MATCH REPORT AND PLAYER RATINGS - MANCHESTER CITY 4-1 ASTON VILLA

Image courtesy of nbcsports.com

Manchester City looked back to their very best, as a Phil Foden hattrick helped the Blues on their way to beating a tough Aston Villa side and keep themselves firmly in the title race.

After a poor first half from Foden, the first freekick goal of his career to put City into the lead on the stroke of halftime sparked his performance into life, as he took the game by the scruff of the next form this point on.

All of this came after an impressive opening 45 minutes from City, who swarmed all over Villa by moving the ball around quickly and interchanging in high areas.

They took the lead after a move from Foden and Jeremy Doku down the right hand side led to the latter crossing low into the box for the arriving Rodri, who thumped the ball past Robin Olsen to give City the lead.

Pep Guardiola's side continued in their rhythm, but were hit back after a quick break from Villa saw Jhon Duran finish after a one two with City academy graduate Morgan Rogers to draw the Villans level undeservedly.

Nevertheless, this didn't disrupt the way City were playing, as they continued to get into dangerous positions. Jack Grealish came close with an excellent volley from a tight angle, whilst Julian Alvarez came close to hitting the target with a freekick, and had a close range header tipped over the bar after Foden's first goal.

But it was Foden's freekick that restored City's lead, with the Aston Villa wall coming under major scrutiny as the 23 year old's strike found its way through a gap in the wall.

The second half primarily belonged to City, although Villa remained a threat on the break. Moussa Diaby went on a few positive runs down the right hand side, and Douglas Luiz's ferocious effort following a quick break after a turnover of possession was well saved by Stefan Ortega-Moreno.

The rest of the half belonged to City, who produced a near flawless half to add to their lead and make a statement of intent in the title race.

A strong carry from Rodri followed by a nifty bit of footwork found Foden on the edge of the box, who drilled the ball into the bottom corner with his left foot to increase City's lead.

City's number 47 completed his second hattrick of the season just a few minutes later with a ferocious strike from the edge of the box just seconds after receiving a blow to the face that was ignored by referee Darren England.

Unlike some players, Foden didn't stay on the ground and got straight back up, getting a goal and a match ball to show for his terrific attitude.

City were able to rest from this point on, allowing rare minutes for Sergio Gomez and granting a rest to the likes of Foden and Rodri, whilst also giving Grealish the chance to play his first 90 minutes since the 27th December, in a 3-1 victory away to Everton.

Whilst City haven't been bad all season, they stepped up a level with their performance against Unai Emery's side. So much so, that this is the first time that I mention that Erling Haaland, John Stones and Kevin de Bruyne were left on the bench as unused substitutes, ahead of a heavy upcoming schedule of fixtures.

City were at their fluid best, and it was refreshing to see excellent performances from the likes of Doku, Rico Lewis and Josko Gvardiol, highlighting City's strength in depth across the pitch.

And, in Haaland and De Bruyne's absence, it was remarkable to see Foden take his chance and shine playing as the number ten, a position he could realistically hope to play in against Real Madrid next week.

Before that crucial match in the UEFA Champions League, however, City face a trip to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday, where they'll aim to win and hope Arsenal and Liverpool slip up in their fixtures against Brighton and Hove Albion and Manchester United respectively.

Here are the player ratings from the convincing victory over Aston Villa:

Ortega-Moreno - 7/10 - Another fantastic performance from Ortega in Ederson's absence, distributing well from the back and making a few important saves. I recognise I'm probably biased, but for me, the German could easily stake a claim for being the third best goalkeeper in the league behind just Ederson and Alisson, which unfortunately means it's quite likely he'll be looking to leave for more game time in the summer.

Lewis - 8.5./10 - Excellent with the ball in tight spaces in midfield, and was clearly trusted by his teammates. He may struggle against Vinicius Junior if he plays against Madrid from a defensive point of view, but he'd certainly hold his own from a technically, and can be trusted to play in almost every other big game.

Akanji - 7/10 - Arguably got into a bit of a muddle for the goal, but was otherwise exceptionally solid and aggressive stepping forward duelling against Duran.

Dias - 7.5/10 - Super aggressive aerially and very solid throughout. Kept the ball well too, other than one moment where he was nearly dispossessed as the last man in the second half.

Gvardiol - 7.5/10 - Excellent again at left back against a tricky opponent in Diaby, breaking up the play a few times to stop counter attacks like a defensive midfielder would, which may well give Guardiola a headache as to who to select between him and Nathan Ake when all are fit and available.

Rodri - 9/10 - Dictated the game from the first minute, and had a big impact on the final result with a goal and an assist, highlighting the progress to his game from last season. He's the best player in the world, and his fitness is paramount to City's push for an unlikely back to back treble.

Bernardo - 7/10 - Probably the quietest of City's midfielders and forwards, but still had a good game. He helped City control the game a few times by putting his foot on the ball to slow the game down, and linked up well with Grealish on the left hand side.

Doku - 8/10 - His best performance for City (other than his mega haul against Bournemouth at the Etihad, of course.) On the right hand side, he looked sharp when taking his man on, but most importantly was wiser with his decision making, and came out with a well deserved assist.

Foden - 9/10 - Had a poor first half, it must be admitted, as he often gave the ball away with a heavy touch or misplaced pass. But his freekick (which again, it must be said, had some fortune about it) sparked a very good second half performance, in which he added two more spectacular goals to highlight his quality and importance to the City side at this moment in time.

Grealish - 7.5/10 - Starting a game for the first time since the back end of February, Grealish impressed, as he looked sharper and more positive than he has in most games this season. He created a few half chances for Alvarez, and helped City control the game in trademark fashion by drawing players towards him and keeping the ball.

Alvarez - 7/10 - Could've easily had at least a hattrick, as he came close to scoring on four occasions in the first half. Had a more limited impact dropping deep to receive the ball than he usually does, but worked just as hard as he does in every other game.

Substitutes:

Nunes - 6.5/10 - Looked sharp off the bench, and nearly scored an excellent goal after turning and driving forward before unleashing a powerful rive just wide, in what was a good cameo for the Portuguese midfielder.

Kovacic - 6.5/10 - Had a few nice touches from the bench covering from Rodri, proving once again he's the second best player in the squad at playing that role behind the player he replaced.

Gomez - 6.5/10 - Missed a decent opportunity in what was an otherwise solid yet uneventful cameo on the right wing.

Bobb - 6.5/10 - Had a few nice touches but didn't really have enough chance to make an impact - ultimately, a raft of substitutions from City and Villa killed the intensity of the game in the closing stages.