IN-FORM Manchester City set up a potential multi-million pound UEFA Cup showdown with Middlesbrough after ending Aston Villa's own European dream with a decisive early double blast.
Seventh place in the Barclays Premiership, and with it European football next season, is still up for grabs after Boro managed a 1-0 Riverside victory over Tottenham, combined with City stretched their unbeaten run to seven games.
The Teessiders are favourites after staying three points clear of City, but in a winner-take-all showdown at the City of Manchester Stadium, Stuart Pearce's side could still snatch that crucial spot with a last-day win over Boro.
Shaun Wright-Phillips and Kiki Musampa were both on target inside the opening 12 minutes as Villa appeared to still be in a state of shock following last Sunday's 5-1 mauling at Tottenham.
There was only one team who had bothered to turn up in the early exchanges, with the City players clearly doing their level best to ensure Pearce is given the post of manager on a more permanent basis in the summer as they ran David O'Leary's woeful side ragged.
There is a freedom about City these days that was evident all too infrequently and so frustratingly under former boss Kevin Keegan and it is paying handsome dividends.
Incisive
Pearce's side were fast out of the blocks and should have taken a third-minute lead, only for Musampa to drag a left-foot shot through the six-yard box after playing an incisive one-two inside the penalty area with Claudio Reyna.
But the sizeable travelling City faithful did not have to wait long to see their side make the breakthrough, with Wright-Phillips again underlining just why he is likely to become a target for money-laden predators this summer with his 11th goal of the season.
Picking up a simple ball out of defence 10 yards inside the Villa half, Wright-Phillips embarked on a mazy run that took him past the challenges of Jlloyd Samuel, Gareth Barry and Mark Delaney before eventually despatching a crisp right-foot shot past Thomas Sorensen.
It was then a case of from one winger to another, with Musampa scoring only his second goal of a season-long loan from Atletico Madrid in the 12th minute, with Villa all at sea.
A Delaney mistake five yards outside his own area allowed Antoine Sibierski to deliver a cross that was flicked on to an all-alone Musampa to drive home a crisp half-volley into the top left-hand corner.
Even then Villa remained in a state of slumber as errors continued to undermine their performance, with the next setting up Jonathan Macken, in the starting line-up due to Robbie Fowler's absence with a calf injury.
Fortunately for Sorensen, who missed last week's defeat to Tottenham through illness, he was grateful to see the Republic of Ireland striker failed to connect crisply enough with a long-range effort as City piled on the pressure.
And they went even closer to making it three when Martin Laursen was dispossessed soon after by Macken, who then played in a wide-open Sibierski.
The French midfielder, however, dallied too long on his shot and that allowed the Dane to atone for his indiscretion with a superb sliding tackle inside the area.
Eventually, Villa showed signs of life and they should have pulled at least one goal back just before the break, only for Steven Davis to twice end up the villain.
Initially, after being given a clear sight of goal by Lee Hendrie, he drove a low shot into the side-netting when he should have at least hit the target.
He managed that moments later after intercepting Ben Thatcher's weak chested pass back to David James from a Barry left-wing cross, but the England international spared the blushes of his left back with a brave and brilliant point-blank block.
With the momentum now with Villa, it was they who came out for the second period fired up and buoyed by a double substitution that saw Nolberto Solano and Eric Djemba-Djemba on for Samuel and Thomas Hitzlsperger.
The newly-introduced duo combined within 75 seconds, with the Peruvian's corner headed narrowly over the bar by the Cameroon midfielder, and from that moment Villa controlled the game.
After James had touched wide a stabbed shot from Darius Vassell, Villa's reward for their pressure came on the hour, with Solano's low pass in from the right dummied by Hendrie and picked up by Angel who turned and drilled home his ninth goal of the season.
But out of the blue, and from another mistake by Delaney, Wright-Phillips should have killed the game in the 70th minute as he took advantage of a weak back pass, only to lob the ball over the onrushing Sorensen and the bar.
Villa ended the game strongly with Barry inches wide with a flick header to a Solano free-kick, although in the dying moments Musampa hit the post with a low stabbed shot.
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What have I been saying all week. I watched the game and we were just great. First half was all ours but the second half we let them in and showed them to much hope. Now it's all in are own hands. We beat Boro and Europe here we come. This isn't just a league match but it now becomes a cup "type" game. Get out there and give your support to both SP and the whole of the team, even if you can't get in to the ground you can get down to the surrounding around and enjoy the occasion.
City are the best and will be in the top 3 next season thats a promise
Please give SP the job this is the best run since Reid was in charge. SP is the real article we have got to give him a chance now. I cannot believe the same players were playing for KK everyone is contributing we slag a player off like Musampa and look he scored the winner today. Look at Chelsea all players playing consistently well with probably 4 excellent players SP is doing the same he really knows his stuff.
