Premier League: Man City’s woes continue with 1-2 defeat at Villa Park
Aston Villa secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Manchester City in a gripping Premier League clash at Villa Park.
Watford suffered a huge blow in their fight for Premier League survival as Manchester City thrashed them 4-0 on Tuesday. A change in management didittke for Watford after they became the only team to remove change manager thrice in a Premier League season with the latest being last week.
Manchester City, on the other hand, brilliantly brushed aside last week’s FA Cup semifinal disappointment against Arsenal. Raheem Sterling scored a brace, while Phil Foden and Aymeric Laporte scored one each as City won their fourth straight Premier League match.
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The margin of defeat could well be the Achilles heel for Watford as they find themselves at 18th, with 17th placed Aston Villa leading them on the basis of goal difference. Watford will play Arsenal in their last league game, while Villa take on West Ham.
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City, who will finish the season as the second best team no matter what, took control of the game in the after the half-hour mark following Villa’s determined low-block defending since the first whistle.
Sterling launched a thunderous strike into the top corner of Watford’s net to score the opener in the 31st minute after Kyle Walker’s cross found him.
The England international was at it again when he tapped in the rebound delivery of his failed penalty kick in the 40th minute to score his 19th goal and close down the gap with Jamie Vardy for the golden boot award.
Foden scored the third after Watford keeper had denied Sterling a hat-trick chance. Three minutes later in the 66th minute, City hammered the final nail into the coffin when De Bruyne’s free kick found unmarked Laporte. The Belgian midfielder is just one assist away from Thierry Henry’s record of 20 in Premier League.
In their last three meetings, City have now beaten Watford by a combined score of 18-0 after an 8-0 rout earlier in the season and 6-0 in last season’s FA Cup final.
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