Manchester City 3 Aston Villa 2
Gündogaaaan. It was a time of the highest drama, the wildest of celebrations and it was impossible to ignore the parallels. Manchester City looked nervous, two goals down against Aston Villa with 76 minutes on the clock, knowing they needed three because, well, did anyone really think Liverpool wouldn’t beat Wolves at Anfield?
The Etihad Stadium was a harrowing place. It had been since start time.
Villa had lost all of their previous 11 league games at City; the longest sequence away from home against an opponent in their league history. But they were ready to buck the trend. Steven Gerrard, his manager, came close to helping his beloved Liverpool secure the title.
City had his own script in mind. Just as they had in 2012, when they needed two stoppage goals to take the title from Manchester United against Queens Park Rangers. Everyone remembers what happened then. The club had unveiled a statue to Sergio Agüerooooo last Friday to commemorate his 10 years.
City didn’t leave it so late this time. But his solution was nonetheless epic. Three goals in five minutes, culminating in an irruption from Kevin De Bruyne -who always finds a way-, a low cross from him and a shot from Ilkay Gündogan at the far post in the 81st minute.
Gündogan, who had just come on as a substitute in the 68th minute, had started the comeback with an impressive header into another substitute’s cross, Raheem Sterling. Rodri equalized after some fine work from Pep Guardiola’s other change, Oleksandr Zinchenko, and when Gündogan secured his second City he saw the path to a fourth title in five seasons under Guardiola.
The final whistle caused an invasion of the field of play and the dismantling of one of the goal frames. For Guardiola and his players, there was relief and exquisite pleasure.
There were pyrotechnics before kick-off, smoke from them wafting into the air for the opening minutes, though it had dissipated by the time Wolves took their early lead at Liverpool. There was applause at the time from the home crowd, but City had to think that they needed to create their own destiny, find a way to overcome the pressure.
Manchester City’s Rodri celebrates after scoring his team’s third goal against Aston Villa. Photo: Andrew Yates/EPA
Jürgen Klopp had stated that everything was at City; Gerrard also mentioned it. Klopp also said that Liverpool had nothing to lose and everything to gain, but the idea that the opposite was true for City was ridiculous. They had a title to win, a season to define but, after the wobble at West Ham last Sunday, it was not entirely surprising that there were nerves at the beginning.
Fernandinho started in central defense and no City fan wanted to see too many foot races between him and Ollie Watkins. It was apparent from the first in the initial exchanges that this was a serious mismatch. An accident waiting to happen?
Each failed pass from the sky blues, each stalled move, elicited high-pitched howls as Guardiola went through his usual agonies. The coach wanted his players to pick up the pace and there was a moment after half an hour when the ball came out and there wasn’t another one immediately available.
Guardiola looked around frantically before yelling at the sky, gesturing in frustration. Could we play nice?
Villa had wanted to manage the tempo, as Gerrard would have wanted; wasting time, as the council would argue. Michael Oliver spoke to Villa captain Tyrone Mings after goalkeeper Robin Olsen took an age over a clearance in the 32nd minute. But Villa picked up the pace when they worked a move down the left side and, when Lucas Digne crossed, Matty Cash accelerated Joao Cancelo to head Ederson. How were Guardiola’s nerves now?
City offered little before the break, except for a Phil Foden shot that went wide. Gabriel Jesús also failed after cutting from the right. City repeatedly ran into the walls and it was Villa who ended the first half on the rise. Watkins ran away from Fernandinho twice only to be stopped by him the first time (without fail, surprisingly) and was rescued by John Stones the second. Watkins also saw a shot blocked by Aymeric Laporte.
Guardiola retired Fernandinho at the break. It was a selection that just hadn’t worked. Zinchenko entered on the left side, Cancelo changing sides and Stones entering the middle. Olsen was making his first Villa appearance of the season, with Emi Martínez injured, and City had to ask him a few questions.
They started the second half with more purpose, De Bruyne charging high and Digne jumping into a saving block on Riyad Mahrez after a beautiful run from Zinchenko. When Cancelo crossed from the right, Jesus stretched only to go over the crossbar.
City diced with disaster. After a clearance from Olsen, Watkins ran cleanly from mid-range, away from Laporte, only to drive his shot wide. It was an exciting moment for the home fans that completely captured the mood.
Jesus had a shot blocked by Calum Chambers; De Bruyne wasted a free kick.
But it was hard to ignore City’s vulnerability at the back. Villa certainly didn’t and, when Watkins headed in Olsen’s high ball, the stage was set for Philippe Coutinho. The first touch was flawless, on the rebound with the outside of the boot, taking it inside Laporte and the finisher was ripped into the nearest corner.
It seemed the action at Anfield would now assume paramount importance, but City dug deeper, their champions’ courage written all over the pitch. When Gündogan scored the winning goal, City’s substitutes ran onto the pitch deliriously. There was nothing Liverpool could do. – Guardian
Reference-www.irishtimes.com