Manchester City returned to the top of the Barclays
Premier League with a rare away win of late, beating
a floundering Aston Villa side whose nightmare home
form shows no sign of easing.
• Jolly: Listless Villa's lack of ambition
City went into the match at Villa Park on the back of
just one win in their previous six matches on the road,
and after seeing rivals United depose them at the summit
yesterday with their 2-1 win over Liverpool at Old Trafford.
With the pressure on Roberto Mancini's side, Joleon
Lescott's 63rd-minute hook shot was enough to see the
Eastlands club home, leaving Villa without a home win
since November 5.
That is a run of five defeats and two draws, the kind
of form that will have Villa nervously looking over
their shoulders at the seven-point gap to the relegation
zone.
It also further increases the pressure on manager Alex
McLeish, who was the subject of a planned protest before
kick off.
It was a low-key affair attended by around 100 or so
fans, with more looking on, mainly with amusement.
There were a few banners such as 'Had Your Chance McLeish
Out' and a few chants along the lines of 'You'll be
sacked in the morning'.
That will not happen, of course, but on the evidence
of this display you perhaps appreciate the frustration
of those supporters at what they are watching these
days.
The first half was instantly forgettable from a Villa
perspective as McLeish's side mustered one half chance,
that a looping header from Richard Dunne in meeting
a Stiliyan Petrov free-kick that was comfortably collected
by goalkeeper Joe Hart.
Opposite number Shay Given was by far the busier, but
even then he was barely extended to any great degree,
despite City's dominance.
Appreciably, where Villa did shine was in defence,
with central pairing James Collins and Dunne particularly
solid in meeting head on the attacking firepower City
possess, notably via Sergio Aguero and David Silva.
As early as the third minute the duo signalled their
intent, with Silva knocking a tame Collins clearance
into the path of Aguero for an edge-of-the-area shot
collected by Given at the second attempt.
The Republic of Ireland international again denied
Silva in the 19th minute with another save low down
after the Spaniard had teased his way into the area.
Given followed that up with a stop from former Villa
star Gareth Barry whose shot took a slight deflection
off Silva, but was not enough to send him in the wrong
direction.
The only time Given was beaten in the first half was
when Johnson cracked in a low left-foot shot that ricocheted
out of play off the left-hand post.
It proved to be the highlight of a relatively insipid
half as Villa lacked any creative spark, and whilst
City obviously had the edge, it was not as cutting as
has previously proven to be.
Whatever McLeish's words at half time, they inspired,
but all too briefly.
Although Villa enjoyed more sustained possession for
the opening few minutes than at any time in the first
period, they failed to do anything with it.
Instead, it was City who again carved out the first
chance of the period, with Silva teeing up Zabaleta
for a rocket of an angled shot from 16 yards, but again
with Given firmly behind the ball.
Pressure, however, soon began to mount and it finally
told in the 63rd minute, with centre-back Lescott scoring
his third goal of the season.
It was a goal created in claret and blue as James Milner's
inswinging corner to the far post was met by a knock
back from Barry into the danger area of the six-yard
box for Lescott to delightfully hook home.
It was not until a male streaker appeared in the 75th
minute that Villa livened up, twice coming close to
an equaliser in the dying moments.
Initially Carlos Cuellaer planted a free header over
the bar in meeting a Petrov corner before Hart pulled
off a brilliant save to thwart Darren Bent from close
range.
But it was too little too late from a Villa perspective
as City ultimately returned to winning ways on the road.
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