Source: SKY_Sports
Man City v Villa live!
90 + 3 ALL OVER!!! Manchester City ensure Aston Villa continue to wobble in the battle for a place in next season's Champions League with a 2-0 win at Eastlands. Stay with us for all the post-match reaction
90 ADDED TIME: There will be three minutes added time. Ireland almost scores, but is denied by Friedel.
89 GOAL WRIGHT-PHILLIPS (2-0)!!! Game over. Wright-Phillips plays a great give-and-go with Ireland and the former slots past Friedel.
87 Villa do not have time to play with 10 men as Cuellar is stiched up, so they send on Craig Gardner. Onuoha is back in the action.
85 Villa win a corner as Dunne heads behind with Agbonlahor waiting. City clear. Knight, Cuellar and Onuoha are down with injuries after the corner. It looks like Cuellar and Onuoha clashed heads.
84 It looks like Villa have run out of ideas as Ashley Young does well down the right, but over hits his corss, and I will be surprised if O'Neill's side get anything out of this fixture. Famous last words...?
81 Evans nips in front of Cuellar, but fires over the bar. Hughes takes off Elano and sends Valeri Bojinov, who has had injury nightmares at City, into the fray.
80 Ashley Young brings down Pablo Zabaleta as the players have a chance for a breather in frantic closing stages.
79 Ireland is lucky to escape a yellow card after hacking down Luke Young. Dunne has been superb, he is the Man of the Match at the moment.
78 Barry finds Ashley Young wide on the right, and the resulting cross is put behind for a corner by Dunne. City hang on and clear for a counter-attack, but Wright-Phillips curls over the bar. This is a bit like a cup tie now.
77 Villa look like they might have run out of steam and City are now looking dangerous on the counter-attack as they search for a second goal which will probably kill the game off.
75 Great save! Friedel produces a stunning save to deny Elano. Evans almost lives up to his billing as he chests down to the Brazilian, whose volley from 12 yards is tipped away by the Villa goalkeeper as he dives low to his left. Stunning stuff.
74 Caicedo's night is over and Ched Evans is coming on. Caicedo has had a poor night. When I have seen Evans this season he has impressed.
71 Villa are back knocking on the door as Ashley Young delivers his best cross of the match. The ball flies across the corridor of uncertainty and Onuoha is lucky not to get a touch which would have resulted in an own goal as Carew lurked.
69 Given is forced to make his first save of the night as Barry volleys at goal and the Republic of Ireland international turns behind for a corner. The goalkeeper then punches the corner away.
68 Again, I could have eaten my words. Bridge delivers a great cross and Caicedo connects on the volley, but the forward is stretching and cannot wrap his foot around the ball.
67 City think they are through, but Gelson Fernandes' pull-back is cut out by Barry as Caicedo, who has not had much of an impact tonight, was lurking. That was a rare period of possession the home side.
66 City make a rare move forward and Wayne Bridge fires at goal from the edge of the box, but the ball canons off the Villa defence and the visitors move away.
65 Hughes' side are missing the solid influence of De Jong in the heart of midfield as Barry begins to dominate the territory.
64 City are finding themselves a camped in their own half. But Given has still to have a genuine save to make.
62 Agbonlahor teases a ball into the box, but Carew heads over the bar under pressure from Dunne. The City defender has had an outstanding game.
60 Ashley Young is having an increased influence on this half. The winger almost finds Heskey with a far-post cross. City need to survive the storm.
58 The home side are let off the hook as Ashley Young has an effort and the ball deflects narrowly wide of the far post. City are hanging on.
57 City have lost all their rhythm from the first half. Villa look more like the side which are so strong on the road.
56 Barry is booked for dissent as Villa are certain they deserved a throw-in.
53 Villa are being cheered on by vocal travelling support and they are responding. The giant Carew has had a noticeable impact.
51 Barry delivers and, after a bit of a scramble, Given claims. Villa have improved in this half and look intent on an equaliser.
51 Dunne, though, continues to dominate Agbonlahor. But Villa win a corner. They are always a threat at set plays.
50 De Jong will be a big loss for City, who have not come out of the traps in the same fiery style of the first half, Kompany is now playing the defensive midfield role.
49 City are forced into an early change. De Jong does off and Gelson Fernandes comes on. It looks like that is a result of De Jong's clash with Petrov at the end of the first half.
47 WE'RE BACK!!! The second half is under way. Tony was correct. Villa have brought on Carew for Davies. Cuellar has moved from right-back to the centre of defence. Heskey is playing on the right if midfield.
Meanwhile, Arsenal fans are emailing in their droves to gloat about a possibly brilliant night for the Gunners.
Mitchell Fernald says: "I don't see any urgency or determination from this Villa side. Arsenal have not played well enough to deserve a champions league spot so far this season, but Villa have. If they can't claim fourth at the end of the premier league, it will be because of a lack of experience, they will have let it slip away. They need to secure the points they need in games like this if they expect to play with the best of the best in Europe next year."
Tim Teggin says: "This is typical City, all over them one minute but, just you watch, we will drag defeat from the jaws of victory yet again. I would love to be wrong but, having watched City for more than 30 years now, i doubt it."
Tony Berntsen feels Villa need to bring on John Carew. The Norwegian could add a bit of threat to O'Neill's attack, which has been toothless to this point.
45 + 2 HALF-TIME: City go in at the interval with a 1-0 lead thanks to Elano's penalty. Villa have had no answer to their hosts' energy and they are fortunate not to be further behind. Let me have you thoughts at peter.fraser@bskyb.com.
