Monday March 4, 2013 Day 28 Finished Villa Park

  1. Premier League - Tevez fires unconvincing City to win at Villa

    Premier League - Tevez fires unconvincing City to win at Villa

    Carlos Tevez scored just before half-time as Manchester City won 1-0 at struggling Aston Villa in the Premier League. More

  • Live Commentary

    Time:90'
    • Aston Villa
    • Manchester City
    • - Remember, you can watch highlights of this match from after midnight tonight/tomorrow, depending on how you look at it (UK users only).
    • 90+5 That's the final whistle, City hold on for an unconvincing win but they all count, particularly at the ends of the table these guys operate - City close the gap on leaders United to 12 points, Villa stay in the relegation zone.
    • 90+4 Dawkins shows some good pace and a nice turn but his shot is blocked. Al Ahmadi on it now, but Delph doesn't pull wide so he has to look backwards. Now Delph is booked, his 10th of the season, meaning he misses two matches.
    • 90+3 Holman wins a corner for the hosts right at the death. Will we see Brad Guzan? Not yet, and a terrible corner from Holman lands on the roof of the net.
    • 90+2 Holman with a superb far post cross that Clark heads across goal AND BENTEKE FLIES IN but Kolo Toure gets it clear!
    • 90+1 Four minutes added time being played.
    • 90' CITY SUB: Barry comes on for Silva. Some cheers from the home fans, some jeers. Fickle bunch!
    • 89' Milner drills a fizzing low ball towards Dzeko sliding in near post but Guzan gathers.
    • 88' Good spell for Villa now as they lay camp on the edge of the City box. Benteke rolls Nastasic, now El Ahmadi but they can't find a way through and a Clark long ball is too much for Benteke.
    • 87' Benteke goes down in the box after a bit of a scramble for the ball but the referee turns away. Didn't see anything like a foul there. CORRECTION - the replay shows Nastasic may well have tripped Benteke!
    • 87' VILLA SUB: Al Ahmadi replaces Westwood.
    • 86' Silva plays a fine through-ball to Nasri, but he gets his bearings wrong and fires well wide.
    • 85' VILLA SUB: Dawkins replaces Weimann.
    • 84' JUST WIDE FROM GARCIA! He flew in with a right-foot volley after pulling off Lowton. Nice effort!
    • 83' Clark concedes a corner with a vital interception as Dzeko skipped away down the right.
    • 82' Bennett swings over another decent cross but Benteke's header is weak and easy for Hart.
    • 80' Weimann gets on to a Benteke flick-on but he hammers his half volley well over.
    • 79' Delph goes on a surging run but Kolo Toure flies in with a slide tackle.
    • 78' Benteke on the right waits for support before surely being fouled by Clichy, but the ref waves play on.
    • 77' A wild clearance from Clichy flies backwards and out for a throw on the Villa left wing. But then Westwood overhits a crossfield pass and City have it back.
    • 76' Milner wins a corner for City, who are not playing so well at the moment. Guzan claims easily.
    • 75' CITY SUB: Nasri replaces Tevez.
    • 74' Benteke is booked for a challenge on Nastasic, although he led with the arm and it was warranted.
    • 73' Kolo Toure with an interception, nice slide-rule pass out for Dzeko to take on the run, he cuts inside and shoots with his right but sends it off target.
    • 72' Yaya Toure has it on the edge of the box and he smacks a low drive off the post AND DZEKO ROLLS HOME THE REBOUND BUT NO! Offside, Dzeko was half a yard off when Toure hit it!
    • 71' City finally get hold of the ball as they build a passing move down the right...
    • 70' Another free-kick to Villa on the right. City are defending increasingly deep now.... Flicked away by a City player as Benteke rose.
    • 69' City clear the corner but a hard-working Agbonlahor wins it back. Bennett however runs out of pitch while trying to round Zabaleta and City have the ball back.
    • 68' Corner to Villa as Lowton again gets forward, winning it off Clichy. Better from the home side.
