EPL Day 10: Manchester City close GAP to 3 despite Fernandinho seeing RED; Man City 3 - 0 Aston Villa

Manchester City has reduced the gap to three points for 24 hours at least, with Liverpool hosting Spurs tomorrow at Anfield.

Three-second half goals from Sterling, De Bruyne and Gundogan sailed the Champions through to clinch their second spot.

 

 

The Champions also revived from their 2-0 loss to Wolves the last time out on home soil before conquering Crystal Palace last week.

 

 

Villa started the game very well with a designed defending. They made scoring the most difficult thing on the pitch for the Champions.

City came close in the 6-minute after Sterling fed Bernardo, who was dispossessed and gave Engels the chance to clear but made a right hash of it and allowed Jesus to turn and shoot eight yards out. The ball went wide of Heaton's left-hand post.

Villa left the home side’s defense exposed by breaking well in the 17-minute. Trezeguet darted down the right and fed Grealish and the onto Wesley, before McGinn won a corner. It drilled in by McGinn, but Ederson collected with ease.

 

 

The warning signs kept flashing for the visitors, as Raheem Sterling looked capable of giving Frederic Guilbert a torrid afternoon down that wing.

Villa nearly took the lead in the 24-minute after a gifted ball by John Stones in his own half. McGinn broke forward and used Stones as a marker. He curled the ball round him from the edge, but Ederson stretch for a save. It fell to Luiz, who was under pressure from Cancelo and City managed to squirm it away for a corner but a big penalty appeal from Villa were presented to VAR. Nothing was given for the potential foul on Luiz from Cancelo.

 

 

The Clarets were seen in the City box again. Targett's deep ball found Trezeguet, who shot left footed, but Stones block did roll across his arm very slightly.

City kept bursting away through Raheem Sterling on the left but the Clarets kept their defense composed to end the first half.

The Citizens kick off the second half with a superb Raheem Sterling finish.

 

 

It was a long punt forward from defence, pitting Jesus up against Mings. Mings should have bossed it but it was weak as he allowed Jesus to glance a header on for Sterling. The former Liverpool forward went through on goal on the left with Heaton slow off the mark and Sterling stucked it between his legs with his left foot.

 

 

Aton Villa were broke and came all out for the equalizer, which almost gave City a second after the great involvement of Mings. Villa gave it away in their defensive third, and Jesus had Heaton to beat with Mings behind him covering.

Jesus piled it low, Heaton got a touch and it deflected goal wards, but Mings did superbly to divert it over the bar!

De Bruyne doubled the lead in the 65-minute from a suspicious chance which needed VAR to confirm.

 

 

Manchester City went short with a corner, which came back to De Bruyne in space. He curled a beauty into the box through the crowd of Villa players. The ball glanced past Sterling on its way in, and there was a suspicion he was offside. The officials in Stockley Park deemed either Sterling to be onside or not interfering with play.

Five minutes later, Gundogan added a third for the Guardiola’s side from 12 yards out.

 

 

Fernandinho was shown the exit after receiving a second yellow card offence after trying to stop Davis on the counter-attack.

The game ended with City keeping the pressure on Liverpool.