Manchester City take full advantage of Arsenal’s slide with statement win over Aston Villa

If there’s one thing that has made Manchester City so good all these years, it's the fact that they know how to get results when they need to.

While other teams are likely to panic when the stakes are high, Pep Guardiola's charges have done this so many times that it now looks like a piece of cake for them.

The Cityzens’ hopes of making it three successive Premier League titles suffered a hitch when they were surprisingly beaten by Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday.

That defeat increased the significance of their game against Aston Villa on Sunday (February 12). However, they rose to the occasion and blew their opponents away, coasting to a 3-1 win.

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Manchester City make statement against Aston Villa

More than just three points, Manchester City made a strong statement with their win against Unai Emery’s side.

They may have been down, but they were never out. Guardiola’s side made sure to kill off the game in the first half, with Rodri, Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez giving them a commanding 3-0 lead.

The Cityzens took their foot off the gas in the second half, and Aston Villa pulled one back, thanks to a great goal by Ollie Watkins. However, they had already done enough to carry the day.

It'sno fluke that Manchester City have won the Premier League four times in the last five years. They're the masters of getting the job done when it matters most, and they once again showed their efficiency against Aston Villa.

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Cityzens take full advantage of Arsenal’s slip-up

Manchester City vs Aston Villa - Premier League

The Premier League title race has become tighter than ever. Manchester City would’ve been delighted by Arsenal’s inability to win their game against Brentford on Saturday. The Gunners drew 1-1, which opened the door for City to take full advantage.

Guardiola’s side now sit just three points behind Arsenal after beating Aston Villa and will overtake the North London outfit if they win against them in the top-of-the-table clash on Wednesday (February 15). The Gunners, though, have a game in hand.

Gundogan, who was among the goals in the Villa game, reckons the Cityzens are ready to finally overtake Arsenal, as he told Mancity.com:

“I think we are ready to go on Wednesday. We will travel to London to try to win the game and get the three points, even though we know it is going to be hard, but it is going to be a top game and we will try to get the three points. We are playing against the best side in England so far this season, so it is going to be a top game. They are a side that we know very well. We expect football on the highest level, and we are all looking forward to it.”

Manchester City have tailed Arsenal for many months now, and it's to their credit that they’ve managed to stay close to Mikel Arteta’s side. The Cityzens have also taken full advantage of Arsenal’s drop in form. Now we have a proper title race, irrespective of how Wednesday’s game turns out.