STONES RED RAW
But Foden again rises to challenge
IT HAS been a nightmare week for Manchester City with news of their part in the European Super League shaming – but they are still peering down on the rest at the top of the Premier League.
While Phil Foden turned in a display to underline just why he is a cert for Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the Euros, John Stones showed why there are question marks over him with a reckless red card that rules him out of Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against Tottenham.
There is no doubting he is pure class at times but he is also prone to the odd moment of madness. He can be forgiven for his part in Aston’s Villa’s opener which, at 20 seconds, is the fastest in the Premier League this season.
But his tackle on Jacob Ramsey just before half-time was dangerous and referee Peter Bankes showed him the red card after being instructed to take a look at the monitor.
It was not a great time to hand Villa a numerical advantage as City were just minutes away from going in 2-1 up at the break but that was quickly rectified when Villa had Matty Cash sent-off for a second yellow card just 12 minutes after half-time. They had recovered superbly from the shock of John McGinn’s goal. Tyrone Mings took a free-kick and managed to bend it around Stones who just could not recover his position. Ollie Watkins squared the ball across to where McGinn was lurking and the Scot rammed home. Foden got City level in the 22nd minute after a beautiful move which started with Ederson’s long ball to Oleksandr Zinchenko, who turned it over to Foden on the edge of the box. Foden sent it to the far side into Riyad Mahrez, he fed Bernardo Silva and when the ball came across the face of goal there was Foden to turn it in. Then with five minutes to half-time Rodri was first to a ball clipped in by Bernardo and glanced a header over Mings and keeper Emiliano Martinez to put City in front. Cash crashed into Foden, having already been booked, to even the numbers and City held on. ASTON VILLA (4-2-3-1): Martinez 6; Cash 6, Konsa 6, Mings 6, Targett 6; Nakamba 6(Barkley 63, 6), Luiz 6; Traore 6 (El Ghazi 75), McGinn 7, Ramsey 7; Watkins 7. Goal: McGinn 1. Sent off: Cash 57. MAN CITY (4-1-4-1): Ederson 7; Walker 7, Stones 4, Dias 7, Zinchenko 7; Rodrigo 7; Gundogan 7, Mahrez 7, Foden 8, Silva 7; Jesus 6 (Laporte 46, 6). Goals: Foden 22, Rodri 40. Sent off: Stones 44.