Manchester City jumped up to second position on the table after a fifth successive home win saw them beat Aston Villa 3-2 at the Etihad Stadium.
City were gifted an early lead when a howler by Villa goalkeeper Brad Guzan gave Sergio Aguero his 21st goal of the season. A brilliant free kick by Aleksandar Kolarov gave the hosts a 2-0 lead in the second half.
Another goalkeeping error, this time by Joe Hart, ignited a Villa comeback after Tom Cleverley thumped one in from the edge of the area. Villa got their equaliser through an unlikely hero in Carlos Sanchez in the final few minutes of the match, but a relentless City fought on and got their reward when Fernandinho scored the winner from a corner, with less than two minutes of normal time left to spare.
Not a good day for goalkeepers
Besides the fact that there were goals at both ends, neither keeper can brag about having a good game. Villa custodian Guzan made a hash of his clearance and put it on a plate for Aguero, who could not have imagined scoring an easier goal. Guzan will also be disappointed about the way he set up his wall, which disintegrated and allowed Kolarov to curl in a fantastic free kick. At the other end, Hart did not have the best of games either. His lack of judgement put him in an awkward position outside his goal and allowed Cleverley to smash into an unguarded net. It would be harsh to blame Hart for Villa’s second goal as he appeared to be pushed in the build-up to the goal.
Aguero up for golden boot
Sergio Aguero moved a step closer to winning this season’s golden boot after he scored the opener in his side’s victory. The Argentine now has 21 goals in the league this season, one goal ahead of Tottenham’s Harry Kane and two ahead of Chelsea’s Diego Costa. The race for the golden boot will hot up in the final few weeks of the season, but with Diego Costa battling injuries, it will most likely be a battle between Aguero and Kane for the coveted award. City visit Tottenham next and both Aguero and Kane will be hungry to get on the scoresheet.
City move up
Manuel Pellegrini’s men moved up to second place on the table, still nine points behind league leaders Chelsea. Although City have played two more games than both Chelsea and third-placed Arsenal, it will be a major confidence booster for the Sky Blues, as they await Arsenal to host Chelsea at the Emirates on Sunday. City are looking to end the season on a high after a string of disappointing results saw them drop down to fourth place. The Citizens will lose second spot if their neighbours Manchester United and Arsenal get the three points against Everton and Chelsea, respectively.
Villa still battling relegation
Tim Sherwood’s men will feel hard done by that late City goal as they continue their battle to avoid relegation this season. A spirited performance in the second half from the Villains almost got them a vital away point at the Etihad. Villa now sit in 15th position and only two points adrift of the drop zone. With only four games to go, Sherwood will want to take as many points as possible as he looks to save his team’s season.
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