    • 67' Good run by Agbonlahor down the left but Nastasic is able to clear to touch. Villa come again though as Agbonlahor slides it wide right to LOWTON WITH A HAMMER ON THE RUN but it goes a yard wide with Hart flying!
    • 66' VILLA SUB: Holman, looking remarkably like a skinnier Olof Mellberg with that beard, replaces N'Zogbia.
    • 65' Finally it will be taken and Tevez weakly hits the wall. Poor.
    • 64' A huddle of City players around this - Milner, Silva, Tevez and Yaya Toure...
    • 63' City have a free-kick on the edge of the box after a pointless late slide by Baker on Yaya Toure.
    • 62' Benteke heads the corner over but it came off Dezko and Villa have another corner, which flashes across the face of goal but lands clear!
    • 61' Fine pass down the right by Lowton, good run Weimann who picks out a decent near-post cross from Agbonlahor but Kolo Toure slides in and scrambles it behind for a corner!
    • 60' Benteke leads the charge for Villa with Weimann in support but the Austrian goes down holding his face. Nothing given.
    • 59' Benteke fails to connect with the free-kick and it's behind for a goal kick.
    • 58' Nastasic fouls Benteke as they challenge a high ball and Mike Dean has a chat with both.
    • 57' Lambert is gesticulating wildly on the touchlines - he could make a change soon.
    • 55' Villa need a change of some sort to try and claw something back. They're not getting the ball to Benteke nearly enough.
    • 54' Dzeko picks out Tevez, who wobbles but stays on his feet and unleashes a low drive past Guzan but Lowton is covering to block about five yards from the line!
    • 53' A look at the replay of that shows Gaby was unlucky - he did well to hold off a stern challenge from Zabaleta, no foul IMO.
    • 52' Agbonlahor did really well to shake Zabaleta off to set up a shot from the edge of the box but the ref decides he fouled the Argentine and City have a free-kick.
    • 51' Tevez strikes a long-range effort high and wide after a Dzeko knock-down.
    • 50' Decent ball in from Clark but Benteke heads well off target. Goal kick City.
    • 49' Villa have a rare free-kick around 30 yards out. Everyone gets up for it...
    • 48' City break as Tevez sets up Dzeko for a right-footer but he puts it a yard wide. The ref says it took a deflection, so a corner is awarded. Looked a clean hit to me. That set-piece is initially cleared but Tevez curls it back in for Nastasic to put a bicycle kick well over.
    • 47' City have started the second half looking for a second. Villa have a half-chance here as N'Zogbia wriggles in but his pass for Benteke is poor, underhit and City clear.
    • 46' Silva feeds Tevez down the left, he cuts inside and lays it off for Zabaleta but his shot is blocked.
    • 46' The second half is underway!
    • 45+3 Half-time and Villa trail to a Tevez goal just before half-time, which came from a Clark error.
    • 45+2 Bennett crosses, Toure clears but it drops for Weimann, whose drive is blocked by Clichy.
    • 45+1 Clark had a terrible moment there, but you can only blame one man in my opinion - Paul Lambert, for his insistence on ostracising senior players and fielding youngsters either not experienced or good enough. Clark feels he was fouled, and is also trying to blame the likes of Benteke for not showing for a long ball, but if you don't have an obvious option, you clear it.
    • 45' GOAL CITY! TEVEZ !Deary deary me - Clark gives the ball away after dithering for an age, letting Dzeko rob him and the Bosnian raced to goal before rolling it to Tevez, who rounds the stranded Guzan and finishes with ease. 1-0.
    • 44' City had dominted the past quarter-hour but it's a touch more even now as Villa start to threaten on the break.
    • 43' Old-fashioned tussle between Kolo Toure and Benteke down the Villa left, all shoulders and arms as they wrestle for the ball. In the end the ref blows for a Villa free-kick.
    • 42' Villa can't get it out of their half as City launch wave and wave of attack. But Benteke gets hold of it and bullies his away forward before Westwood panics and fires a pointless effort miles over.
