Dzeko brace helps City toward Title push

MANCHESTER CITY   4-0   ASTON VILLA 

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Manchester City moved within one point of reclaiming the Premier League trophy last night as the Bosnian Striker Edin Dzeko, scored his second double in as many days to help Man City along the title trail. Manuel Pellgrini`s men beat a stubborn Aston Villa side 4-1 at the Etihad Stadium to see the Blues knowing they need to avoid defeat on Sunday to become Champions of England for the 2nd time in three years.

 

 

On a wet and miserable Wednesday evening in Manchester, it saw City having the opportunity to go top of the table with a victory over the Birmingham club and Paul Lambert`s Villa side did well for the opening 45 minutes of play as they frustrated the home side in attack and made the night nervy for the City faithful.

The first chance for the home side saw Yaya Toure slide a quick through ball for Edin Dzeko to latch onto and the forward beat the offside trap to hold up the ball, before putting in Aleksander Kolarov who had darted in down the left wing. 

  It saw the Serbian defender then shoot straight at Brad Guzan in the Aston Villa goals and with the ball not being cleared properly, it saw Samir Nasri have attempt under pressure and saw his shot sail over the bar.

 

 

 

City had another chance minutes later from a Samir Nasri corner, when Vincent Kompany out jumped Guzan in the air, but saw his header go wide of the target and let their opponents off once more. 

   City continued to try and find a way through the staunch Villa defence, but with them packing it with five across the back line it was always going to be extremely difficult to make many clear chances.

After Eleven minutes in the game City carved their first decent chance out of the game when James Milner tricked the Villa left back and with that, he then played a nice little ball to Pablo Zabaleta and saw the right back put a ball across the area to which Toure did well to get, as the ball was behind him. 

  Toure though managed to have a shot that was save well by Guzan, with the keeper using his feet to avoid the home side breaking the deadlock.

 

 

David Silva was then unable to get any connection on a fizzing ball whipped in by Kolarov down the left wing,  as the city man couldn`t make contact on it and so when Guzan didn`t have the ball fully in his grasp, Silva was unable to get the ball.

   Villa after weathering the early Manchester City storm, then saw them create a couple of good chances themselves. Villa then had a lovely move, which saw Weimann cross towards the back post and Jordan Bowery scuffed his shot wide and let the home side know they weren`t just going to roll over for them.

City then nearly got caught out when the home side had pushed to far high up the pitch and saw Weimann run from his own half to just outside the City penalty area, before seeing his shot go wide of the target and saw the referee wrongfully give a corner kick.

 

 

City then had another chance and yet again it fell to David Silva, who isn`t the best at shooting in the City ranks and after Zabaleta was played in brilliantly once more by Toure, he pulled it back to Silva and the Spanish midfielder saw his effort blocked and cleared away. 

  The home side had one last attack in the half after some patient build up play involving Edin Dzeko and Javi Garcia, seen James Milner take a pass and his low cross was just diverted wide at the near post by Samir Nasri as the Blues were getting closer and closer.

 

 

Pellegrini`s man could have been accused of playing a slower tempo style of game, which in all suited their opponents better than the home side as they could reorganise their defence, while City was thinking how to break them down.

   City Captain Vincent Kompany went closer with an overhead kick that was easily dealt with by Brad Guzan and saw Villa looking like they may be harder to break down than a lot of people thought.

  Kolarov then saw his long range free kick pushed away by the Villa goalkeeper, with the home team sensing they were getting closer to opening the scoring as they were knocking on Villa`s door more and more now.

  Manuel Pellegrini then injected some pace upfront, as he brought off James Milner for Stefan Jovetic and the move worked as the home side was looking more lively and energised in the game now.

 

 

Minutes later an energised City came back at Villa and after David Silva played a lovely through ball through towards Zabaleta, the Argentine raced onto the ball and played it across the five yard area, where upon Edin Dzeko got in front of his man at the near post to divert it through the legs of Guzan for a 1-0 lead.

   Dzeko then added his second of the game to see the home fans breathe a huge sigh of relief, with the move coming from Silva and Zabaleta once more as Zabaleta pass back across the penalty box was side footed by Nasri, which then saw Guzan save the first shot but couldn`t do anything about Dzeko rebound as he tapped it home from close range to send the City fans into delight and the atmosphere was deafening.

pic: Rte.ie

 

Villa nearly made it 2-1 five minutes from time, when a harmless looking free kick looked to be drifting out of play before a header at the back post, saw Joe Hart ball watching and Weimann header at the front of the goal bounced off the bar down on the line and saw Kompany clear the danger.

   In the 88th minute, City scored their third goal of the game with Yaya Toure dragging five Villa players towards him and then seen him roll a pass out towards the d of the penalty box, where Jovetic curled his effort passed Guzan for 3-0 and City were now certain to be top of the table by the end of the night.

  However there was still time for one more moment of brilliance by the Ivorian midfielder, as he powered from his own half at the Aston Villa defence and seen him beat five players, before then striking the ball home for a stunning solo goal to see the Blues 4-0 up and on course to take the title.