Phil Foden scored a hat-trick as Manchester City swept aside Aston Villa to cement their place in the Premier League title race.
A 0-0 draw at home to Arsenal on Sunday hadn’t given Pep Guardiola’s side the lift that they wanted but their first win over top-five opposition this season saw them move level on points with Liverpool and stay a point behind the Gunners following the latest results. That was largely down to Foden, who stepped up and made the game his own with three goals after City had seen their initial lead disappear.
Rodri gave City the advantage but Jhon Duran equalised for the visitors before Foden scored his 19th, 20th, and 21st goals of the season to make the game safe. Here are the player ratings from the match.
Ortega: Made two excellent saves in the second half with the score at 2-1 that kept City’s lead. Another good save in the first, although that was offside. 8
Lewis: Terrific link-up play with Foden as the two scurried between the Villa shirts up the pitch, although Villa’s goal came from the space that Lewis left behind. 7
Akanji: Lewis going forward meant Akanji stayed back. He wasn’t brilliant for the Villa goal but made up for it with his general play. 7
Dias: A few too many loose touches that incurred Guardiola’s wrath, although certainly had his moments in a physical battle with Duran. 6
Gvardiol: Another decent outing, looking comfortable on the ball and getting City out of some tight positions with his awareness. 7
Rodri: Outstanding and undroppable. A good goal and an even better assist for Foden to make the game safe, on top of everything else he brings. 9
Silva: A rare shift in the middle, and worked well with Jack Grealish to build City advantages on the left. 7
Foden: His first half wasn’t amazing, but the three goals that followed made his performance another phenomenal one. 9
Doku: His decision making still needs work but he showed good strength in the first half and picked up an assist. 7
Grealish: Lively, aggressive, and able to win free-kicks at important moments for his team. This is the Grealish from last season. 7
Alvarez: His movement and awareness were excellent but his finishing was average. Should have had at least one goal. 6
Substitutes
Kovacic (for Rodri, 75) Settled into a game already won. 6
Nunes (for Silva, 75) Came close to giving a penalty away and then nearly scored. 6
Bobb (for Foden, 80) Almost found Alvarez in the box. 6
Gomez (for Doku, 80) A cameo on the right wing. 6
Not used: Carson, Stones, Susoho, De Bruyne, Haaland
