Manchester City’s only option is to replicate their performance from Wednesday night against Aston Villa: triumph over their upcoming adversary and rely on Liverpool and Arsenal to stumble in the remaining matches of this exhilarating title race.
This situation arises from the fact that Manchester City lost four crucial points in their recent encounters with their fellow contenders for the championship. In their pursuit of a spot in the Champions League, City faced Unai Emery’s team, who were vying for the same goal, and emerged victorious, securing a long-awaited win against a top-six opponent.
In the absence of certain players, Foden showcased his exceptional skills by scoring his 21st goal of the season. However, it was Rodri who made the first breakthrough for City, finding the back of the net after 11 minutes with a well-executed finish from Jeremy Doku’s cross.
Villa proved to be a threat on the counterattack and managed to equalize nine minutes later through Jhon Duran, who calmly slotted the ball past Stefan Ortega after a clever exchange with Morgan Rogers.
It was at this point that Foden took control of the game, restoring City’s lead just before half-time with a precise 20-yard free-kick. Nicolo Zaniolo of Villa unintentionally contributed to the goal by turning his back in the defensive wall.
Foden further extended City’s lead in the 62nd minute, firing a low shot past Villa’s substitute goalkeeper Robin Olsen following a well-executed play by Rodri. He then completed his hat-trick in style seven minutes later, unleashing a superb strike into the top corner from the edge of the penalty area.
In the dying moments of the second half, City came close to scoring a fifth goal when Sergio Gomez struck the outside of the post with a side-footed effort from Josko Gvardiol’s cut-back.
With this victory, City now find themselves level on points with Liverpool, who will face Sheffield United at Anfield on Thursday night. They are also just one point behind Arsenal, who currently sit at the top of the table after defeating Luton Town.