REBEL HELL
BUT STONES SEES RED AND WILL MISS CARABAO CUP FINAL
WHO needs a Super League when you have a super team? Manchester City sent a message to the cream of European football every bit as eloquent as the one delivered by Pep Guardiola just a day earlier.
Despite falling behind to John McGinn’s goal after only 20 seconds, City were ahead by half-time thanks to strikes from Phil Foden and Rodri and, even though John Stones was sent off just before the interval, the league leaders never looked like giving up their advantage.
Stones will now miss Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against Tottenham but in this kind of form, City could probably play the whole game with 10 men and still prevail. Besides, Villa lost a man themselves 11 minutes into the second half when Matty Cash collected two bookings in as many minutes.
Eight more points will be enough to land another league title for City, their third under Guardiola.
But the one the club really want is the trophy celebrated on a huge banner in the North Stand here, which reproduces the commentary of Peter Withe’s goal that clinched the 1982 European Cup final for Villa.
Guardiola dismissed the Super League as ‘not sport’, whereas Europe’s greatest prize remains the pinnacle of the club game, whatever its imperfections.
How City would love to follow up turning their back — albeit belatedly — on the Super League by winning the prize its architects wanted to ruin.
City were without Kevin De Bruyne due to a foot and ankle injury and were stunned when
Dean Smith’s side took an immediate lead.
Stones made a hash of intercepting Tyrone Mings’ clipped ball forward, allowing Ollie Watkins to run free and his square ball was guided in expertly by McGinn, who had charged forward from midfield.
It was an encouraging start for Villa, again deprived of their captain Jack Grealish, who spent half-time in conversation with England boss Gareth Southgate.
Yet, once they got their rhythmical passing game going, City bewitched and bewildered Villa and the 22nd-minute equaliser was inevitable.
Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan both had penalty appeals turned down and Riyad Mahrez saw a low shot saved at the second attempt, before Foden levelled by finishing an archetypal City move.
Ederson’s long kick was perfect for Oleksandr Zinchenko, who found Foden with a header. His immediate switch of play released Mahrez on the right and the overlapping Bernardo collected the Algerian’s pass and cut it back for Foden. The England midfielder had glided in unnoticed off the flank and drilled the ball home.
‘ Foden is growing,’ said Guardiola. ‘ His influence in our games is massive. He’s becoming a serious player. His influence in the final third is so important.
‘We played so well. The Premier League is the most important title to win.’
Perhaps because of their superiority, City occasionally switched off. Ederson played a routine clearance to Douglas Luiz and the Villa midfielder immediately found Jacob Ramsey, who shot into the side netting.
With so many top technicians, however, City will always create chances. Villa could not handle Foden, Bernardo or Mahrez and the latter pair combined for the second. Mahrez passed, Bernardo crossed and Rodri climbed between Mings and keeper Emiliano Martinez to head in.
Stones then decided to make City’s task harder. The centre back’s reckless, knee- high challenge on Ramsey initially brought a booking yet once ref Peter Bankes was advised to consult the monitor, there was only one outcome. When the red card was shown to Stones, Gundogan was booked for his protests.
Sensing a route back into the match, Villa boss Smith sent on an extra forward, replacing Ramsey with Keinan Davis.
Yet with barely 10 minutes played after the break, it was 10 v 10. Cash had struggled against Foden all evening and was booked in the 54th and 56th minutes for fouls on City’s young prince.
The second was particularly clumsy. Cash’s touch was poor and as Foden nipped in to steal the ball from his toes, the right back slid in to try to recover his mistake. Alas, the ball was long gone and as Foden crashed to earth, Cash was walking off before Bankes had produced the card.
Gundogan nearly scored a freekick and though the margin of victory suggests this was close, it wasn’t really. The Super League is dead but the super team march on.
ASTON VILLA (4-2-3-1): Martinez 6; Cash 4, Konsa 6.5, Mings 6.5, Targett 5; Luiz 5, Nakamba 6 (Barkley 63min, 6); Traore 5.5 (El Ghazi 75, 6), McGinn 5.5, Ramsey 6 (Davis 46, 6); Watkins 6. Subs not used: Heaton, Taylor, Engels, Elmohamady, Hause, Chukwuemeka. Scorer: McGinn 1. Booked: Cash. Sent off: Cash. Manager: Dean Smith 6. MANCHESTER CITY (4-3-3): Ederson 6; Walker 7, Stones 4, Dias 8, Zinchenko 7; BERNARDO 8.5, Rodri 7, Gundogan 7; Mahrez 7.5 (Fernandinho 90), Jesus 6.5 (Laporte 46, 6), Foden 8. Subs not used: Steffen, Ake, Sterling, Torres, Mendy, Cancelo, Garcia. Scorers: Foden 22, Rodri 40. Booked: Gundogan. Sent off: Stones. Manager: Pep Guardiola 8. Referee: Peter Bankes 6.