    • 41' A superb long-range effort from Tevez is batted away by Guzan! City all over Villa now!
    • 40' INCHES WIDE BY MILNER! He took a short corner with Silva, catching Villa cold, before cutting in and driving a rising effort across goal but high and wide of the angle of post and bar!
    • 39' Superb run down the left by Milner, beating two men before drawing a corner with his cut-back. I can see City nabbing one before the break.
    • 38' The replay shows Guzan got a slight touch on that left-footer from Zabaleta, making it an excellent save.
    • 37' OFF THE POST FOR ZABALETA! A screamer of an effort from the right-back, who got in on the overlap and Silva and Tevez combined beautifully. It rattled off the inside of the far post, across the line and away!
    • 36' Super pass Milner, Silva with a nice turn and through-ball but a tiny bit heavy for Dzeko and Tevez, the ball rolling to Guzan.
    • 35' Throw to City on the left as they start to take control of this match. Tevez with a cute disguised pass wide left to Milner but cleared by Clark.
    • 34' Again a move stops at Tevez as he loses control of Toure's pass before again fouling an opponent, N'Zogbia this time.
    • 33' Dzeko on the City left puts in a low cross that Villa clear easily enough.
    • 32' City now have a free-kick around 20 yards out, to the left of the D. Milner over it... He does shoot but Guzan reads it, claiming low to the left. Poor wall let that through.
    • 31' Benteke now penalised for a foul down the other end, leaning while rising for a header.
    • 30' Tevez and Silva combine, Tevez now races away, he finds Toure but the cut-back is is behind the Argentine, who fouls Benteke.
    • 29' Good knock-down by Garcia but Dzeko can't get hold of it and Villa clear.
    • 27' Much better from City now as Dzeko provides able support for Tevez.
    • 26' Nastasic gives it away but Yaya Toure covers well and draws a foul off N'Zogbia.
    • 25' CITY SUB: Dzeko replaces the injured Rodwell, with Toure slipping deeper into midfield.
    • - In the meantime, check out the full story on Aguero's absence. Aguero suffers knee injury
    • 24' The replay showed nothing untoward with Rodwell but he is shaking his head as he lies on the ground, he must have tweaked one of his old injuries, possibly the hamstring...
    • 23' Nastasic fouls Clark as they jostle for the coner. Rodwell's down injured though, deary me...
    • 22' GOOD SAVE GUZAN! Fine strike from Rodwell with his left from an angle, rising with power and headed for the top corner! Another corner, for City this time...
    • 21' OFF THE LINE BY TEVEZ ON THE POST! Benteke with a downward header, good power and placement, but Tevez held his ground!
    • 20' Great stuff by Agbonlahor to earn a corner with his direct running down the left.
    • 19' Zabaleta comes off for more treatment but he'll be okay. The standard Stan applause rings out.
    • 18' N'Zogbia appears to catch Zabaleta in the face with a raised boot, although the Argentine was stooping... Zabaleta needs treatment...
    • 17' Lowton with a poor low ball that the City defence fields easily. He has plenty of options and it needed a lofted ball. Down the other end Milner lets it go thinking he's got a corrner, but the linesman missed Bennett's touch and awards a goal kick.
    • 16' Villa making all the running so far but, as ever, Zabaleta covers well to tackle Benteke.
    • 15' Good defending by Nastasic to nod the ball to a team-mate after Weimann almost got on to a diagonal ball from Bennett.
    • 14' Zabaleta's turn to say hi to Agbonlahor following their first-minute meeting. Free-kick to Villa on the left, taken short.
    • 13' Benteke shakes off two City defenders before Nastasic intervenes. Villa get the ball back though.
    • 12' Rodwell tries a shot from 30 yards but it flies a good five yards high and wide.
    • 11' Milner runs at former team-mate Agbonlahor but the Villa man puts it out for a throw.
    • 10' City conter as Silva lofts a cross in for Toure - who is playing a very advanced role - but Villa clear.
