Manchester City 2 Aston Villa 0 - Report

There were only two goals though, both of them in their net and both controversial.

Bernardo Silva finally broke the deadlock in a pulsating match for Manchester City 11 minutes from time.

But only after Tyrone Mings had been dispossessed by Rodri, who was coming back from an offside position.

Referee Jon Moss and his assistants and allowed the goal to stand, so did VAR, leaving Villa boss Dean Smith so incensed he was sent-off for his protests.

Ilkay Gundogan then made the game safe for City late on after Matty Cash, a little harshly, was penalised for blocking Gabriel Jesus’ header at close range with his hand.

The win was City’s sixth in succession in the Premier League and briefly top of the table. Villa could certainly have had easier assignments to restart their campaign and after just three days back in training things were hardly made any easier by the conditions, with driving rain making the Etihad Stadium pitch particularly heavy.

Yet controversial finish aside, their overall performance was once encouraging.

City were impressive and had the better chances but Villa defended superbly before Silva's breakthrough.

They also had a number of good openings themselves. On another night, a little more composure might at key moments have seen them make the breakthrough at 0-0.

All told, this was not a display to fuel fears their season might be blown off course by the recent disruption, even if they remain in the bottom half of the table with several matches in hand.

There had been uncertainty over how the outbreak, which closed Bodymoor Heath for 10 days, had affected the fitness of Villa's players.

In the end there was only one change from the team which started their previous Premier League match at Manchester United and at least on paper the return of Ross Barkley, following a near two-month absence with a hamstring injury made Smith's starting XI stronger.

It was two players who had been in fine form prior to the break who prevented Villa from falling behind inside the opening four minutes.

Silva looked certain to break the deadlock when the ball arrived at his feet just six yards out but Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez spread himself to save, with Cash diving in to deflect John Stones’ follow-up over the bar from even closer range.

Ezri Konsa was then required to block twice in quick succession, first from Kevin De Bruyne and then Phil Foden as City attacked with intent.

Yet Villa also had their moments and might have grabbed an early lead themselves had they been able to find the final ball.

Bertrand Traore waited too long after showing good feet to beat Joao Cancelo and advance into the box. Barkley was then unable to find an unmarked Jack Grealish when Villa broke with a man advantage.

City were dealt a blow inside the opening half-hour when Kyle Walker was forced off with injury and replaced by Oleksandr Zinchenko.

But Pep Guardiola’s team were in the ascendency and Villa’s defending occasionally last-ditch. Mings blocked from De Bruyne, before Raheem Sterling then got in the way of a goal-bound Rodri effort.

Still, Villa had their moments. Barkley brought a save from Ederson with a curling effort and then saw another shot deflected wide when he really should have played in either Grealish or Ollie Watkins.

The best chance for the hosts arrived with seconds of the half remaining. City broke and De Bruyne was able to escape Mings and pick out Phil Foden, in acres of space inside the box. The young England international appeared to have plenty of time to pick his spot but Matty Cash appeared from almost nowhere to block his attempt, summing up in one moment Villa’s defensive effort.

When half-time arrived the visitors had faced 13 shots on goal, the most they had allowed in a first-half since last season’s lockdown.

The second half almost began without Grealish as he emerged from the tunnel moments before Moss blew his whistle.

Villa, similarly, were struggling to match City’s pace. Gundogan fired just over and though Traore created a chance almost from nothing, when he showed superb skill to bring down a Martinez goal-kick, beat Zinchenko and test Ederson with a shot, it was beginning to become one-way traffic.

Cancelo came closest yet to breaking the deadlock when he clipped the bar after being played in by De Bruyne.

The latter was then forced off by injury and his replacement, Gabriel Jesus, should have scored with his first touch but stumbled over Foden’s cross.

Ilkay Gundogan shot wide before Villa then came close to a sucker punch, Traore seeing a shot blocked and Ederson then saving Luiz’s dipping half volley.

Moments later Mings was required to block bravely again and from the corner Martinez brilliantly kept out Gundogan’s header, before the Germany international somehow failed to tap home the loose ball.

McGinn missed a good chance for Villa when he failed to connect with a Grealish cross before Silva finally made the breakthrough 11 minutes from time.

Mings turned into Rodri, who was coming back from an offside position, and lost possession. Moments later Silva sent an unstoppable finish into the top corner.

Villa were furious, Smith particularly so. The visiting boss was shown a yellow card by referee Jon Moss for his protests and then quickly a second and red.

It meant he was in the stands when City made the match safe, Gundogan converting from the spot after Cash blocked Jesus’s goalbound header with his hand.

Teams

Man City (4-2-3-1): Ederson, Walker (Zinchenko 28), Dias, Stones, Cancelo, Rodrigo, Gundogan, De Bruyne © (Jesus 59), Bernardo, Foden, Sterling (Mahrez 72) Subs not used: Torres, Mendy, Fernandinho, Garcia, Bernabe, Steffen (gk).

Villa (4-2-3-1): Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett (Taylor 75), Luiz, McGinn, Traore (El Ghazi 68), Barkley (Ramsey 68), Grealish, Watkins Subs not used: Elmohamady, Guilbert, Engels, Nakamba, Davis, Heaton (gk).