Aston Villa 3 – 2 MAN CITY – MY THOUGHTS
29 Sep
One of the most puzzling games of football I’ve ever seen. The overwhelming emotion at the final whistle was not anger, as is often the case after a defeat, or deflation, as is only natural when shipping a lead, but bafflement at how City did not win the match. A draw would have flattered Aston Villa. As it was, they somehow wriggled their way to three points.
Even now, I’ve got no real idea of how it happened. In contrast to the Blues’ previous away performances this season, we played well and more than deserved the victory. There was still profligacy in front of goal but we created chances aplenty and were in complete control. The home side never threatened. And yet they managed to score thrice and snatch the points. Utterly bewildering.
It’s hard to be frustrated at City’s display. Yes, we could have been more clinical at times, but this was a generally efficient away showing. We looked bright going forward, operated with purpose and freedom and played with tempo and width. Whereas we had been hitherto miserably limp on our travels to Stoke and Cardiff, we were vibrant yesterday, just without establishing a comfortable lead.
And then, three goals later, we ended up with nothing. One was offside, another a beautifully taken free-kick and the third a defensive blooper, but it’s hard to comprehend. We will play much worse during this campaign and come away with victory. This, as the cliché goes, was just one of those days.
Samir Nasri continued his impressive recent form with another influential performance, driving at the home side’s backline with pace and penetration in the first half, but he was withdrawn early in the second period and his substitution removed a measure of creativity. We still had oodles of talent on the pitch and continued to fashion openings, but the removal of the Frenchman was, in hindsight at least, an error with only a one-goal cushion.
Whether it was because he had lost his temper with the referee at the end of the first half and Pellegrini feared a red card or whether, as more likely, he was being rested before the Bayern Munich encounter on Wednesday, it affected the pattern of play and once Villa equalised we struggled to pose as much threat without the guile and purpose of Nasri. In David Silva’s absence, the Frenchman has stepped up to the creative responsibility and taking him off without the safety of a two-goal lead was a touch premature.
That said, for 85 minutes this was a routine victory against the worst side we have faced this season. Villa were laboured, poor in possession and were swamped by our movement in attack. Yet they somehow came away with the win. Typical City is alive and well…
i remember a few years ago after walking into the house and realised id just been burgled,its a strange feeling,that feeling returned yesterday at 4.50,it was so wrong what happened i was about to call 999 again.Villa used up a full seasons luck yesterday i agree thats the worst team by a mile weve faced.you cannot have a go at the players they all played pretty well just one of those games you really cant explain
You should be grateful we didn’t play our 2 first choice strikers. Could have been a massacre… UTV
Yes. City deserved to win. No doubt, but we deserved to beat Chelsea, but didn’t due to poor referee decisions. These things happen. There was only one incorrect decision yesterday, the first goal was offside i agree, but on another day Nasri could have been sent off. We have had just as much bad luck as good luck this season. We were also without four of our best players, and we don’t have the luxury of having multi million players in reserve. Very arrogant and dismissive article. Totally different to the attitude of the Citeh fans I was talking with coming away from the ground. They were splendid and quite prepared to congratulate us on such a hard earned victory.Have some humility and give credit to the incredible team spirit and commitment of an injury hit young inexperienced side.
Whatever way you look at it we beat your without four of our best players. As soon as we leveled the second time City looked completely deflated. If we’re as bad as you say we are and City can’t step it up when it’s needed then you have no chance of even making Champions League. City gave up with 15 minutes left in the game.
Want a wager on whether or not City qualify for next season’s Champs League?
No, I really didn’t think you would.
An injury ravaged Villa team hung in there, stuck to the task, and rolled you over 3-2.
As Miike so rightly says, think yourselves lucky that we were minus Agbonlahor and Benteke. After all, you failed to see off a patched up Villa team, so you’d have failed even more miserably had we been even slightly closer to full strength.
Well, Villa displayed a keen predatory nature in seizing on our embattled central defenders’ gaffes, so all credit to it. However, I’m really baffled at the crass, rude and almost puerile impertinence displayed by some of the Villa posters here.
Come back and post some more brave comments at season’s end, please…
It wasn’t a boxing match. This game is about goals. We scored three, you lot managed only two.
Consequently we were the winners, Manchester City the losers.
Fair enough – congrats on your victory!
Occasionally, you get some games like this. We just have to take it on the chin and look forward.
Thank goodness Pele Benteke and Gabby ‘Batistuta’ Agbonlohor were not playing or we would have got hammered. The class they have would be far too much for Kompany. They are probably the two best strikers in the world right now.
Well Kompany and co certainly couldn’t handle Kozak and Wiemann Phil, so its pretty safe to say that Benteke and Aggie would have led your defence a right merry dance.
Fortunately though we could cope without them on this occasion. Bentekkers and Gabby will be needed for trickier opposition, such as when the Big Four of Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Tottenham come calling.
