A slow start to the game but ultimately an effective, almost ruthless performance (particularly in the second half) saw City move to the top of the Premier League with a 4-1 victory (post-game thoughts here).
Here are the numbers from yesterday:
There were a couple of interesting points to pick out:
- City had just 12 shots (eight on target) and eight chances (key passes plus assists) yesterday, which is around half the total they have averaged through the season so far.
- Shorn of the creative threat of Silva, Nasri and Aguero was also shown in the fact that City only entered the final third (i.e. Villa's defensive zone) 48 times; this compared with 75 from Villa.
- The game saw Nigel de Jong's first start following an injury lay-off and his numbers were impressive: leading in Passes, Touches and Interceptions, whilst also posting a high pass % and two tackles.