez! I’ve seen it all now. De Bruyne’s long ball finds Alvarez on the right side of the area. He turns back and finds Mahrez, who dances past Konsa, opens his body … and launches the ball into orbit from eight yards.
Replays show that it took a bit of a bobble, though it’s still almost shocking to see somebody as elegant as Mahrez launch the ball into the sky like a Hackney Marshes chancer.
82 min Coutinho chops past Walker in the area, gets to the byline but then slips in the act of crossing.
82 min Coutinho has changed the game. He plays a lovely pass inside Foden to release Moreno, whose dangerous low cross is pushed away desperately by the diving Ederson.
81 min: Brilliant save by Ederson! Villa are having a decent little spell. Coutinho receives the ball on the left wing, cuts inside and whips a spectacular shot towards the far top corner. It brushes the fingertips of Ederson, at full stretch as he leaps across goal, and lands on the roof of the net. That’s a helluva save.
80 min City break three on three, but Moreno does well to cut out De Bruyne’s pass towards Foden.
78 min “Daniel on 17 minutes deserves a little credit,” says Espen Bommen. “His comment about a lack of unbiased coverage of his City team nicely proves the point of Max Rushden’s brilliant article from a couple of days ago.”
You say that, but you should hear what was being said about Kevin Horlock and Lee Bradbury in today’s morning meeting.
Updated
76 min: Double substitution for Villa Matty Cash and Philippe Coutinho, who both scored here in May, replace Jacob Ramsey, who doesn’t look right on the right, and Ashley Young.
75 min It feels like the game is starting to peter out. It’s been a good day for City, though they have lost a bit of focus in the second half. Maybe they should just put their phone down? As things stand, it’s a decent victory rather than statement win. Maybe they’re saving the statement win for the Emirates on Wednesday night.
72 min Gundogan, having started the move with a lovely angled pass to Walker, curls straight at Martinez from distance.
71 min “Thank you for introducing me to the Walkmen!” writes Eric Peterson. “I’m a bass player who still reunites with his university band from time to time, and I love songs like this where the bass plays in the upper range and tightens the space between the bass line and the rest of the band.
“It’s easy to just hang about on the lowest possible chord note and miss how moving up in your playing range and taking advantage of the space you have to move into can propel the song. There’s a time and a place for the high line in rock and roll, just like football.”
And thank you for talking in a foreign language, thereby reminding me that the only musical instrument I’ve ever played is the recorder. Gah!
69 min: City substitution Phil Foden replaces Jack Grealish, who is warmly applauded from the field. Foden gets a huge cheer when he runs on.
Updated
68 min Gundogan’s long-range shot is comfortably held by Martinez. I think City are over their four-minute blip.
66 min: Great defending from Konsa! What a move from City. De Bruyne turns Chambers brilliantly near the halfway line and gives the ball to Gundogan. He curls a beautiful first-time pass around Young to find Grealish on the left side of the area. Grealish’s first touch isn’t great but he makes up for it with a delightful chipped cross towards Alvarez at the far post. He leaps to power a close-range header that would have gone in but for Konsa’s desperate block.
Updated
66 min Here’s the goal from Ollie Watkins that has given Villa (and Arsenal) a soupcon of hope.
Watkins pulls one back for Villa in his 1⃣0⃣0⃣th game for the club 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/2BgiOgRp6U
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 12, 2023
64 min Suddenly City look a little edgy. Watkins makes a bit of space on the left side of the area but then slips in the act of shooting.
63 min Konsa is booked for a lunging tackle on Alvarez.
It’s a good finish from Ollie Watkins, who has looked bright all afternoon. Bernardo Silva ran into trouble and was dispossessed just inside the City half by Douglas Luiz. He played a crisp early pass into Watkins, who shuffled away from a half-arsed challenge by Akanji on the edge of the area and slid the ball across Ederson.
GOAL! Man City 3-1 Aston Villa (Watkins 61)
There goes City’s clean sheet.
