Despite conceding just 21 seconds into the match, Manchester City made up for it with a 2-1 win away at Aston Villa. With the collapse of the Super League and City’s exit dominating the headlines, the team kept up their Premier League title charge with goals from Phil Foden and Rodri.
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After City went down to 10 men just before halftime with a high challenge from John Stones, both teams ended the last half hour down a man after Matty Cash also got sent off. Stones will now crucially miss the Carabao Cup final against Tottenham as well as Premier League games against Crystal Palace and Chelsea.
The Citizens showed true resilience in the face of a stern challenge. If the result had held, Man United could have pulled within five points level on games and given City some real worries as they try to finish off their third title in four seasons.
City were the better side, but it was a bit shaky at certain points. With such a huge game coming up in just five days, it is critical that City can find their best even without Stones, one half of their first-choice central defense partnership.
After some of the most tumultuous days around the football world in recent memory, it was nice to see the team back on the pitch. There should still be repercussions after the Big Six owners attempted to destroy the entirety of the European football pyramid, but the players and Pep Guardiola stood up for what was right. Today, seeing them in action was somewhat of a return to normalcy after the league’s collapse, and a welcome opportunity to look toward the future on the pitch.