    • 9' N'Zogbia sends Lowton in down the right but Toure does well to head clear.
    • 8' City finally get the ball forward but it's out for a Villa goal kick. Bright start for the struggling hosts!
    • 7' It's a corner in the end as the linesman saw a touch from Nastasic, but Benteke heads well off target under pressure.
    • 6' Bennett with a superb cross from the left but it drops just short of the sliding Weimann and spins wide of the far post!
    • 5' Agbonlahor with a speedy run down the left, decent hanging cross too but nodded away from Benteke by Nastasic.
    • 4' Tevez on the left could be in but he has no support so cuts inside, Clark but not Baker.
    • 3' Now City on the ball as Garcia brings it forward, but Clichy loses out and Villa break... Bennett's cross is sliced wildly by Garcia, leading Hart to fly out and punch clear unconvincingly.
    • 2' Villa with all the early possession until Benteke's lay-off falls short and Silva brings it away.
    • 1' The first half is underway as Agbonlahor lets Zabaleta know he's there with a rough early challenge.
    • 19:55 William Hill have City as 4/9 faves for this, with Villa a long 13/2 for a home side. I can see a goal-frenzy, a 3-2 or similar. What do you reckon? Let me know on Twitter @Reda_Eurosport. FOLLOW HERE!
    • 19:50 FACTS: Only Reading (14) have scored more goals in the final 15 minutes of league matches this season than Manchester City (13). No side has conceded more goals in the final half an hour of games this season than Aston Villa (25).
    • 19:45 FACTS: Man City have scored four or more goals in three of their last five league games against Aston Villa. Villa have averaged only 0.84 pts per game against Man City in the Premier League era, only against Man Utd (0.46) and Arsenal (0.83) have they averaged fewer.
    • 19:40 Roberto Mancini: "I say what I think and sometimes it's important that one player takes his responsibility because when you are a top player you earn a lot of money and you should play at 100 per cent always. When I was a player I always took responsibility. When I didn't play well, I said, `Sorry I didn't play well and will do my best in the next game,' and it should be like this. I don't like players that never think it's their fault. These players can't play with me."
    • 19:35 Paul Lambert: "The thing we'll see is the players are up for it, that is for sure. I don't see them being frightened or a lack of confidence or anything like that at all. I never get a sense on the training ground that it has been really down. I can't argue the last few weeks with the way they've been playing. They've given it a right good go. I've not sensed they are scared at all. They've got to embrace the challenge. I think if you go the other way you will get frightened by it."
    • 19:30 Villa welcome Shay Given back to the bench after a groin injury, but skipper and main defender Ron Vlaar is out with a calf problem, as is ostracised forward Darren Bent, although he has a foot injury. Villa again go with three up front as Benteke is flanked by Weimann and Agbonlahor, meaning there are no senior strikers on the bench, unless you count Simon Dawkins.
    • 19:25 Sergio Aguero misses out for City after suffering a knee injury, but Roberto Mancini has elected to use just the one striker in Carlos Tevez, meaning Edin Dzeko is benched. Skipper Vincent Kompany is still out so Pablo Zabaleta is named skipper; ex-Villa man Gareth Barry returns to the bench after missing two matches with an ankle problem.
    • 19:20 TEAMS - Villa: Guzan, Lowton, Clark, Baker, Bennett, Westwood, Delph, N’Zogbia, Agbonlahor, Weimann, Benteke; Subs: Given, Sylla, Holman, Dawkins, Lichaj, El Ahmadi, Bowery /// City: Hart, Zabaleta, Kolo Toure, Nastasic, Clichy, Garcia, Milner, Rodwell, Silva, Yaya Toure, Tevez; Subs: Pantilimon, Lescott, Kolarov, Nasri, Sinclair, Barry, Dzeko
    • 19:15 Hello and welcome to our LIVE coverage of the Premier League clash between struggling Aston Villa and title-chasing Manchester City, kick off at 8pm UK time.