45 ADDED TIME: There will be two minutes added time.
42 Nigel de Jong and Petrov feel the impact after a midfield collision. City win a free-kick, but Elano delivers into the hands of Friedel. Ashley Young has gone off the pitch for treatment.
41 Ashley Young was clattered by as City cleared that free-kick and the winger is limping.
40 Ashley Young, who has been a spectator, slings the ball into the box and City clear.
39 Agbonlahor is chopped down by Dunne, who made his mind up he was going in for the tackle from about five yards away, and Villa have a chance to deliver into the box.
38 Half-time is rapidly approaching and O'Neill looks like he will have a few choice words for his players during the interval. They have not played that badly, City have played very well.
36 Caicedo was injured in that challenge and has hobbled off to receive treatment, but he looks like he will be okay.
35 Wright-Phillips again flies forward and almost plays in Caicedo, but Cuellar is round on the cover from right-back to produce a brilliant sliding tackle.
34 Luke Young cannot handle Wright-Phillips and City win a corner. However, Elano's kick curls out of play before coming back into line.
31 Villa hoof the resulting free-kick long towards Heskey, but City defend with ease. It has been a tough night for the striker and striker partner Agbonlahor.
30 Caicedo is booked for an intentional hand ball when competing in the air with Knight.
27 Villa are getting hammered and have no answer to City's off-the-ball runs. Pablo Zabaleta thinks he has broken through, but is denied by a very harsh offside flag.
25 Milner was fortunate not to be sent off when bringing down Wright-Phillips. The Villa man was booked, but he could have received a red after taking down Wright-Phillips as he was about to pull the trigger when clean through.
24 GOAL ELANO (1-0)!!! The Brazilian slots into the top left corner to ensure his 100 per cent record for City from the spot. Brad Friedel went the correct way, but could not get his hands to the ball.
23 PENALTY!!! However, 60 seconds later James Milner brings Wright-Phillips down and City have their penalty.
22 Wright-Phillips, who is running rings around Luke Young, gets the wrong side of his marker, but from 10 yards the City man drags wide with the best chance of the match. It looked a little like Luke Young had a nibble at Wright-Phillips, however, a penalty would have been harsh.
20 Kompany robs Barry and sets City on the attack again. Elano has a drive from long range, but the ball hits Zat Knight.
19 The home side do not appear to be struggling in the absence of Bellamy and Robinho. Wright-Phillips is on fire.
17 City are totally dominating midfield at the moment. Barry and Stiliyan Petrov are being over run.
15 Heskey, who does not gain the credit he deserves for his defensive work, heads clear. But Villa cannot get out of their half as Kompany hits wide from the edge of their box.
14 However, City continue to look the more dangerous side. Elano and Wright-Phillips are causing the visiting defence a host of problems as Luke Young puts behind for a corner.
13 Agbonlahor turns up on the right and attempts to play in Ashley Young, but Onuoha is in the right place to break up the attack.
12 Dunne does brilliantly to show Agbonlahor onto his weaker right foot, and the City player then steps in to tackle. Great defending.
10 I spoke too soon. City star Stephen Ireland breaks into the Villa box, but the midfielder bizarrely opts to turn down the chance to shoot and
looks to square for Felipe Caicedo. Villa clear.
9 Villa have survived the early storm and are now finding their feet. Dunne, though, looks in a determined mood.
7 It has been a very lively and open start at Eastlands. Villa are characteristically set up for a counter-attack, with Heskey plying in a deep role off Agbonlahor.
6 Villa are on the back foot. City are oozing confidence in front of their home supporters. Wright-Phillips nips past Gareth Barry and has a pop at goal, but his shot his wide. The winger has started well on his return to the City side following his suspension.
5 Agbonlahor gets the wrong side of Ricahrd Dunne and the City centre-back is pleased to see defensive partner Nedum Onuoha clear the danger.
3 Villa manage to get a foot on the ball and string a few passes together across defence before Luke Young lumps forward and City regain control.
2 Vincent Kompany spots the invisible man making a run down the left wing and only succeeds in hitting the ball out of play.
1 City have started on the front foot and Shaun Wright-Phillips looks bright, moving in from the right side.
KICK-OFF!!! Villa get the game going.
Referee: Chris Foy
Aston Villa: Friedel, Cuellar, Davies, Knight, Luke Young, Milner, Petrov, Barry, Ashley Young, Agbonlahor, Heskey. Subs: Guzan, Harewood, Carew, Delfouneso, Reo-Coker, Shorey, Gardner.
Man City teams: Given, Zabaleta, Onuoha, Dunne, Bridge, Wright-Phillips, Ireland, Kompany, De Jong, Elano, Caicedo. Subs: Hart, Bojinov, Vassell, Garrido, Fernandes, Evans, Berti.
After dropping two points against Stoke at the weekend, Villa's winless
run was extended to five games. But Martin O'Neill sticks with the same side as the Midlands outfit look to re-establish their six-point buffer over Arsenal.
Elano returns to the Manchester City starting line-up for the first time in five games as Mark Hughes' threadbare squad attempts to stop UEFA Champions League-chasing Aston Villa returning to winning ways. The Brazilian has not been the most consistent of performers this term but with Robinho, Craig Bellamy and Micah Richards all missing, Hughes needs a performance from the former Shakhtar Donetsk man.
Welcome to our live commentary of the Premier League clash between Manchester City and Aston Villa at Eastlands.
