City hit Villa on the break and Rolando Bianchi goes round Scott Carson but Gareth Barry is on hand to block his effort on the line.

City are looking comfortable here in stoppage time as Villa keep coming forward in serach of a last gasp equaliser.

City win another corner and are in no rush to take it as they look to keep possession a we approach the final minute.

Michael Johnson skips into the area but his effort at goal is well blocked by the Villa defence who concede a corner which is cleared.

Emile Lokonda Mpenza appeals for a penalty as his effort hits the arm of Martin Laursen. Villa break and Kasper Schmeichel has to parry away a low cross into the City area.

The wet conditions are not helping Villa as Gareth Barry's ball over the tp fizzes off the surface and away from Gabriel Agbonlahor who cannot keep it in play.

Sun Jihai lofts a long ball towards the Villa goal but it runs through to Scott Carson as Martin Petrov gives chase.

Kasper Schmiechel comes off to save at the feet of Gabriel Agbonlahor as Villa again push forward for a goal.

City breathe a sigh of relief as Luke Moore puts the ball in the net off a Gareth Barry free kick but the Villa mn used his hand to score and the referee right disallows the effort.

Shaun Maloney almost gets in but overruns the ball on a tight angle and Kasper Schmeichel sees the ball out of play for a goal kick.

Villa are doing all the pressing at the moment but City are standing firm as they look to protect this slender lead.

The rain is getting worse here and the football is suffering with the action centred in the middle of the park at the moment.

It's lashing down with rain at Eastlands now and the surface is looking slippy so both teams will have to be wary about making errors in key areas of the field.

Villa break again and Gabriel Agbonlahor almost gets a header in as he out jumps Javier Garrido but can't ge the effort on target.

Kasper Schmeichel races out of his area to head the ball clear just as Nigel Reo-Coker tried to race clear on goal.

Villa again look dangerous from a corner as Martin Laursen gets up at the near post but again he cannot direct it on target.

Villa go close again as Micah Richards misjudges a cross into the area and it bounces off a surprised Gabriel Agbonlahor for ity to clear before ohn Carew can get a shot in.

Zat Knight does well to head clear after a surging run and cross by Martin Petrov down the left.

Martin Petrov tries to play in Emile Lokonda Mpenza but his effort goes behind for a goal kick to Villa.

Villa win a corner which Gareth Barry plays in and again Kasper Schmeichel flaps at it but his defenders do well to hack it clear.

The goal has stunned Villa who had the better of the first half and they almost level through John Carew who heads a Wilfred Bouma cross wide from close range.

Micah Richards fell awkwardly and may have hurt his knee. He receives treatment and limps off only to return quickly much to City's relief.

More attacking play from Villa as Ashley Young lifts a cross into he area but John Care's header is wide of the mark.

It's only early in this second half but City's substitutes, including striker Rolando Bianchi, are warming up down on the touchline.

Olof Mellberg plays a cross in from the right but John Carew can't get enough on it to direct it on target for Villa.

Vedran Corluka picks up a knock and has to go off for a moment but he returns and the game continues.

Villa win a corner which is knocked in from the left which Kasper Schmeichel punches away in a less than convincing manner.

The pace of the game has just dropped in the past few minutes as we edge towards the final five minutes of the half.

Nedum Onuoha makes room for himself in the area and his shot is deflected out for a corner. Martin Petrov plays it in and it's knocked out as far as Blumer Elano whose shot is blocked as Villa clear.

Again John Carew commits a foul this time on Vedran Corluka as he tries to get a clean run on the City goal.

Gabriel Agbonlahor races down the right but his cross into the middle is comfortable for Kasper Schmeichel to gather.

Blumer Elano runs at Villa's defence before laying the ball out wide to Darius Vassell. His cross goes across the face of goal but Emile Lokonda Mpenza is adjudged to have committed a foul in the middle.

City have stepped up a gear now as they try and get an attack moving but fair play to Villa's defence for standing firm.

Gareth Barry lays the ball to Gabriel Agbonlahor and his cross is knocked behind for a Villa corner. It's whipped in and Martin Laursen's flick header drops the wrong side of the far post.

Gabriel Agbonlahor gets on the end of a John Carew knock down and his effort from a tight angle is deflected across the goal mouth before its cleared.

The game is starting to open up nicely here as both sides are looking to get forward at every opportunity. Hopefully the goals will soon start to come.

Villa come back and almost take the lead but this time John Carew's header is hacked away from near the goal line by Elano.

Scott Carson to the rescue for Villa as he saves Michael Johnson's effort after he was played through into the area by Blumer Elano.

Darius Vassell's effort on goal is blocked by Zat Knight and Martin Petrov slashes the rebound across the face of goal.

Martin Petrov plays in the free kick but Darius Vassell heads it out wide of the far post when he needed to put some direction on the ball.

Emile Lokonda Mpenza is fouled by Martin Laursen in a dangerous area for a City free kick.

Kasper Schmeichel fumbles a cross into the area straight to Olof Mellberg but he can't finish and the ball goes wide of the mark.

Martin Laursen knocks the ball behind to concede a corner to deny Darius Vassell getting in. However Martin Petrov's kick is wasted as it drifts out for a goal kick.

Martin Petrov swings in a great cross which Wilfred Bouma does well to head behind for a corner which Petrov plays in but Olof Mellberg clears.

Vedran Corluka is allowed to progress upfield by the Villa players and hits a shot from distance which is wide of Scott Carson's far post.

City are trying to patiently build from the back but are being penned back by a lively Villa side at the moment.

A strong surging run from John Carew and his attempted effort from an angle bounces off his team-mate Luke Moore and into the hands of Kasper Schmeichel.

Villa have started the brighter here at Eastlands and have made more attacking forays without really troubling City keeper Kasper Schmeichel.

Micah Richards is lucky to get away with winning a free kick when he misjudged a ball allowing John Carew to race away down the right.

Martin Laursen gets up well to head clear a Martin Petrov cross at one end as Villa break through Ashley Young but Luke Moore cannot turn in the City box and do anything with the pass as the home side clear.

A couple of free kicks awarded to both sides in the very early exchanges here but nothing materialising from them.