Easy as you like for City. The gulf in quality was massive, and the only real surprise was that Sergio Agüero missed the penalty for his hat-trick. Thanks for reading. Bye.
Full-time: Man City 4-0 Aston Villa
That’s the whistle.
90 min +2: Hutton crosses, but it’s deflected off Clichy and Hart gathers with ease.
90 min +1: Ayew forced a great save from Hart in the first half, but Villa have hardly had a shot in the second.
90 min: Sterling fouls Gana. We’ll have three additional minutes. Honestly, what’s the point?
88 min: Fernandinho trips Richards, and the ref tries to play the advantage, but it’s called back for the foul. This game’s been played in a decent spirit, actually. Nothing too snide. Maybe that Veretout foul on Aguero.
87 min: Great ball in from Clichy into a dangerous area, but neither Iheanacho nor Agüero attacked it with sufficient relish. Goal kick.
86 min: We’re playing time. If Lee Mason had any humanity he’d blow the whistle now.
85 min: Gestede with an effort for Villa! But it’s blocked. Solid defending from Otamendi.
Updated
82 min: Raheem Sterling’s got so much junk in his trunk, hasn’t he? Add him to the list of ample-arsed professional footballers, along with Mark Hughes, Kevin Davies, Kenny Dalglish, Eden Hazard, Hulk, and Gary Taylor-Fletcher.
Updated
81 min: Lee Mason inexplicably fails to give a free kick on the box for a clear bodycheck on Agüero as he raced on to Iheanacho’s pass. Mild disbelief from the striker. Then Sagna strikes one from range, but it’s over the bar. And wide. And terrible.
79 min: Good defending from Hutton to ease Sterling off it. Final change for Man City, and Touré is replaced by Garcia Alonso. Last one for Villa, too: Scott Sinclair on for Jordan Ayew.
Updated
76 min: It’s hard not to feel sympathy for Villa. What are they supposed to do? Just send the same team out and keep losing? Should Remi Garde quit?
74 min: It was a clear trip on Iheanacho by Clark, and Agüero stepped forward to complete his hat-trick. He went to Guzan’s left, and tried to place it, but the accuracy was just off, and it came back off the woodwork. I can’t quite believe he missed, to be honest.
73 min: It’s all happening. Leandro Bacuna is on for Jordan Veretout.
PENALTY MISS! (Agüero, Man City)
Off the post!
Updated
Penalty to Man City!
… and Iheanacho is tripped by Clark!
71 min: Man City have had 19 shots. Villa have had just the one. And here comes Sterling, who feeds Iheanacho …
70 min: A couple of changes: Iheanacho is on for David Silva, who has excelled, while Rudy Gestede is on for Gabby Agbonlahor, who hasn’t.
69 min: More than 20 minutes still to play, and City could score six or seven if they want to. Poor old Villa.
So easy. Navas went at Cissokho, crossed low, four Villa players missed it, and Sterling tapped in at the back post.
Updated
GOAL! Man City 4-0 Aston Villa (Sterling 66)
That’s four, and Villa are in disarray.
65 min: Sterling is playing through the centre with Agüero. Villa can’t get out of their own half.
63 min: City can’t make the corner count. For Villa, it’s important that they don’t capitulate. City look like they fancy this.
62 min: City change: Raheem Sterling on for Wilfried Bony. And Sterling is into the action almost immediately, forcing Guzan to tip over the bar.
61 min: Simply outstanding from City. Agüero picked up 30 yards from goal, drew defenders towards him before laying it off to David Silva, and Silva’s first-time pass was inch-perfect, right into the path of Agüero, who continued his run and smashed a bouncing ball past Guzan. Lovely goal, but Villa look done in.
Updated
GOAL! Man City 3-0 Aston Villa (Agüero 60)
That’s a brilliant goal!
59 min: Agüero absolutely hammers one from the edge of the box, but Lescott is in the way to block. Lescott has been dogged today.
58 min: Ah, that was a chance for Villa. Agbonlahor was in the box with no support, but completely burned Otamendi for pace and stood one up for Hutton at the back post – but it was overhit, and the opportunity was lost.
57 min: Agüero looks in the mood for more goals, although doesn’t he always? Ayew was a little unlucky there: he went past Kompany but got an unfortunate ricochet that allowed Otamendi to step in. Otherwise he was clear.
55 min: Good forward run from Veretout, and Hutton from the right side looks for Ayew in the box … but Hart comes out to catch well.
53 min: The visitors look downbeat. This does now resemble a training match.
Agüero ran in behind, and Touré, I think it was, played it through: Richards didn’t really know where Agüero was, tried to clear, but managed only to smash it against Agüero as Guzan came racing out. The ball just trickled over the line. A bad defensive error, and it’s another long afternoon for Villa.
Updated
GOAL! Man City 2-0 Aston Villa (Agüero 50)
A mix-up between Guzan and Richards, and that’s two.
It had been coming. Agüero got free on the right hand side, left Cissokho on the floor, cut it back for Silva, who set up Touré, and his sidefooted effort took a deflection to beat Guzan. A deserved lead.
Updated
GOAL! Man City 1-0 Aston Villa (Touré 48)
And this time he does connect!
