A big night is in store for City on Wednesday when Everton are the visitors to the Etihad as both sides battle it out for a place in the Capital One Cup final…
Will this be a game that is added to our future list? Tickets are still available here, make sure you grab one and make it a special atmosphere at the Etihad!
With that in mind, each day leading up to the game we will be doing a countdown of the five best nights at the Etihad. Here’s number five…
City 4-0 Aston Villa, 7 May 2014
City had just been knocked off top spot the day before after Liverpool’s victory against Hull and knew only a win would do against Aston Villa at a wet Etihad Stadium.
The opening hour of the game was a tense affair as the away side defended their goal well and thwarted City’s attacking prowess and chances.
Manuel Pellegrini brought on Stevan Jovetic for James Milner in the second half and switched formation, a change which paid off.
The deadlock was broken just four minutes after the substitution when Edin Dzeko poked home Pablo Zabaleta’s cross.
The Etihad erupted with delight as the ball hit the back of the net and the noise was lifted again in the 72nd minute when the Bosnian striker added his second of the game.
Samir Nasri saw his shot saved by Brad Guzan, but Dzeko was there to follow it up to all but seal the three points.
Yaya Toure set up Jovetic for the third with a minute to play before the Ivorian powerhouse scored City’s 100th goal of the league campaign in added time to seal the victory.
The win put City within touching distance of the Premier League trophy and, as the cliché goes, the rest is history.
Match highlights
Starting XIs
City: Hart, Zabaleta, Kolarov, Demichelis, Kompany, Garcia, Milner (Jovetic 60), Yaya Toure, Nasri, Silva (Fernandinho 76), Dzeko (Negredo 86)
Unused subs: Pantilimon, Clichy, Lescott, Richards
Aston Villa: Guzan, Lowton, Vlaar, Clark (Robinson 79), Baker, Bertrand (Grealish 88), Westwood, Delph, El Ahmadi, Weimann, Bowery (Bacuna 59)
Unused subs: Steer, Sylla, Holt, Grealish, Tonev
Key moments
5’ – Aleks Kolarov breaks forward and gets a shot away, only to see Brad Guzan palm it away.
9’ – Vincent Kompany heads narrowly wide from a David Silva corner.
14’ – Villa goalkeeper Brad Guzan keeps City at bay as he saves with his feet to deny Yaya Toure after some fantastic football from City.
32’ – The away side fire a warning shot as Jordan Bowery is close to opening the scoring from Ryan Bertand’s cross.
34’ – Second chance in as many minutes for Villa as Andreas Weimann fires narrowly wide of Joe Hart‘s goal.
45+1’ – Big chance for City but Nasri can’t get his effort on target with Guzan beaten.
56’ – Another fantastic save from Guzan as he denies Kolarov for the second time in the game.
63’ – GOAL! City take a deserved lead through Edin Dzeko, who pokes home from Pablo Zabaleta’s cut back.
72’ – GOAL! It’s a second for Dzeko after he taps home from close range following Guzan’s save to deny Nasri.
83’ – Villa think they’ve pulled a goal back but goalline technology says the ball didn’t cross the line after Weimann’s header crashed off the bar.
89’ – GOAL! The three points are secured a minute before the end of normal time when Jovetic fires in from the edge of the area.
90+2’ – GOAL! 100 goals for City in the Premier League this season after a magnificent individual effort from Yaya Toure, who burst forward from his own half before hammering past Guzan!
Man of the Match
Edin Dzeko
Reaction
“City are now just one victory away from being crowned Premier League champions after thrashing Aston Villa 4-0 at a rain-soaked Etihad Stadium.
“Understandably, given the importance of the occasion, the opening half-hour was cagey with Villa packing their defence, often with ten men behind the ball.” David Clayton, Manchester City
“Ton-up City blasted their way to the top of the Premier League with a second half show of power and poise. The Blues made it 100 league goals for the season as they blitzed Villa to move within a point of lifting the Premier League title again.” Stuart Brennan, Manchester Evening News
“That’s the way to do it. No alarms and no surprises greeted Manchester City. It was tense, for a while, but the best team won — the match and, most probably, the league.” Martin Samuel, Daily Mail
“For Manchester City everything is now in place. Manuel Pellegrini’s team took their time before showing why they are champions-in-waiting, but once they shed their inhibitions they quickly rattled off the goals that took them to 100 for the season and made the arithmetic simple. Anything but a defeat in their final game and City will have sealed their second title in three seasons.” Daniel Taylor, Guardian
“They can almost reach out and touch it now. They can envisage the blue ribbons being tied, the dignitaries gathering and fireworks being lit. Manchester City are closing in on the Premier League trophy and their utter confidence was reflected in Yaya Touré’s storming breakaway late on that brought City’s 100th goal of the season and mirrored the team’s own unflinching run towards the finishing line.” Henry Winter, Telegraph
City face Everton in the second leg of the Capital One Cup semi-final on Wednesday 27 January, in what’s set to be a thrilling night of cup football at the Etihad.
Tickets are available to buy online at mcfc.co.uk/tickets by telephone on +44 (0)161 444 1894 (option 1, option 1, option 2)* and in person at the Ticket Office on the first floor of the City Store at the Etihad Stadium.