Updated
61 min: Triple change for Villa Jhon Duran, John McGinn and Alex Moreno replace Emi Buendia (who isn’t thrilled to be taken off), Lucas Digne and Leon Bailey.
Duran wasn’t originally on the teamsheet, then Villa realised they had named only eight of nine substitutes and asked if they could add him.
58 min Rodri has been inspirational today. He wins the ball high up the field on the right and flips a lovely cross towards Alvarez, whose acrobatic volley takes a deflection and is claimed by Martinez.
56 min Grealish beats Young with ease in the area but then overhits his chipped cross.
53 min City look hungry for more goals, Grealish in particular. His cutback finds Gundogan, who slips at an inopportune moment.
Bernardo Silva is basically playing as an orthodox left-back now, though whether Pep risks that at the Emirates remains to be seen. Bernardo Silva v Bukayo Saka on Wednesday would be, well, total BS.
Updated
52 min I cannot begin to imagine how miserable it must be for extremely good professional footballers to walk out for the second half away to Manchester City knowing the game is already over, and that the only remaining question is whether the match ends 3-0 or 12-0.
49 min Apparently Erling Haaland has a thigh injury, which is an obvious concern ahead of the Arsenal game on Wednesday. Thigh injuries, even minor ones, don’t always heal in 72 hours. At this rate City might have to play Phil Foden.
Updated
48 min Martinez makes a fine save, getting down low to his left to stop Rodri’s deflected shot from 15 yardas.
46 min City made a double change at half-time: Julian Alvarez and Manuel Akanji for Erling Haaland and Ruben Dias.
46 min Peep peep! The second half begins, and Ashley Young nobbles Jack Grealish inside 30 seconds.
Penalty to City! 👀 pic.twitter.com/UbP780xvry
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 12, 2023
“While on the topic of genius, I just want to thank you for the deployment of The Rat by The Walkmen in today’s MBM,” says Gabe S. “A banger so impeccably well-written and lethally well-performed, the fact it isn’t a House Of The Rising Sun or All Along The Watchtower-level universal rock ‘n roll standard is a bit of a shame. See you down the front for the reunion shows?”
They’re coming to South Somerset are they? (I agree with you by the way – it’s a unique, ageless song, with a paint-stripping ferocity that could make a nonagenarian feel young.)
Updated
“Amid all the brouhaha about City’s finances,” begins Simon McMahon, “I think what most people are forgetting is that, if Liverpool win tomorrow, they will move to with 16 points of City, with a game in hand. No wonder Pep is raging.”
The updated league table
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 21 | 28 | 51 |
| 2 | Man City | 22 | 35 | 48 |
| 3 | Man Utd | 23 | 10 | 46 |
| 4 | Newcastle | 22 | 22 | 41 |
| 5 | Tottenham Hotspur | 23 | 7 | 39 |
Half-time reading
Half time: Man City 3-0 Aston Villa
Do you see what happens, Larry? Do you see what happens when you charge Manchester City 115 times?
That was utterly predictable, and it would have been more but for some determined defending from Villa. Rodri headed in from a corner, Erling Haaland gave Ilkay Gundogan an open goal and Riyad Mahrez scored a penalty past Emi Martinez.
Updated
GOAL! Man City 3-0 Aston Villa (Mahrez 45+1 pen)
That’s right, Mahrez. I expected Haaland to take it, but Mahrez stepped up and sent the penalty expert Martinez the wrong way.
Updated
Grealish was looking for it, but Ramsey caught his trailing leg so there’s no way this will be overturned. It’s a clear penalty.
Updated
44 min: PENALTY TO CITY! Ramsey brings down Grealish, and City are about to go 3-0 up.
44 min Here’s City’s second goal.
Gundogan LOVES scoring against Aston Villa 🤝 pic.twitter.com/7ertSTLvcA
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 12, 2023
42 min Dias is booked for dissent.
De Bruyne clipped an early long pass towards Haaland, charging between the two Villa central defenders near the edge of the area. Chambers panicked and stooped to head the ball somewhere, anywhere, but Haaland retrieved it on the right side of the area, waited for support and rammed a devastating low cross that gave Gundogan a tap-in.
