Manchester City City down Aston Villa despite VAR controversy

Champions Manchester City beat Aston Villa 3-0 on Saturday but there was more drama surrounding VAR.

City took the lead after the break through Raheem Sterling but around twenty minutes later they appeared to have doubled their lead when Kevin De Bruyne's free-kick went all the way through.

The goal was checked to see whether Sterling had touched it but there were as an argument to be made that even if he didn't then he was still interfering with play.

The goal stood and minutes later Ilkay Gundogan sealed the result for City who had Fernandinho sent off late on for a second bookable offence.

City, suffering further injuries after their midweek Champions League game with Atalanta, made five changes. John Stones returned to the defence and rested Bernardo and David Silva were recalled. Dean Smith selected Trezeguet in place of Anwar El Ghazi for Villa, along with former City player Douglas Luiz.

Villa were well organised at the back and contained City’s first-half attacks, predominately via Sterling down Villa’s right, and looked to counter when they had the chance. The only two chances in the first half for Villa fell to McGinn from outside the box, who forced a save from Ederson, and then dealt with the rebound followed up by Douglas Luiz. City had plenty of the ball but Sterling struggled to trick his way past the Villa defenders. City’s best chance fell to David Silva, who met Sterling’s cutback in a great position inside the box but directed his shot wide when a goal looked likelier.

20 seconds after the restart and frustrating first half, City got their all-important opener and then proceeded to put Villa to the sword. City profited from Ederson lumping the ball forward to Jesus, who had one touch laying the ball off into Sterling’s path with his head. Sterling collected and, in his stride, slotted the ball through Heaton’s legs. Villa didn’t have time to get wet again after the break before they found themselves one-nil down, and then the floodgates opened for City. Having managed the game well defensively in the first half, also creating a couple of chances, Villa’s task changed in a flash.

De Bruyne got City’s second from the right, curling in a shot which evaded all the waiting players in the box, and a stranded Heaton, into the far side of the goal. There was a lengthy VAR check for offside on Sterling, who was furthest forward of the City players, but neither he or David Silva was adjudged to have touched the ball.

De Bruyne was then involved for the second with a corner, which initially found Fernandinho. Fernandinho lashed the ball across goal, and it eventually arrived at Gundogan on the edge of the box. Gundogan rose to meet the high ball and caught it perfectly with both feet off the ground, crashing it through a crowded penalty area and into the net.

City got the three points needed to put pressure on league leaders Liverpool, while Aston Villa stay in the bottom half of the table. Villa, though, should be heartened by their ability to frustrate City in the first half as they look to continue their Premier League campaign.

After toiling away for the first half and unable to find a breakthrough, City’s crucial opener came from a wild punt up the pitch from Ederson. Jesus nodded the long ball on to Sterling, who finished with aplomb. Sterling spent most of the first half trying to unlock the Villa defence from the left with trickery and quick passing, but he got his and City’s goal in the most straightforward fashion.

Sterling was a constant threat down Villa’s right-hand side and, despite Villa’s best efforts in the first half to contain him, Sterling eventually opened up the visitors making space for David Silva and De Bruyne. Sterling took his goal well, latching on to a knock-down from Jesus, slotting the ball through Heaton’s legs.

45’- GOAL! Manchester City 1 Aston Villa 0! Ederson punts the ball forward up to Jesus, who knocks it down for Sterling running through the middle into the box. Sterling takes it in his stride and coolly slots the ball through Heaton's legs. 13th goal of the season for Sterling.

64’- GOAL! Manchester City 2 Aston Villa 0! De Bruyne, from the right, whips in a ball which passes by both David Silva and Sterling into the VIlla net!

66’- VAR check on Sterling, who was furthest forward of the City players, and possibly offside, to see if he gets a touch. After a lengthy check, the goal stands! 2-0 City!

69’- GOAL! Manchester City 3 Aston Villa 0! De Bruyne corner from the right, then flashed across goal from Fernandinho and it falls to Gundogan on the edge of the box. Gundogan acrobatically scissor kicks the ball through a crowded defence and into the net!

86’- Red card for City! Fernandinho clatters into the back of a Villa player, but it's more clumsy than anything. The referee disagrees and shows Fernandinho a second yellow and he's off! Guardiola is perplexed and unamused.

Manchester City: Ederson 8; Cancelo 7, Fernandinho 5, Stones 7, Mendy 7; Gundogan 8, Silva 7, De Bruyne 8; Bernardo 7, Sterling 8, Jesus 7 Subs: Aguero 6, Angelino 6, Foden 7

Aston Villa: Heaton 6; Guilbert 6, Engels 5, Mings 6, Targett 5; McGinn 6, Nakamba 6, Douglas Luiz 6; Grealish 5, Trezeguet 6, Wesley 5, Subs: El Ghazi 6, Davis 6