Updated
47 min: And already we’re into the same pattern as the first half: City monopolising possession while Villa cling on. Navas goes down the right and wins a corner, and Touré was inches away from connecting!
We're back!
46 min: No changes as yet, but expect to see Kelechi Iheanacho at some point.
Half-time: Man City 0-0 Aston Villa
Manchester City have had all of the ball, but Villa have clung on determinedly. Not a huge number of clear chances, but Guzan saved well from Agüero and Bony fluffed one after being well found by Clichy. Villa haven’t really been out of their own half, but Hart did save very well from Ayew in Villa’s only chance.
See you in 10.
Updated
45 min +1: Agüero runs in behind, but his left-foot shot is over the bar. That’ll be time.
45 min: That must be a yellow card for Veretout, and it is: he stood on Agüero’s ankle. That was nasty. Last chance for City to get one in the box. Kompany was round the back and headed it across, but Villa hammer it clear.
44 min: Agbonlahor goes down claiming he was caught by Fernandinho. He was, but it looked like an accidental arm across the face. He’ll be OK.
43 min: Skilful wing play from Jesus Navas, attacking Cissokho with much verve, but Lescott clears the cross. Then Bony, whose influence on this game has been negative, fouls Alan Hutton, and it’s a Villa free kick.
42 min: Clichy, who’s practically been playing as a left winger, sends one in with his right foot but Bony is eased off it by a combination of Villa defenders.
41 min: Not that I want to labour the point or anything, but Villa are so deep here, as if it were the 2008 Uefa Cup final and they were Walter Smith’s Rangers.
39 min: Sagna is fouled, right hand side, and Touré plays it in, but Bony’s header is straight at Guzan. There wasn’t much pace on the cross, so it was difficult for Bony to get anything on it.
37 min: It’s all just a bit tepid. City have totally dominated, but you just get the sense that the intensity isn’t quite there.
35 min: Loose play from Hutton, and City counter: Agüero feeds Fernandinho, but looks for Bony instead of returning the favor, and Villa funnel back to mop up.
33 min: Corner to City, and Bony heads well wide! He was totally free, about 15 yards out, but the direction was all wrong. A decent opportunity.
City have made 238 total passes, by the way. Villa have made 74.
31 min: Ooh, Agüero was nearly in: Clichy put the ball in, Otamendi, playing up front for a moment as though he were, I don’t know, Paul Warhurst or someone, attacked it with gusto, and Agüero was inches away from connecting.
Updated
29 min: Better from Villa; they’ve just calmed the game down a little. A spell of possession, and City’s immediate threat has lessened.
27 min: Villa have done OK so far, but it’s going to be a long slog to hold out for 90 minutes. Kompany looks for Sagna but get it wrong, and it’s out for a throw.
25 min: That’s a fabulous save from Joe Hart. Clark went forward and fell over, but the ball broke kindly to Ayew, who forced a really smart stop from the keeper, diving to his left. Corner to Villa, but it’s easily cleared.
23 min: Nice link-up from Agüero and Bony, and Agüero flashes one just wide! He hit it well, but just the wrong side of the post. Surely it’s only a matter of time before Man City score.
22 min: Just to give an indication, the pitch at the Etihad is divided into 18 cut strips, nine per half. Villa’s two strikers have spent most of the game inside their own seven sections. City have all had all the possession and all the territory: they’re well on top.
21 min: Agbonlahor gives it away with a gormless pass, and Toure tries one from distance … but it’s well over the bar.
Updated
20 min: Taken short to Fernandinho, and it’s a waste.
19 min: David Silva is floored by Micah Richards 30 yards from goal, and it’s a clear free kick. Chance from the set piece.
17 min: Another good clearing header from a Man City corner, but Villa can’t hold it up. It keeps coming back. Shot from Aguero! But it’s well saved by Guzan: he got firm hands to push it well clear, although it was at a saveable height.
Updated
16 min: It’s attack versus defence at the moment. Lescott concedes another corner.
14 min: Oh, Bony should score! A wonderful pick-out from Clichy on the left, and Bony got between two defenders, but he couldn’t get the contact on his finish, and it squirted wide! He should have buried that.
13 min: But Villa clear the corner, and then Hutton makes a rare incursion into City territory. Ayew’s ball in looks for Agbonlahor, but Hart catches well. A slight signal of attacking intent from Villa, at least.
12 min: Navas gets away from the full-back and crosses dangerously, but Lescott cuts it out at the expense of a corner. City slowly cranking it up here.
11 min: Guzan hasn’t excelled this season, but that was a great save. Aguero did so well to step inside the full-back and bend one towards goal with his left foot, but Guzan stood up well to palm it over.
10 min: Great tackle from Lescott on Aguero. The Argentinian striker was away into the box, and looked to pull the trigger, but Lescott timed his tackle perfectly. No margin for error. Villa repel the initial corner, but then Aguero is in again, and he steps inside Cissokho, but Guzan tips it over the bar! Super save. Corner, but it comes to naught.
8 min: Lee Mason has been extremely lenient so far: that should have been a yellow for Richards, who scythed Aguero from behind, and was let off with a warning.
