Manchester City went into Saturday's encounter with Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium knowing that a win would take them temporarily to the top of the Premier League table.
David Silva gave the hosts a first-half lead before two controversial penalties from Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez put City in control.
The Argentine duo each found the net again as the champions maintained their unbeaten start to the campaign.
Find out how the match unfolded in our minute-by-minute report below.
Hello there and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of today's Premier League match between champions Manchester City and Aston Villa fro the Etihad Stadium.
The pleasantries can wait for now - we have team news...
Manchester City make two changes to their side as Maicon and Samir Nasri come in for Pablo Zabaleta and Aleksandar Kolarov.
Man City: Hart; Maicon, Kompany, Nastasic, Clichy; Yaya Toure, Barry, Silva, Nasri; Tevez, Aguero
Subs: Pantilimon, Zabaleta, Lescott, Sinclair, Garcia, Dzeko, Kolarov
Subs: Pantilimon, Zabaleta, Lescott, Sinclair, Garcia, Dzeko, Kolarov
Unfortunately for Edin Dzeko, the Bosnian striker has to settle for a place on the bench again. Despite his recent match-winning exploits. What's a boy to do?!
Meanwhile, Villa boss Paul Lambert names an unchanged starting XI following last weekend's defeat to Manchester United.
Aston Villa: Guzan; Lowton, Vlaar, Clark, Stevens; Westwood, Bannan, Ireland, Weimann; Agbonlahor, Benteke
Subs: Given, Albrighton, Holman, Delph, El Ahmadi, Bowery, Baker
Subs: Given, Albrighton, Holman, Delph, El Ahmadi, Bowery, Baker
Manchester City maintained their unbeaten record in the league last weekend when they came from behind to beat Spurs 2-1 thanks to a late Dzeko strike. That win moved them to within two points of leaders Manchester United.
However, Villa lost for the sixth time of the campaign as they were pegged back from a 2-0 lead against Manchester United to lose 3-2.
Roberto Mancini's men come into the match today knowing that a win would take them temporarily to the top of the Premier League table, with Manchester United taking on Norwich City at Carrow Road at 5.30pm.
In contrast, there is a chance that Villa could find themselves in the relegation zone come the end of the weekend. They're currently just three points ahead of 18th-placed Reading, who meet Southampton this afternoon.
It's fair to say that it's been something of a transitional campaign for Villa as manager Paul Lambert puts his faith in youth. However, they'll be keen to earn a few more points before Christmas.
Of course, this isn't the first time that the two teams have met this season. Villa recorded a surprise 4-2 victory at the Etihad back in September in the third round of the Capital One Cup. The visitors will surely be buoyed by that triumph, but they face a different City side this afternoon.
City won both fixtures against Villa last season on their way to the Premier League title. While it was a narrow 1-0 triumph at Villa Park, the Blues romped to a 4-1 victory on home turf earlier in the campaign.
Just over 15 minutes until kickoff!
Trawling through the history book and you have to go as far back as April 2007 for Villa's last win at the Etihad - a 2-0 triumph on that occasion.
Right, prediction time! As much as a Villa win would throw up the sort of unpredictability most football fans love to see, I find it hard to look past City in this one. If the hosts score early then Villa could be in for a long afternoon.
The players are in the tunnel. Joe Hart is bouncing around.
And here they come to a rousing reception from the Etihad Stadium.
There's a big cheers for Joe Hart as his name is read out by the stadium announcer. The goalkeeper's form has been in the spotlight for the last few weeks and he was criticised again in midweek for his display in England's 4-2 defeat to Sweden. He'll be looking for a solid 90 minutes today.
Here we go then, it''ll be Aston Villa to get us underway...
City dispossess Villa almost instantly from the kickoff and go on the attack, but the visiting defence eventually gets the ball away.
First attempt of the afternoon comes from Maicon as the defender slices his effort woefully wide from the angle. If anything, that was hilarious.
It's a corner for City now as Maicon's deep cross is headed away by Lowton. It's played short but comes to nothing.
CHANCE! Another City corner falls to Aguero, who's scuffed effort is helped forward by the head of Tevez. However, the striker flicks the ball over from close range.
As expected, it's all City at the moment. Joe Hart's had about two touches of the ball.
Something of a half chance for the hosts there as Aguero is dispossessed in the box when he was looking to turn and shoot. Some great play in the build up from Silva, who swept a wonderful cross-field pass to Nasri.
A decent opening for City sees Maicon whip a ferocious cross into the box, but Tevez can't get his head to it. The Brazilian is seeing plenty of the ball down the right side.
Suddenly Villa go on the attack but Benteke's shot is blocked. That was a threatening break. Someone must have told them that they were allowed in City's half.
CHANCE! Villa almost take the lead as Kompany's attempted block on Lowton's cross flies towards goal but Hart shows great reflexes to palm the ball away. That came from absolutely nothing.
City earn themselves another corner at the other end, only for Guzan to collect comfortably.
GREAT SAVE FROM HART! Steven curls a cross into the area which Benteke gets his head to, but the City keeper somehow claws the ball away. The visitors are making a bit of a game of it now.
Clichy's down now with what looks like an ankle problem...
That all came from a City attack that results in a corner. The ball is fired in and Nastasic heads over.
Clichy received some treatment off the pitch but is now back on.
Villa, who have caused City problems on the break, have an opening at the other end as Agbonlahor's tame effort is gathered by Hart.