Just as I predicted only yesterday, a small winning margin together with a Spurs defeat sets us up nicely for next weeks final match. Give Sp the job before the game and really make our day Mr Wardle. Europe here we come. Arsenal 4 the cup
Mr Wardle, do the honourable thing this week and give Pearce the job. Your statement the other day saying that you won't make a decision until the summer brings me to the conclusion that there is quite possibly something underhand going on at the club and that you already have someone else lined up! Why else would you fail to give SP the chance after a quite remarkable transformation to the team and results since the defeat at home to Bolton and KK's inevitable departure? With limited players at his disposal he has raised all our expectations to unbelievable levels by lifting the side to the brink of European qualification and kept the season going to the last day, something that would never have happened if Kev had remained. Once again the team showed great resilience after an excellent 1st half had seen us 2 goals to the good. We expected Villa to come at us after the break but we held our nerve thanks to hard work and guts and now we can look forward to sunday's showdown with 'arrogant' Boro with justifiable optimism! If the board fail to install Stu in the job by next Monday, regardless of the outcome, then my fears will be realised and they will bring shame on yourselves in the eyes of the Blue masses because Stuart Pearce DESERVES his chance!
superb performance, 1st half city were outstanding as only shown during SP's reign (if he doesn't get the job, they better have Mourinho lined up or else they'll be some disent!). City fans, UNBELIEVABLE! i've not seen singin and chanting like that for a long time, felt like a home game SHOULD feel like. Roll on Middlesborough, and unless spurs waltz pass those northern 'bullies' Blackburn the UEFA cup fate is in our hands. NEVER FELT MORE LIKE SINGIN THE BLUES!!
Brilliant. What a turnout. Went with a Villa mate of mine and he said that the only other team to sell all their allocation this season were Liverpool. For the first time i thought that Distin as a Captain was immense. He was talking to Nedum throughout, had a real go at James after the backpass cock up with Thatcher, and looked like he was going to batter Kiki as they came off at half time. Even if we fail to beat Boro next week i'll be extremely pleased with our progress this season, and if we do win and qualify for Europe............................
GIVE HIM... THE JOB... NOW!!!
BRILLIANT !
Result! Excellent performance from the lads, great goals from Sweep and Kiki we need to really make sure we take our chances but a win is what we needed and we're perfectly set up for the final game against boro. Psycho is the man, fresh new attitude and morale in the team, C'MON YOU BLUES!
W E C A N D O O O O O O o o oooo I T1
Supposing, just supposing CITY beat the Smoggies 4-3
and Spudz thrash whoever they are playing 3-0
That puts us both on a goal diff of 9
And we both have 50 for and 41 against.
What happens then? Who gets the Europe slot?
Anyone know?
Like many I was sceptical that Stuart Pearce was experienced enough to deliver the ambitions of a club like City. I have to say that the has rammed that back down my throat and those like me. I CAN'T SEE HOW HE CANNOT BE GIVEN THE JOB AFTER SUCH A FANTASTIC SPELL OF GAMES, RESURRECTING THE SEASON IN THIS WAY - HE HAS REALLY PROVED HIMSELF A LEADER OF MEN. GIVE HIM THE JOB !!!!
PS. DEFINITELY DO NOT GIVE THE JOB TO STRACHAN !!! NOT STRACHAN, NOT STRACHAN, NOT STRACHAN !!!
Brilliant result. Having said that SP should wait cos the board said ages ago that they would make a decision at the end of the season, I think now that SP should just be given the job because he has transformed the same players who struggled under KK and could have been fighting a relegation battle in to a team that have an outside chance of qualifying for Europe. There can be no justification for offering anyone else the job after what SP has achieved without a playmaker and without a top quality strike partnership!
Great result, top quality first half performance. However read on the BBC that a consortium is planning a 100 million takeover and plan to instal Gordon Strachan as manager. although the investment would be welcome i cannot understand their preference for Gordon Strachan over SP, especially if Pearce gets us into Europe. This would be typical city if this went through, i hope it is all just tabloid talk, but if it isn't shame on the Board for not having the courage to give the job to the man who has been doing it so well over the last 8 weeks
Has anyone else heard anything on the proposed 100m takeover bid involving Bryan Richardson (EX Coventry) and Eddie Jordan (ex Formula 1)? Part of the proposal included a 30m transfer kitty and Gordon Strachan as manager....
As on www.soccernet.com, article entitled "City playdown 100m takeover bid"?
Is this the reason no announcement installing SP as manager to date?
Fantastic win (again!). And with other results going our way, we are INDEED still in the race for 7th spot. Sunday an all-decider "cup"-game, with anxious looks at the scoreboard for the Spurs-game as well. A big thanks to SP and the players to give us fans such a brilliant season-ending. It's great, really really great!!
Sky sports.com! says SP will be given the job before the Boro' game they have heard!!?? Lets hope that the rag shareholder intervention is a pile of manure. You just wonder though dont you.....the twilight zone?????? COME ON YOU BLUES!!!
Captain Dunkirk - I believe Spurs would go through as they have the better results between us this season.
The noise generated at Villa Park on Saturday was superb! I can't believe we have something to play for this season. I was sure that the season would just run it's course after KK left and we would scrape a 15th place finish. SP must be the only candidate standing now, what more can he do? He has turned a team which looked clueless against Boreton, into a team who's only interest is winning and who at last have some pride in their shirt. I thought the first half was probably the best i've seen CITY away from home. Second half we were under alot of pressure but that was to be expected. Despite that we still created some good chances, Sibierski and Macken were poor second half and so was Kiki, Sibierski seemed to let Laursen foul him everytime the ball was in the air in the second half, the first thing BWP did was barge into Laursen when he came on exaclty what was needed cos Laursen was having a shocker. Be interesting to see what will happen if Sibierski does not recover in time for sunday, my bet would be to see macken and BWP up front, if Fowler isn't fit. We are 2 better in Goal difference than Spurs so a 2-0 win should see us ok. Like SP says Why not achieve it, if Boreton can get into Europe then we stand every chance. CTID!
Dunkirk, according to FA rules if that how the table stands it goes to a playoff between the two teams.