7 min: Ayew and Agnoblahor, Villa’s nominal front two, are the wrong side of the centre circle. Villa are deeper than the house music at a Chicago nightclub. Sagna wins a corner off Cissokho, but the visitors hammer it clear.
Updated
5 min: City have begun reasonably positively, but Aston Villa are so deep in defence. Not much room to work in so far.
3 min: Then Kompany barges Ayew to the floor after Bony coughed it up, and that was crude: that could easily have been a yellow. Villa were away. I know everyone goes on about how essential Kompany is to City, but here’s an alternative view: what a great big lummox.
2 min: Jesus Navas with a first chance to run at the Villa defence, and Veretout aims a scarcely disguised kick at the Spaniard, but isn’t called for a foul. Lee Mason says no.
We're off
1 min: City get us under way. They’re in traditional sky blue shirts and white shorts; Villa in their moderately disgusting custard-yellow away strip.
We’re almost ready. Teams just exchanging pleasantries.
A Villa legend shows his support:
Wish Villa all the best against Man City today ! We got a draw at our place this year, now let's go and do, what they think is impossible !
— Paul McGrath (@Paulmcgrath5) March 5, 2016
For all their failures this season, City have actually got a pretty decent home record against the poorer sides: 6-1 against Newcastle, 5-1 against Bournemouth, 4-1 against Sunderland, 4-0 over Palace. They should steamroller Villa: City’s problem this season has been against the better sides.
It’s finished at the Lane. Two apiece, which means Man City can close the gap on Tottenham and Arsenal with victory today – and Leicester can stretch their lead to five points with a win at Watford. It’s all going off!
Four minutes of stoppage time in north London. Time for a winner?
Can Man City win the league? They’re 10 points behind Leicester, albeit with a game in hand, and their run-in in so-so: home games against Man United and Arsenal, and an away trip to Chelsea seem to be the most difficult of the lot. We can assume that Leicester, Spurs and Arsenal will drop points, but 10 is a lot to make up, isn’t it? However, they can feel a little better about things with a convincing 5-1 home victory against the league’s worst team.
This game at White Hart Lane is compelling. And there’s been another goal! Follow it with the excellent Rob Smyth:
So City look like they’re lining up 4-4-2: Wilfried Bony comes in for Raheem Sterling, and will play up front with Kun Agüero. Jesus Navas starts on the right hand side, and Bacary Sagna replaces Pablo Zabaleta at right-back. Gael Clichy keeps his place at left-back; there was some suggestion Kolarov would come back in.
It looks like just the one change for Villa: Veretout comes back in to the midfield, and Leandro Bacuna drops to the bench. Expect Villa to play with five in defence.
Today’s teams
Man City: Hart, Sagna, Kompany, Otamendi, Clichy, Jesus Navas, Fernandinho, Toure, Silva, Bony, Aguero. Subs: Zabaleta, Sterling, Kolarov, Caballero, Mangala, Iheanacho, Manu Garcia.
Aston Villa: Guzan, Richards, Lescott, Clark, Hutton, Gana, Westwood, Veretout, Cissokho, Agbonlahor, Ayew. Subs: Okore, Bacuna, Sinclair, Gil, Bunn, Lyden, Gestede.
Referee: Lee Mason (Lancashire)
Hello and welcome
Man City have really messed this one up, haven’t they? Back in September, City looked for all the world like champions-elect. Five games, five wins, five clean sheets, and the addition of Kevin de Bruyne, Nicolas Otamendi and Raheem Sterling to an already stellar squad seemed to have sealed the deal.
And then they suddenly went off the boil. How does a team with such talent keep losing? Manuel Pellegrini can’t fathom it, and has paid with his job. We can reasonably conclude that a combination of defensive ineptitude, lack of midfield balance and a fundamental brittleness has had something to do with it, but still: this team has some of the best players in the league, and they’re level on points with Man United. Go figure.
Villa, by contrast, have really plumbed the depths. They’re probably not as bad as the Derby team that won just one Premier League game in 2007-08, although that’s not saying much. Villa have issues in every department, and the fans are restless for change. It’s not a certainty that they’ll be spending next season in the Championship, but it would take a completely unexpected shift in results and culture to suggest otherwise.
This game represents the ultimate home banker, and City desperately need to win if they have any serious hope of winning the title. Aston Villa’s expectations for this game are probably a little more modest, and a goalless draw might represent the pinnacle, but you never know – stranger things have happened. Kick off’s at 3pm GMT, 10pm ET. Join us!
Updated
Tim will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s why Manuel Pellegrini isn’t giving up on the Premier League title:
“Remember the first season I was here, we needed to win the three games in hand and we won the three games,” he said. “Everyone said we were out of it but we won the games and won the title. This group of players will never give up while we have the option to do it. We have one game in hand but it’s more important not to think about that but just to improve our Premier League performance.
“We are not going to give up – it’s a lot of points to the leaders. You never know when you are going to lose points. We must continue as far as we can and add the most amount of points we can, then we can see where we end up. We try to win every time we play – we just had a bad moment but we have another 33 points to try and arrange it.”
Read more here:
