Premier League - Man City floor Villa to reclaim top spot
Manchester City returned to the top of the Premier League table with an uninspiring 1-0 win over Aston Villa at Villa Park.
Joleon Lescott scored the only goal of the game midway through the second half to consign the club he supported as a boy to a seventh home match without a league for the first time in 25 years.
Joe Hart had very little to do throughout the 90 minutes against a frustratingly unambitious Villa, but he made a vital save in the closing stages to ensure all three points for his team.
The win sees City re-establish their two-point lead at the top over local rivals Manchester United as well as the seven-point gap between them and third-placed Tottenham Hotspur.
For Villa, their third league defeat in six games leaves them in the bottom six following West Bromwich Albion's emphatic 5-1 derby win over Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier on Sunday. There is a seven-point gap between them and the five clubs at the bottom of the table, but that is unlikely to spare Villa boss Alex McLeish coming under increased pressure.
City beat Villa 4-1 at the Etihad Stadium back in October, and when Sergio Aguero's swivel-and-shot after just three minutes flew right at Shay Given it looked as though Alex McLeish's side were in for another torrid afternoon.
However for all their dominance of possession - at one point hogging as much as 76 per cent of the play - the Citizens' recent troubles in scoring away from home continued. Before their arrival at Villa Park they had only scored once in their last four league games on the road.
Aguero's recent form reflects that of City. The Argentina striker's penalty against Fulham last weekend was his first in six games for city, and he hit another tame effort that Alan Hutton cleared as it trickled towards the net.
Adam Johnson looked to have the beating of makeshift left-back Carlos Cuellar, and came closest for City in the first half when his strike from the edge of the box struck the foot of the near post.
Villa defender Richard Dunne came as close as anyone on the home side to scoring against his former club with a header from a free-kick that was an easy catch for Joe Hart before sending a similar effort from a corner over the bar.
City continued to hog the possession and dominate the shot count after the break. Vincent Kompany's glanced header was nodded to safety by James Collins, Lescott headed over the bar from an excellent free-kick delivery and Silva and Pablo Zabaleta stung the palms of Given after he was teed up for a strike from range by Aguero.
They finally made the breakthrough on 63 minutes when Gareth Barry headed a corner back across goal and Lescott pounced to finish on the turn from close range. The goal was his second of the season and the fifth he has scored against Villa in his career.
McLeish eventually responded by bringing on Charles N'Zogbia for Emile Heskey, who had been playing almost as an auxiliary right-back at times. Soon afterwards he also brought on Stephen Ireland, whose introduction took the tally of players on the field to play for both clubs to five.
A belated fightback from the home side resulted in a header over the bar from Cuellar before Collins' persistence forced Aleksandar Kolarov into conceding another in injury time. From the set piece Darren Bent shot on the turn inside the six-yard box. Just as he did in City's last away win at Wigan, Hart reacted brilliantly to pull off a save which was a key to claiming victory as the single goal at the other end.
However, victory does not paper over the faults that have appeared in City's usually well-oiled machine since the departure of Yaya Toure for the African Cup of Nations. The midfielder and his brother Kolo will both be back in time for City's next game once their final appearance in that tournament with Ivory Coast is over.
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is it called old trafford ,because the manager and half the team are old codgers, and is that why it stinks of piss and dicarded icontenant pads when i drive past the bog on my way in to manchester.
TOP OF THE LEAGUE -- STILL
HOW MANY MONTHS
YOU CANT CATCH US
YOU WILL MESS UP
I am sick and tired of the sick and immature people writing about Man City won because of the money, are they friggin idiots? of course this is professional sports and all the big teams before Man City achieved things because of the money. Why then it's not OK for MANC-FC to use their money to win things. Always whining about the Arab money, Arab this Arab that, looks like jealousy and hatred, why don't they say the Russian money i.e Chelsea, the American money i.e Liverpool, Man United, Aston Villa, the Indian money Blackburn. You see people have issues with Arabs and it bothers them to see an Arab that owns a team, and that brings the hatred in them out. The most beloved team in England Man City the CITIZENS that represent the people all of a sudden for some people became not good enough because the owners are Arabs "get hold of yourselves people, will ya". City are playing great football and it's there for everyone to see, so lets stop hating and start admiring and that's if you love the game. Aguero will come good come March, Silva will even get better, Yaya and kolo will add strength to the team, oh yes and BALLO will definitely relish the chance to score a hat-trick against Man U. Things are looking rosy again. Go city go
Ferguson - Liverpool sack Suarez that selective memory again what about Cantonas kung fu attack on a fan!!
tony mabert --- paper over the faults since yaya left ???
West Brom - Sunderland
0-0 , 1-0
1 pt and YAYA was playing
Explain yourself Tony Mabert -- what faults without YAYA????
You still have to beat United in April. Not going to happen. Come on you Devils.....
ManC or Spurs quickly claim the EPL, better them than ManU, sick of seeing red face Fergie lifting the crown
tevez back to rub salt in the wounds!!! ace go citeeaa
clean sheet, 3 pts and top of the before the break.
yaya, kolo, mario all to return.
Its looking good for citeh.
It was only a matter of time that City would score. As expected at the beginning of the season McCleish is renowned for this type of negative football and to play it in front of his own supporters is a disgrace. The guy only knows how to shut up shop. It didn't save Blues from getting relegated so get rid before he gets Villa relegated.
Shy.ty's only pedigree is 'Pedigree Chum' .....loleclipsedmooners.
dev_fest :-"Exciting football" at Villa yaesterday?? Yawn......I hear new Shy.ty sponsor next season is 'Fray Bentos corned beef'........lollllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll llllllllllllllllllllllll
As a City fan i used to be jealous of united and their all star caste and the exciting football they played ,i responded with sly digs and acted immature at times even though i was a young teen it was no excuse
Now its the other way around, i understand the rags jealousy and why they act immature and bitter
Tevez to come back and score the winner in the derby.
Mankini used to be a gyneacologist, hence the scraped win against Villa ...and now all he does is train with k.untz instead...at least when they've warmed up...lol.
Are ManCity trying to look like Argentina, an actual team? First it was the AC Milan imitations, and now this! Get your own style you dumb fking fks!
I am not a City fan but thank Christ they are ahead of the spit United
In Indonesia we get to watch English Premier League matches live on TV,fortunately it`s free,who on earth would be stupid enough to pay to go and watch it? Oh I forgot,Man City and Villa fans.
well done city the ref never give us the pen again clear pen for city everytime if man u iwould have been given if we keep the ball on the floor we will score more goals what we need as the fa and the refs are helping man utd
this is not the first time this keeper has done something like this he is dangeros but at the same time he is rather a good keeper as well
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