ENGLISH FA CUP FIFTH ROUND REPLAY: Manchester City 3 Aston Villa 0:MANCHESTER CITY are one game away from their first FA Cup semi-final in 30 years and the fact the assignment comes against the 10th-placed side in the Championship will serve only to heighten the anticipation for a club that so desperately craves silverware.
Reading will visit Eastlands on March 13th and it is a measure of how poor Aston Villa were that Roberto Mancini’s team can expect Everton’s conquerors to provide a more challenging test.
To say Villa were disappointing would be an understatement. This was no time for Gerard Houllier to rest so many key players and City punished them accordingly, Yaya Toure and Mario Balotelli scoring within the opening 25 minutes and David Silva ending hope of a Villa comeback in the 70th minute.
In truth, Houllier’s men scarcely put together one noteworthy attack and showed a peculiar lack of interest in the game.
Mancini had also left out some key players, most notably Carlos Tevez, but he is trying to negotiate a congested fixture schedule. Houllier is not burdened with the same difficulties but left three of his more attacking players – Stewart Downing, Ashley Young and Marc Albrighton – on the bench even though Darren Bent was cup-tied. His left-back, Fabien Delph, is a central midfielder. Chris Herd is not a specialist right-back and their defence, already missing the injured Carlos Cuellar and James Collins and with Luke Young on paternity leave, looked vulnerable.
City’s Yaya Toure was impressive, reverting to the attacking role in which he has been most effective this season. Balotelli’s first-time finish to make it 2-0 was wonderfully taken and his statistics present a formidable argument. This was his 10th goal in only 16 appearances for the club although, as ever, it was not that simple with the Italian. Late in the first half, Balotelli was complaining of feeling cold and asking Yaya Toure if he could borrow his gloves.
City opened the scoring in the fifth minute, Patrick Vieira flicking on Aleksandar Kolarov’s corner and the ball striking the centre-half Ciaran Clark to drop for Toure whose shot flew past Brad Friedel. From Villa’s perspective, it was a soft goal to concede and the same accusation could be applied to their defending when Balotelli extended the lead after 25 minutes. The pass from Toure was carefully measured but Houllier was entitled to be dismayed by the marking and erratic way the defence was lined up. Running on to the ball, Balotelli calmly side-footed his shot into the top right-hand corner of Friedel’s net.
Balotelli’s aim was a little less impressive just before the hour when, competing for a high ball, he pushed his elbow into Herd’s face. Mark Clattenburg, the referee who let off Wayne Rooney when the Manchester United striker elbowed James McCarthy at Wigan on Saturday, ruled a yellow card was sufficient. Mancini’s response was to substitute Balotelli rather than risk him getting in any more trouble.
Villa marginally improved in the second half but it was perplexing that Houllier brought on Young and Downing only after Silva had made it 3-0, the Spaniard firing a 20-yard drive to the net.
- Guardian Service
MAN CITY:Hart, Richards (Boyata 83), Boateng, Lescott, Zabaleta, Barry, Vieira, Toure Yaya (Jo 80), Kolarov, Silva, Balotelli (Tevez 60). Subs Not Used: Taylor, Michael Johnson, Dzeko, Wabara. Booked: Balotelli.
ASTON VILLA:Friedel, Herd, Clark, Dunne (Walker 83), Delph, Agbonlahor, Petrov, Bradley (Ashley Young 71), Bannan, Heskey, Delfouneso (Downing 71). Subs Not Used: Marshall, Pires, Albrighton, Reo-Coker. Booked: Petrov, Clark, Agbonlahor.
Referee:Mark Clattenburg (Tyne Wear).
Attendance:25,570