Updated
GOAL! Man City 2-0 Aston Villa (Gundogan 39)
Not for the first time against Villa this year, Ilkay Gundogan taps into an empty net at the far post.
Updated
38 min De Bruyne’s free-kick is headed wide by Rodri, under a lot pressure from Kamara.
37 min Saying which, Mahrez slips Digne, who legs him up and is booked.
36 min Villa have defended extremely well against a City side who, with the exception of the second half at home to Spurs, are playing as well as they have since the World Cup.
35 min “Since Peter Oh brought it up, I’ve wondered how much attention is paid to the Super Bowl in the UK,” says Joe Pearson. “I mean, a game that starts at 11:30 PM on a Sunday can’t attract that many viewers, right? Will you stay up to watch?”
No, but I’ve never really understood American sports, even though I love the idea of them. I know plenty of people who stay up for it every year, or at least did before we all hit old age. Like barely repressed self-loathing, it’s always been a pretty big thing over here.
33 min Walker plays a poor ball straight to Bailey, 30 yards from goal. He is cleaned out emphatically by Dias, an old-school man-and-ball challenge. The referee allows play to continue, and replays show that, while it was a very strong challenge, it wasn’t a dangerous one.
32 min “Pep is not a genius,” says Jeff Sax. “A genius does not make continual changes to a winning side... And when last did he win the Champions League?”
Jeff, I love you, but trust me: he’s a complete and utter and occasionally maddening genius. Sir Alex Ferguson went about four years without naming an unchanged side, and he was a genius as well.
Updated
30 min Rodri, who has been outstanding, releases De Bruyne on the right with a lovely first-time pass. De Bruyne gets to the byline and tries to cut the ball back to Haaland. Konsa does the necessary in the six-yard box.
De Bruyne also looks really sharp today. It’s the FA Charge Bounce!
29 min: Good save from Martinez! De Bruyne marches imperiously across the field from the right, beating Kamara with ease before finding Grealish on the left side of the box. He whips a curling shot across goal that is fingertipped round the post by the flying Martinez. That’s a fine save actually. Grealish, often relatively shot-shy, looks desperate to score today.
Updated
28 min “Do you think,” says Richard Hirst, “Pep is playing Rage Against The Machine in the dressing room?”
I assumed this was on loop, or maybe he’s saving it for the next time Daniel Levy calls to discuss European Super League.
Updated
27 min De Bruyne’s deep free-kick is headed into a dangerous area by the backpedalling Ramsey. Bernardo Silva’s snapshot is blocked, and there’s another VAR check for handball. No dice.
25 min Villa have done pretty well to stay in the game, because when Rodri scored so early I assumed we’d be in double figures by now.
24 min “Why did Guardiola barely play Dias, his best central defender, and get rid of his best wing-back?” wonders Andrew Hurley. “Freud, if still alive, wd have a field day with his narcissism / need for it always to be about needing to be recognized for how clever he is. As he’s long gone, what is your diagnosis Dr Smyth?”
That’s the thing about geniuses – we all go a little mad sometimes. Har, har, har. In his defence, Dias hasn’t been fully fit since the World Cup.
23 min At the other end, Bailey’s long-range shot deflects wide. By the way, it now looks like Bernardo Silva is playing in the Rico Lewis role at left-back.
21 min: Chance for Haaland! Mahrez’s outswinging corner brushes the head of Dias at the near post and ricochets around the area until Haaland volleys over from six yards. It wasn’t an easy chance – he had to quickly, at an awkward height, and I think a Villa defender may have made contact a split second before Haaland.
20 min: Just wide from Grealish! And almost a spectacular goal. De Bruyne drove the corner flat and hard to Grealish, lurking on the edge of the area at the far post. He twisted his body like an action figure to smack a volley that hit the leaping Chambers and deflected just wide. There’s a VAR check for handball, but no penalty.