It looks to have gone slightly flat for City in attack before Yaya Toure has hit shot blocked. Tevez then has a crack from 25 yards which he drags wide.
That's speculative from Toure. The midfielder tries an audacious attempt from about 35 yards, but the ball keeps rising. Think that might have hit some poor soul in hospitality.
Half an hour gone here at the Etihad and it's goalless between the two sides. City are starting to look a bit one dimensional.
Agbonlahor wastes a good attacking opportunity for Villa there as he is unable to keep in Vlaar's long ball. A better touch there and City might have been in trouble.
Lowton deals with Clichy's cross and City have a corner but Toure heads wide while under pressure from Vlaar.
Silva fails to play in Tevez. The Spaniard hasn't been his usual sparkling self in this first half.
There seems to be a touch of impatience brewing among the home fans...
GOAL! Man City 1-0 Aston Villa (Silva)
It's scrappy but David Silva scores his first goal of the season to give City the lead. A corner wasn't dealt with and the Spaniard was on hand to tap in from all of three yards.
CHANCE! Silva almost grabs another but his shot on the angle is turned away by Guzan for a corner. Nastasic gets his head to it, only to see his attempt float wide. There'll be one minute of added time.
HALF TIME: Man City 1-0 Aston Villa
There's the whistle and it's Manchester City who have a 1-0 lead at the break thanks to David Silva's goal in the final five minutes of the half. It was a fairly uninspiring performance from the hosts, but they lead nonetheless. However, Villa are looking dangerous on the break.
There are five other matches being played in the Premier League this afternoon. Here come the half-time scores...
PREMIER LEAGUE HALF-TIME SCORES:
Liverpool 0-0 Wigan
Newcastle 0-0 Swansea
QPR 0-2 Southampton
Reading 0-1 Everton
West Brom 1-1 Chelsea
There was also a lunchtime kickoff in the Premier League today as Arsenal entertained Tottenham Hotspur in the North London derby. An eventful 90 minutes at the Emirates Stadium saw the Gunners come from behind to run out 5-2 winners. Oh, and Emmanuel Adebayor got sent off too.
So, can Villa find the goal that will get themsleves back into this one or will City go on to earn a comfortable win? Stick with us to find out.
The players are out for the second half and it will be City to get us back underway...
No changes from either side at the break.
City threaten early but the Villa defence deals with crosses from Silva and Nasri.
The visitors put a decent move together then, though the final ball from Ireland for Lowton is overhit and Hart gathers.
GOAL! Man City 2-0 Aston Villa (Aguero, penalty)
Apologies for the techinical issues there but City are now 2-0 in front thanks to a controversial penalty decision. Weimann is harshly judged to have handles a corner and Aguero makes no mistake from the spot to make things a lot more comfortable for the champions.
The hosts are certainly looking on course for the three points now. It was cruel on Villa to concede in that way and I'm sure that Paul Lambert will have something to say about that after the match.
Looking at the replay again and it appears that the ball came off Weimann's shoulder instead of his arm.
SUBSTITUTIONS: Two changes for Villa now as Andreas Weimann and Stephen Ireland are replaced by Brett Holman and Marc Albrighton.
PENALTY FOR MAN CITY!
GOAL! Man City 3-0 Aston Villa (Tevez, penalty)
It's another fairly controversial penalty decision as Bannan is judged to have handled. Tevez steps up this time to calmly convert past Guzan and, you would think, wrap up the win for City.
GOAL! Man City 4-0 Aston Villa
It's two goals in three minutes for City as Aguero's deflected effort creeps in at Guzan's near post. It's the Argentine's last contribution of the match as he is replaced by Edin Dzeko.
Well, it's been quite a breathless five minutes at the Etihad Stadium. Villa want to be careful that this doesn't become a hammering. You get the feeling that there are more goals to come.
Villa have a rare corner, but it's easily dealt with by the City defence.
SUBSTITUTION: Gael Clichy, who picked up an ankle knock in the first half, is replaced by Aleksandar Kolarov.
SUBSTITUTION: Gael Clichy, who picked up an ankle knock in the first half, is replaced by Aleksandar Kolarov.
GOAL! Man City 5-0 Aston Villa (Tevez)
Apologies again for a break in communication there but we seem to be back on track. That last goal from Tevez was one of the more simple strikes that the Argentine will get in the Premier League as he tapped in Nasri's pass from two yards.
CHANCE! A rare sight of goal in this second half for Villa as Holman lashes narrowly over from 30 yards. That was a great hit.
CLOSE FOR CITY! Maicon feeds substitute Scott Sinclair, but the winger struggles to shake off Westwood and lifts the ball over the bar.
CHANCE! Kolarov whips in a delightful ball from the left that Dzeko and Tevez both fail to get on the end of. What a cross that was.
We'll have an additional three minutes here at the Etihad Stadium...
Villa get a late corner, but it's cleared.
FULL TIME: MAN CITY 5-0 ASTON VILLA
The final whistle blows and Manchester City go to the top of the Premier League table for the time being thanks to a 5-0 victory over Aston Villa. It wasn't a vintage display from the champions, but once they converted a second goal following a controversial penalty decision they were too much for the visitors.
That's all from me today, I hope you enjoyed our coverage of the match. Have a good evening and make sure that you keep up to date with the rest of the weekend's action on Sports Mole. Goodbye!
Written by
Jack Prescott
Jack Prescott
