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Brilliant Bernardo delivers in house that Jack built

GREALISH GETS LATE CAMEO AS CITY SINK HIS OLD CLUB

JACK GAUGHAN

THAT took a fair chunk out of Manchester City and it only took one glance at Pep Guardiola, perhaps the most emotionally transparent manager in this division, to realise.

He stood in the mouth of Aston Villa’s dugout, once his team had ridden a feverish storm, waiting for key members of staff to congratulate.

He also set a record last night, becoming the quickest Premier League boss to reach 150 victories, but the manner of this bears far more relevance to him.

‘We won some games, eh?’ said Guardiola. He could afford to smile afterwards. ‘There are more to come.’

City, missing six first-team players for varying reasons, were down to only two senior outfielders on the bench. Guardiola labelled their situation an ‘emergency’ earlier this week and, while he will have few sympathisers outside the Etihad, there is something to be said for grinding these results out.

Quality was by no means missing — pantomime villain Jack Grealish and Phil Foden were in reserve, both returning from injury — but the ability to freshen this up when Villa were in the ascendency was not a luxury Guardiola had at his disposal.

And, as this frantic game became more stretched, he could have been staring at dropped points.

Guardiola was perfectly justified in fearing that an upwardly mobile Aston Villa, with the impetus of new manager Steven Gerrard, could represent trouble.

They very nearly did, buoyed by the febrile atmosphere prompted by Grealish’s first return to his old club. Cheering or jeering, and there were both in equal measure — even during a late three-minute cameo — this place remained loud throughout. It was a pulsating night. But this City team constantly find a way of getting it done, although towards the end, they needed to dig deep and relied on their goalkeeper.

Ederson completed a super stop to deny lively substitute Carney Chukwuemeka, when the 18-year-old was set to equalise.

Kevin Friend, in the VAR booth, also said no to Chukwuemeka’s penalty appeals.

Forget the gloves and scarf, Guardiola will have been warmed by the collective spirit. Titles do not arrive without that.

‘I didn’t have any doubts about the commitment or our response because they show me many times,’ Guardiola said.

Titles do not flow without a bit of class, too, of course. And their second goal was the epitome of Guardiola’s City.

Bernardo Silva’s sumptuous finish the sort that ought to be bottled and sent to the National Football Museum as evidence of Guardiola’s genius tenure in England for future generations.

What a stunner it was, two minutes before the break. The sort of move that had even Guardiola laughing on the City bench. Villa were attacking but not for long, Fernandinho looped a ball forward for Jesus and suddenly the visitors were in. Two on two.

Villa were done for. Jesus waited, clipped a perfectly weighted pass right onto Silva’s left instep.

Volley, goal, Emiliano Martinez looking over his shoulder in admiration.

Twenty-one other players on this pitch would have put their laces through that or taken a touch. Not Silva. Prince William, sat in the directors’ box, might well have bowed at its grace.

At that stage, City looked out of sight. Raheem Sterling, the best player on the pitch, was purposeful and constantly drove at Villa’s byline, flying beyond John McGinn in the 27th minute, cutting back into area for someone to attack. City did not legislate for that man to be Ruben Dias.

Dias was on the edge of the box and, despite watching his manager earlier berate Oleksandr Zinchenko for shooting wildly, swung a left leg. Brave guy.

The effort took a nick off Leon Bailey and curled into Martinez’s corner. Dias became City’s 17th different scorer of the season. This appeared done at the break — City with too much control — but Villa found a way back into it two minutes after the restart and that prompted Gerrard to speak of his pride at their recent progress.

Silva was uncharacteristically sleepy from Douglas Luiz’s corner, allowing Ollie Watkins to steal a yard and steer into Ederson’s near post.

From nowhere Villa Park was suddenly alive, telling Grealish — jogging up and down the touchline — rather loudly that he ‘used to play for a big club’.

They fancied it, pushed to complete a memorable comeback, but wounded City stood tall.

PREMIER LEAGUE

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2021-12-02T08:00:00.0000000Z

2021-12-02T08:00:00.0000000Z

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