Manchester City maintained their pace in the Premier League title race on Wednesday evening, securing a 4-1 victory over Aston Villa, thanks to a magnificent hat-trick from Phil Foden.
In an engaging first half at the Etihad Stadium, both teams showcased their attacking prowess. Foden broke the deadlock for Manchester City before the break, responding to Jhon Duran’s equalizer, which came after Rodri’s early opener.
Foden’s brilliance continued in the second half as he netted three outstanding goals, propelling the champions to level on points with Liverpool ahead of their upcoming clash with Sheffield United on Thursday night.
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The match began with Pep Guardiola’s decision to leave Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland on the bench, yet City wasted no time asserting their dominance. Rodri capitalized on a Jeremy Doku cross to put City ahead in the 11th minute.
Despite City’s territorial control, Aston Villa demonstrated their threat on the counter-attack, as Duran capitalized on a rare opportunity to level the scoreline. City continued to press forward, with Jack Grealish and Julian Alvarez coming close to restoring the lead before Foden’s free-kick found the net just before halftime.
City resumed their attacking momentum in the second half, with Foden and Bernardo Silva threatening Robin Olsen’s goal. However, Villa responded with attempts from Douglas Luiz and Clement Lenglet, testing Stefan Ortega in City’s goal.
But it was Foden who once again stole the show, sealing his hat-trick with two spectacular strikes. His third goal, a sublime long-range effort, left Villa goalkeeper Olsen with no chance.
Although Sergio Gomez came close to adding a fifth goal in stoppage time, his effort hit the post. Nonetheless, City cruised to a comfortable victory, increasing the pressure on Arsenal and Liverpool in the title race.