Pep Guardiola purred over Raheem Sterling's best performance in a Manchester City shirt for a long time and also praised Jack Grealish for a 'perfect' contribution off the bench.
Grealish has not played for City for a month, having been benched for the Manchester derby and then picking up an injury on England duty that ruled him out of the previous three games.
His return to Aston Villa was not without boos and whistles from a home crowd still hurt by his departure, and he entered the game to a hostile reception with three minutes plus stoppage time to play as Guardiola's side tried to see out their 2-1 lead. But the £100m man did exactly what was asked of him, holding onto the ball high up the pitch to preserve the lead and neutralise any remaining threat from his former club.
Guardiola was delighted with the cameo, but also took the time to praise Sterling for putting City in control of the game.
"He gave us what we needed. He was perfect," Guardiola said of Grealish. "We spoke about keeping the ball in play, touches, the quality. Every time he touched the ball he keeps it. It's what we need.
"Today I'd like to praise one player especially: Raheem Sterling. He played the best game in a long time. He was a threat for us and deserves all my compliments because he was sensational."
