City beat Villa and move closer to Arsenal 3-1.
Ruben Dias appears in City’s starting line-up for the first time since November. Aymeric Laporte, Ilkay Gündogan and Kevin de Bruyne also return, while Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake, Rico Lewis and Julian Alvarez move to the bench.
For the Villans, only Calum Chambers replaces Tyrone Mings in the starting line-up.
City get off to a flying start, opening the scoring in the fourth minute. Riyad Mahrez takes a corner, Rodri gets the lead and heads the ball into the near corner of the goal to make it 1-0.
On 11 minutes, the hosts almost double their lead. Rodri with a magnificent pass puts Gündogan in front, Ilkay takes a shot on touch but Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez steps up to take the ball away from his goal with his foot.
Two minutes later, Martinez collides with Erling Haaland, Gundogan picks up the rebounded ball and strikes the empty net. The goal is disallowed because of an attack on the goalkeeper.
The Cityzens continue to tear up the defence but miss the shot and when they do hit the post, Martinez saves his team.
The feeling of a second goal hangs in the air and in the 39th minute it happens. Erling Haaland shoots wide of the goal and Gündogan comes up on the far post to make it 2-0.
Towards the end of the first half, Jack Grealish earns a penalty when he is fouled by Jacob Ramsey. Mahrez takes an exemplary 11-metre penalty to make it 3-0.
In the second half, City control the game, apply pressure, but have few clear chances. Villa lay low, unleashing a lunge from Watkins in the 61st minute. Ollie bursts into the box and rolls the ball down past Ederson to make it 3-1.
The visitors get their hopes up and mount some more attacks. Mahrez gets a chance to put out the rush, but from the edge of the goalkeeper’s area manages to shoot above goal.
Already in the penalty area, Villa’s substitute John Duran shoots over the crossbar and that’s the end of it.
Despite a somewhat hectic final half-hour, City fully deserved the win. City seize the opportunity to get close to Arsenal, who they play in the next match