You will have to try harder. Blues don’t have an inferiority complex about the’size’ of City. Although I do know a lot of Villa fans do. How do I know? I had the misfortune of living in the West Midlands about 20 years ago. I used to enjoy occasional visits to Villa and having a few beers in the Scott Arms on my way back with Villa supporting mates.
I look forward to the game at the Etihad and seeing how Kompany ‘copes’ with Benteke. You should win by at least 5 goals.
Make the most of it, I rather think that by the ned of next April you may be less cheerful.
I rather liked the Villa blog which gave a very fair minded assessment of the game. It was entitled “A Stroll in the Park with mugging and robbery!”
That sort of humour is good stuff, your attempt rather puerile..
Maybe I should have stated that I referred to the post of “Muffin”
we wait to see how far you can go.
The article is accurate in terms of reflecting the game to a City fanbase. Villa created nothing (absolutely nothing) and were on the ropes hanging on for dear life for most of the game. Who knows what would have happened if Benteke or Agbonlahor would have played or David Silva or Rodwell or Di Michelis etc etc ?
The equalizer was offside and was crucial in keeping Villa in the game at a time when City were in control. Yes Villa showed guts and good spirit but certainly did not deserve anything from the game. That’s the beauty of football – there are no certainties.
City were complacent in the first half. They were certainly in control but they created very few real chances.
Once Villa scored in the second half City woke up and I feared that they would score a hat-full but despite still controlling possession they created very few clear-cut chances. The fact is that City only had 7 shots on target to Villa’s 4 and they only scored from two scrappy corner goals, one of them fortuitously bouncing in off a City shoulder….not exactly a classy well worked goal.
City had the better players…..played the better football…deserved to win….but they didn’t. Why?…because on the day they didn’t have the creativity to break down a determined and well organised Villa defence.
Villa on the other hand, even without their two best attackers took their few chances (yes, including the one that was just offside)
If I was a City fan I’d be bemused and gutted too….pretty much how I felt after our undeserved loss to Chelsea
Spot on.
As I’ve said before, Manuel may have all the experience in the world for dealing with top teams who are there for a result, but it’s a little worrying that he still hasn’t devised an effective strategy for breaking down the 5 across the back, bus parking, damage limitation strategies that so many of the Premiership teams are turning to more and more.
One thing that he does need to address is the fact that the standard wall tactic against free kicks just doesn’t work any more, against players capable of harnessing the aerodynamic properties of the ‘new’ ball. We’ve seen at least ten ‘wondergoals’ so far this season. Time to admit that they’re not really, and do something about them…
A rather dismissive article. Considering the amount of Arab money spent on that squad (and continuing to be spent on wages), I would be rather annoyed about the lack of clear cut chances created. I don’t remember Guzan having a particularly good game and both Citeh goals were scrappy, particularly Dzeko’s goal of his back/shoulder.
And its a bit of a joke to call it a “5 across the back, bus parking, damage limitation strateg(y)”. PL merely picked a formation that worked and matched up to Citeh’s. That damage limitation strategy resulted in 3 goals you know (although I will accept that, on replays, KEA was marginally offside) whilst Citeh had very few clear cut chances!
PL out-managed Pellegrini and the 11 in C&B managed to outscore and out-battle your 11. Please have the grace to accept this.
And by the way, £30m for Fernandinho when Spurs paid £16m for Paulinho, a much younger Brazilian who does play for his national team, I just don’t get? And James Milner is not, and never will be, a good winger BUT he is, or I should say was, a very good attacking CM’er. For all of your money I think you have an unbalanced squad and trying to squeeze them into a 4-2-2-2 formation will see Citeh struggle in Europe again – too many no. 9s and not enough proper width. Why not try a front 6 of:
——— Toure — Fernandinho/Spanish guy ———
Navas ———— Milner ————- Nasri/Silva
—————— Dzeko ————————–
LOL at all the Villa fans on here referring to us as ‘Citeh’.
Basically we are having our accent mocked, BY MIDLANDERS, the f*cking nerve.
P.S
We used to be their bogey team when they were good and we were sh*t, and I remember their forums being far, far more arrogant than this article…
Villas victory does not surprise me. City will win most or all of their home games but they don’t seem to have the bottle for scrapping it out in away games. Mancini knew the importance of English players to scrap it out and it has taken Wenger several years to realise it! If P wants to fill his team with overpaid Brazilians and Spanish he needs some English players alongside them or they won’t have the guts to battle it out in away games! That’s what he has got at the moment! Plenty of skill and no guts. And I have refused to go to watch City this year as my own protest about Barry going to Everton. I firmly believe Everton will finish above City this year and Mr P needs to watch Barry playing for Everton to understand the mistake he has made!! Fernandinho can’t swan around in English football and hope to get away with it. Nastasic is no longer protected with Barry gone! Nasri has been a revelation but can he keep it up in away games?? Richards and Lescott need to be brought back urgently for away games. Good luck against Bayern, I won’t be there! I am so annoyed with what has been done to the team!Without Toure and Aguero they would be near the bottom of the league! Villa deserved to win from sheer guts and effort which is something City do NOT have this year!!