  • Summary

    • 90+2 Holman with a superb far post cross that Clark heads across goal AND BENTEKE FLIES IN but Kolo Toure gets it clear!
    • 87' Benteke goes down in the box after a bit of a scramble for the ball but the referee turns away. Didn't see anything like a foul there. CORRECTION - the replay shows Nastasic may well have tripped Benteke!
    • 84' JUST WIDE FROM GARCIA! He flew in with a right-foot volley after pulling off Lowton. Nice effort!
    • 72' Yaya Toure has it on the edge of the box and he smacks a low drive off the post AND DZEKO ROLLS HOME THE REBOUND BUT NO! Offside, Dzeko was half a yard off when Toure hit it!
    • 67' Good run by Agbonlahor down the left but Nastasic is able to clear to touch. Villa come again though as Agbonlahor slides it wide right to LOWTON WITH A HAMMER ON THE RUN but it goes a yard wide with Hart flying!
    • 62' Benteke heads the corner over but it came off Dezko and Villa have another corner, which flashes across the face of goal but lands clear!
    • 61' Fine pass down the right by Lowton, good run Weimann who picks out a decent near-post cross from Agbonlahor but Kolo Toure slides in and scrambles it behind for a corner!
    • 54' Dzeko picks out Tevez, who wobbles but stays on his feet and unleashes a low drive past Guzan but Lowton is covering to block about five yards from the line!
    • 45' GOAL CITY! TEVEZ !Deary deary me - Clark gives the ball away after dithering for an age, letting Dzeko rob him and the Bosnian raced to goal before rolling it to Tevez, who rounds the stranded Guzan and finishes with ease. 1-0.
    • 41' A superb long-range effort from Tevez is batted away by Guzan! City all over Villa now!
    • 40' INCHES WIDE BY MILNER! He took a short corner with Silva, catching Villa cold, before cutting in and driving a rising effort across goal but high and wide of the angle of post and bar!
    • 37' OFF THE POST FOR ZABALETA! A screamer of an effort from the right-back, who got in on the overlap and Silva and Tevez combined beautifully. It rattled off the inside of the far post, across the line and away!
    • 22' GOOD SAVE GUZAN! Fine strike from Rodwell with his left from an angle, rising with power and headed for the top corner! Another corner, for City this time...
    • 21' OFF THE LINE BY TEVEZ ON THE POST! Benteke with a downward header, good power and placement, but Tevez held his ground!
    • 6' Bennett with a superb cross from the left but it drops just short of the sliding Weimann and spins wide of the far post!
    • 19:20 TEAMS - Villa: Guzan, Lowton, Clark, Baker, Bennett, Westwood, Delph, N’Zogbia, Agbonlahor, Weimann, Benteke; Subs: Given, Sylla, Holman, Dawkins, Lichaj, El Ahmadi, Bowery /// City: Hart, Zabaleta, Kolo Toure, Nastasic, Clichy, Garcia, Milner, Rodwell, Silva, Yaya Toure, Tevez; Subs: Pantilimon, Lescott, Kolarov, Nasri, Sinclair, Barry, Dzeko

Team Line-up & Ratings

  • Line-up

    Live Team Line-Up

  • Rate Players

    Rate Players

    Please to rate the players.