20 min After another slick, proper-City move, De Bruyne’s low cross is crucially cut out by Chambers. It’s not quite a battering, but it’s not far off.
17 min “Clearly in the wrong place for any balanced coverage of Manchester City,” weeps Daniel. “How else would fans react to the anthem of a league that told the press about these charges before the club? Cannot wait to see the reactions of so called ‘neutrals’ everywhere when we’re vindicated again.”
I can promise you now, that even if the police wrongfully imprisoned my entire extended family, I still wouldn’t boo the theme tune to Line of Duty.
Updated
13 min: Gundogan has a goal disallowed! Ah, Haaland was offside in the build up, that’s why. At first I couldn’t work out what he had done wrong. He ran onto a long pass and was basically slapped about the chops by the outrushing Martinez, with Gundogan putting the loose ball away. But the play was pulled back for offside.
Updated
13 min “Today isn’t just any given Sunday but Super Bowl Sunday,” says Peter Oh. “Super Bowl LVII, in fact. I think that’s number 57, but I’m not sure because I rarely use Roman numerals. Just for fun, could you please use Roman numerals in your updates? For example, LXIII min. Erling Haaland completes his hat trick.”
I’m not sure he’s touched the ball yet.
11 min: Fine save from Martinez! City are playing beautifully. Rodri plays a one-two with De Bruyne, marches through midfield and eases a through ball into the path of Gundogan. He opens his body to slide a left-footed shot that hits the outstretched right leg of Martinez and goes just wide of the far post. Terrific save, that.
Updated
11 min Villa look quite bright when they do break, Watkins in particular, but they are spending long periods without the ball.
In other news, here’s that Rodri goal.
WHAT A START FOR CITY AND RODRI! ⏰ pic.twitter.com/GwkbBP6XkU
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 12, 2023
10 min “This has the makings of a good old-fashioned shellacking,” says Joe Pearson. “Don’t poke the bear, I guess.”
Villa didn’t! I wonder how long it will be before we start talking about teams benefitting from the FA-charge bounce.
8 min City are playing with murderous purpose, and look in the mood not just to beat Villa but humiliate them.
6 min De Bruyne lunges at Bailey in the box, getting nowhere near the ball, and is relieved that Bailey doesn’t accept the invitation to go down.
6 min “I see from the picture that Mr. Neville is wearing at least three layers of black,” says Mac Millings. “Do you think he’s in mourning for the imminent stripping of thousands of trophies from Manchester City’s record? Personally, I can’t wait for the mighty Hornets to be declared the 2018-2019 FA Cup winners, by a score of 0 (nil) - 6.”
I’d love it if Pep, disdain written all over his face, namechecked “Mac Millings” at his next press conference.
What a simple goal. Mahrez curled a left-wing corner towards the near post, where Rodri got the round on Kamara and flicked a powerful downward header that beat the sprawling Martinez at the near post.
Updated
GOAL! Man City 1-0 Aston Villa (Rodri 4)
The first of many.
Updated
3 min Grealish’s chipped cross is claimed on the stretch by Martinez.
2 min These are the revised line-ups.
Manchester City (3-2-2-3) Ederson; Walker, Dias, Laporte; Rodri, Bernardo; De Bruyne, Gundogan; Mahrez, Haaland, Grealish.
Aston Villa (4-2-2-2) Martinez; Young, Konsa, Chambers, Digne; Kamara, Douglas Luiz; J Ramsey, Buendia; Bailey, Watkins.
1 min Villa win a corner after 20-odd seconds, with Bailey’s errant shot deflecting behind off Laporte.
1 min Villa kick off from right to left as we watch. City are actually playing a 3-2-2-3 formation with a midfield square.
Updated
Before the game, the players gather round the centre circle. There’s a minute’s applause for Tudor Thomas, City’s honorary president who died last week at the age of 94.
The players are on the field, and the Premier League anthem is being roundly booed by the home fans. I’m all for a good siege mentality, but grown men (sic) booing an anthem, nah.
