Man City 3-1 Aston Villa: Pep Guardiola’s side put off-the-field woes behind them to ease past Villa

Manchester City supporters have now added the Premier League to their lengthening list of enemies. To think it was once just Manchester United that the blue half of town used to get wound up about.

Here, at a particularly energetic and atmospheric Etihad Stadium, the league’s decision to charge City with breaking their financial regulations saw the pre-match anthem booed and whistled with a ferocity usually reserved for the UEFA equivalent on Champions League nights.

How delicious for City, then, that Pep Guardiola’s team are now one victory away from going back on top of the table for the first time since early November. Win at leaders Arsenal on Wednesday and City will be back in first place and well positioned to lift the Premier League trophy once more at the season’s end.

It all feels a bit grubby, this. It would be better if we could just talk about the football. But it’s hard not to be intrigued about how everything will play out. What is clear is that if Arsenal continue to drop points then a City team playing like this will blow past them before the London club can utter the words ‘financial fair play’.

It was always likely City and their supporters would raise their levels on the back of Guardiola’s impassioned defence of his club at a press conference last Friday. If the Catalan wished to engrain further an ‘us against the world’ culture that has been gradually building at City then here was the evidence that it had worked. City blew Unai Emery’s feeble Villa side away without ever reaching top gear. Maybe they are saving that for Wednesday night.

Rodri headed in Manchester City’s opening goal as they eased to a 3-1 victory over Aston Villa in the Premier League

Ilkay Gundogan netted the second from close range after good work from Erling Haaland running at the Villa defence

Erling Haaland appear for the second-half after sustaining a thigh injury, leaving him a doubt for City’s clash with Arsenal

Pep Guardiola’s side bounced back from defeat against Tottenham last week to cut the gap to Arsenal to three points

Villa were, it must be said, dreadful when it mattered. They improved in the final half hour but it was too late by then. They were a goal down in just the fourth minute and three down by the end of an opening half to which they contributed only calamity.

City were ahead almost immediately and it was a straight forward goal, holding player Rodri running off his man – if indeed he ever had one – at a corner to head down and low at the near post. It was a dreadful goal to concede for Villa and they didn’t learn their lesson.

City, playing three at the back, were dominant in possession, territory, energy and indeed absolutely anything that could possibly matter. A lovely pass from the goalscorer released Ilkay Gundogan and Emiliano Martinez saved with his foot. Then Jack Grealish had a volley from a corner blocked by Callum Chambers and Erling Haaland, without a shot in the previous weekend’s defeat at Tottenham, scooped one over from six yards when his first goal since January 22 seemed to be inevitable.

Haaland was not to reappear for the second half with the club suggesting he had a thigh injury. Hope perhaps for Arsenal to accompany the fact City do not appear to have a natural left-back just now. Bukayo Saka will have noticed that.

For a while here it was just too easy for City. When Guardiola said on Friday he believed the other nineteen Premier League clubs resented City’s presence in the league, he must have been forgetting that afternoons like this often come along. Villa, it seemed, were more than happy for their opponents to have everything their own way.

In midfield City had space, lots of space. Kevin de Bruyne was enjoying that. One round the corner flick was just a joy, another run infield had a little more substance to it and when he brought Grealish in to play on the other flank Martinez was required to save the former Villa player’s curling shot.

Eventually a second goal came and then, quickly, a third. They effectively ended the game.

Haaland played a part in the first one, running on to Calum Chambers’ misdirected header in the 39th minute to round Martinez and cross low to the other side where Gundogan was simply hungrier than the two or three Villa players who chose not to make a play for the ball. The German could not miss.

Riyad Mahrez made it three before half time with a penalty which sent World Cup winner Emiliano Martinez the wrong way

Many expected Haaland to take the kick but Mahrez stepped up and oozed confidence as he extended the lead further

Then, five minutes or so later, Grealish fell after a tangle with Jacob Ramsey and Mahrez placed the penalty to the World Cup winner’s right side.

From that point on Villa did improve. They simply had to. They even scored as City coughed up possession on the hour, allowing Douglas Luiz to free Ollie Watkins who shot low across City goalkeeper Ederson with his right foot.

City had opportunities to restore the cushion but didn’t take them. Julian Alvarez, on for Haaland, headed a deep Grealish against Ezri Konsa while Mahrez failed to score from six yards.

Haaland appeared frustrated at being unable to take the spot kick but he celebrated with Mahrez after the goal was scored

Ollie Watkins (right) made it 3-1 in the second half with a consolation, which may leave City frustrated defensively

Before that there were some moments of intent from Villa. Philippe Coutinho, tellingly not thrown on until the 75th minute, curled a shot towards the far corner then Ederson dropped sharply to clutch a cut back from the left.

A City mistake or a moment of atypical Villa quality could have opened the whole thing up. Sometimes that happens but it didn’t here, even though new Villa signing Jhon Duran did hit the bar with a spectacular volley in injury time.

Villa were not good enough. Arsenal will certainly be better. City may now officially be at war with the Premier League but only a brave man would bet against them lifting their trophy for the seventh time come May.