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    • Player Y! Users Expert My Rating
      Goalkeeper
      6.3 7
      Defenders
      5.6 6
      5.2 4
      5.7 7
      5.6 7
      Midfielders
      Substitution Out86′ 5.1 5
      Yellow Card 5.3 5
      Substitution Out84′ 5.7 6
      Substitution Out65′ 5.8 6
      6.1 6
      Strikers
      Yellow Card 6.5 6
      Subs
      Substitution In86′ 2.9 -
      Substitution In84′ 3.4 -
      Substitution In65′ 4.3 6
    • Player Y! Users Expert My Rating
      Goalkeeper
      5.3 6
      Defenders
      5.5 6
      5 8
      5 8
      5.1 7
      Midfielders
      5.2 6
      Substitution Out25′ 4.4 -
      5.1 7
      5.5 7
      Substitution Out90′ 6.3 7
      Strikers
      Goal Substitution Out75′ 5.8 7
      Subs
      Substitution In90′ 5 -
      Substitution In75′ 5.4 6
      Substitution In25′ 6.7 7

Comment 168 - 188 of 188

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  1. m.c. can won

    From , on Fri 15 Mar 5:50

  2. I find it hilarious "always a blue", well­ since they had a few quid anyway lol

    From MICHAEL, on Tue 5 Mar 9:46

  3. Loser pool, get yourself a season ticket and stay off­ yahoo., you a fool.

    From alan, on Mon 4 Mar 22:19
  4. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    City till I die, once a blue always a blue, Mr Rooney.

    From alan, on Mon 4 Mar 22:16

  5. JUST WIDE FROM GARCIA! He flew in with a right-foot­ volley after pulling off Lowton............MATRON!!!!!

    From robert s, on Mon 4 Mar 22:13

  6. £10.00 win double city = win , now come on real­ madrid !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

    From Richard, on Mon 4 Mar 22:11

  7. all city fans were once chelsea fans.

    From callum, on Mon 4 Mar 22:08

  8. Do it this week fergie it is Red Nose soon after all

    From Alex Funguson, on Mon 4 Mar 22:06

  9. I see the knuckledraggers are out in force tonight.­ Best get busy with the elastoplasts.

    From Bender, on Mon 4 Mar 22:06

  10. Anybody got any idea when Villa were in the second tier­ of English Football? The old 2nd Division as it was­ then.

    From Ken, on Mon 4 Mar 22:05

  11. That keeps the title race alive, but even if United­ were to blow up - and worse than last season- to be­ caught on points, the 4-0 win v Norwich compared to­ City's 1-0, has at least helped their goal­ difference. Utd need 19 points from 10 games to be­ sure, but even if City win all their remaining matches,­ 18 may still be enough

    From sansho, on Mon 4 Mar 22:03
  12. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Sad utd fans moaning all night, get yourself a season­ ticket you sky reds.

    From alan, on Mon 4 Mar 22:03

  13. Just shows how bad Liverpool are when the Villa beat­ them.

    From Billy, on Mon 4 Mar 22:03

  14. This commentator is a cliche repeating uninformed­ opinions he's read. Bit of a #$%$ Clarke was fouled &­ stopped from getting up after he slipped for the goal,­ & there are no senior central defenders that are not­ being played except through injury. Yahoo standards­ are getting worse, complete leeches

    From Ian, on Mon 4 Mar 22:02

  15. Lisa keep on shouting when you have won 5. Your club­ clinch so much on the old and refuse to move on. Look­ at United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs though may have not­ won a lot but they are not left behind. Thank God­ liverpool board does not have low mentality like you.

    From Onyedikachi, on Mon 4 Mar 22:01

  16. Villans going to win championship next year

    From Goran, on Mon 4 Mar 21:58

  17. wow bbc radio 5 live 2 faced coverage....

    From Anthony, on Mon 4 Mar 21:57

  18. @richard comment 170, City didn´t manage 1-0 but the­ Ref gave them 3 point.

    From Onyedikachi, on Mon 4 Mar 21:56

  19. Lisa #163: Comment on here when you learn to spell.

    From Magpie, on Mon 4 Mar 21:56

  20. Good win for City 1 - 0 as predicted but we were made­ to work for it,good game.

    From Gary, on Mon 4 Mar 21:55
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