Updated
“I’m tuning in and hoping for the Villa win that would help Arsenal,” says Shane O’Leary, “but more importantly, tip Pep into full Howard Beale mode.”
Unai Emery speaks
Good afternoon. [Tyrone Mings] has a small injury. He tried but he is not ready for this match. [Calum Chambers] is training every day with very good spirit, he knows how we want to play and he is experienced. He’s ready to play.
Pep Guardiola speaks
We’ve got a lot of games coming up, many away, so everybody is going to play. We need [Ruben Dias], he’s a leader. It’s been a long time because he was injured after the World Cup and it wasn’t easy to recover. We think today is the perfect day for him to come back.
[Is it a back three or a back four?] Back four or five. Seriously, it depends how they attack.
Updated
“Pep is raging against the entire world,” says Mary Waltz. “I feel sorry for Villa, I fear they are going to be the victim of Pep’s volcanic anger.”
City scored three in six minutes against Villa on the last day of last season, so I’m expecting at least a 45-0 win today.
City will start the game in third place after late goals from Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho gave Manchester United victory at Elland Road. Tim de Lisle was watching that one.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 21 | 28 | 51 |
| 2 | Man Utd | 23 | 10 | 46 |
| 3 | Man City | 21 | 32 | 45 |
| 4 | Newcastle | 22 | 22 | 41 |
| 5 | Tottenham Hotspur | 23 | 7 | 39 |
ITUEYMI, here’s what Pep Guardiola had to say on Friday
Updated
Where do we start with that City team? There are four changes, with Ruben Dias (remember him?), Aymeric Laporte (remember him?), Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne replacing Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake, Rico Lewis and Julian Alvarez.
There are only three regular defenders in the XI, so I’ve no idea what formation they’re playing. LOOK, JUST LEAVE IT.
The funky formation aside, it looks like a serious team, and it’s been a while since Pep Guardiola picked one of those.
Unai Emery makes one change for the Villa side that was plugged 4-2 at home to Leicester last weekend. Calum Chambers replaces the injured Tyrone Mings, and I’ll let you decide who got the better of that deal.
Manchester City (possible 4-1-2-3) Ederson; Walker, Rodri, Dias, Laporte; Gundogan; De Bruyne, Bernardo; Mahrez, Haaland, Grealish.
Substitutes: Ortega Moreno, Phillips, Ake, Alvarez, Gomez, Akanji, Foden, Palmer, Lewis.
Aston Villa (possible 4-2-2-2) Martinez; Young, Konsa, Chambers, Digne; Kamara, Douglas Luiz; J Ramsey, Buendia; Bailey, Watkins.
Substitutes: Sinisalo, Zych, Cash, McGinn, Alex Moreno, Coutinho, Dendoncker, Swinkels.
Referee Robert Jones.
Updated
Team news
Pep, we need to talk.
𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦 💙
— Manchester City (@ManCity) February 12, 2023
XI | Ederson, Walker, Dias, Laporte, Rodrigo, De Bruyne, Gundogan (C), Bernardo, Mahrez, Grealish, Haaland
SUBS | Ortega Moreno, Phillips, Ake, Alvarez, Gomez, Akanji, Foden, Palmer, Lewis#ManCity | @HaysWorldwide pic.twitter.com/6zTYyAysbu
This is your Aston Villa team to face Manchester City. 👊 #MCIAVL pic.twitter.com/MFFblCFjME
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) February 12, 2023
Updated
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of Manchester City v the world Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium. After a week of talking about FFP, it’s time to discuss FFF. Fight, flight or flounce: the way City respond to the stress of being charged by the FA will probably decide whether they win the league this season.
Pep Guardiola’s press conference on Friday suggested he was in the mood to stick two fingers and three consecutive titles up at the establishment, and we’ll soon find out whether the players – who have looked unfocussed and a bit sulky since the winter break – are similarly minded.
The next two games, Villa today and Arsenal away on Wednesday, should give us a pretty big clue. If City win both, they’ll be top of the league again.
Kick off 4.30pm
Updated
