Aston Villa v Man City Post-Match Thread

[Risso]

It was a perfect match. The scoreline did not reflect the performance.
One of the most complete performances I have EVER seen from my team, Aston Villa!
Emery , the El Maestro asks the players to impose his strategy and meet the demands !! Magnificent!! Still smiling let Unai keep demanding the best from the players!

El means 'the', so you've just called him the the maestro.

[PeterWithe]

I said to my mate at half time, 'you know I don't think I've ever seen us play better'. I had by the end of the second half.

The worst kind of cheats they may be but they are still the best side in the world, and we made them look like a newly promoted side, they still had to defend superbly to keep it to just one.

Every one of the player were incredible but Bailey, Kamara and Konsa were out of this world and I don't think I have the vocabulary to describe John McGinns performance. One that I'm sure Ill be talking to my grandkids about as the best performance Ive ever seen at VP, it had everything.

And the old place was truly rocking as only it can.

[Smithy]

It was a perfect match. The scoreline did not reflect the performance.
One of the most complete performances I have EVER seen from my team, Aston Villa!
Emery , the El Maestro asks the players to impose his strategy and meet the demands !! Magnificent!! Still smiling let Unai keep demanding the best from the players!

El means 'the', so you've just called him the the maestro.

Insight.

[maidstonevillain]

That was the best team performance I've seen since that 5-1 vs Liverpool in 1976. The first 45 minutes of that game was on a level I don't think will ever be repeated. But last night, for the full 90 mins we utterly dominated, in every aspect of the game, the best side in Europe.

What I recall about that game was how quiet it was when they went off a half-time.  It was as if there was a stunned silence. Few could believe what they had just seen

[Olof's Beard]

I couldn't go last night because I was down London for a work away day and Christmas Do. Ended up watching it on my phone with a growing gaggle of of fans of other teams - Arsenal, Liverpool, Palace, Leeds, Particle Thistle - all very pleased, mostly to see Man City lose but also for us.

We were absolutely faultless, I thought this side was playing close to its ceiling (brilliantly) but they smashed through to another level today.

Man City and Liverpool are both weaker than they have been in previous years. Arsenal have been doing just enough without really convincing. You never know do you? Play like that and we have no reason to fear anyone.

[Ads]

I feel drunk. Had the morning off work, been to the Box and still feel drunk. Didn't have any ale. But my mind is swimming.

I cannot comprehend what I've seen. How absolutely flawless we were. My 8 year old thought we were going to do them. I hoped. Hoped. That's all. Didn't fancy it. Seen us get to the cusp so many times and just felt nah, I think we'll come up short.

But then that. What have I witnessed. I don't know what to do with myself.

[LeeB]

Teams losing key players left, right and centre too whilst ours are coming back.

[pablo_picasso]

What an absolute thing of beauty from start to finish.

Wonderful performance, wonderful result, wonderful night!

Every single player performed & we made ManC look a bit shit with our play.

3rd in the table, matching our home league win run, media talking about us being in the title challenge & deserved praise all round is nice for my smugness, but again, Emery proves what an absolute beast that he is by talking about standards not dropping, needing to be right for Arsenal, Bailey needing to be consistent, etc.

Demanding more. Expecting more.

And then you hear Bailey talk with raw & honest emotion & you can tell how much they love the manager & how close this squad is.

Something magical is happening at Villa Park & Im just happy to have our club back.

And credit to Guardiola for not giving excuses & admitting that we were just better than them last night.

I don't like him as a manager but that was a touch of class.

[Risso]

That was the best team performance I've seen since that 5-1 vs Liverpool in 1976. The first 45 minutes of that game was on a level I don't think will ever be repeated. But last night, for the full 90 mins we utterly dominated, in every aspect of the game, the best side in Europe.

What I recall about that game was how quiet it was when they went off a half-time.  It was as if there was a stunned silence. Few could believe what they had just seen

Other than a couple of half-arsed renditions of Blue Moon, and the utterly shit "We know what we are, Champions of Europe..." their fans hardly made a peep.

[UK Redsox]

One annoyance from last night.......the Ref's inconsistent attitude to where free kicks were taken from.

Makes Villa retake a defensive free kick when they'd done so behind where the offence occurred but waved play on when Man City took an attacking free kick well in front of where the foul took place.

[Somniloquism]

what a night! Villa Park under the lights is always magical.

I think my biggest shock (admiration in a strange way) was the people still leaving 5/10 minutes early.

If you were ever going to watch the conclusion of a Villa match!

Match was later KO then usual for a weeknight, so maybe the trains connections didn't work for them if they left it any later?

[Rotterdam]

Since my first game at VP in 1980/81, I don't think I've seen us dominate a game so completely.
We were excellent...and dare I say how proud I was of every single one of the fans. The support and atmosphere was exceptional.

[Clark W Griswold]

Since my first game at VP in 1980/81, I don't think I've seen us dominate a game so completely.

I think we have plenty of times, but it would be extremely rare against a top side and certainly not against the treble winners of the previous season.

It was a masterclass in control and the players oozed confidence. Nearly everything came off there was little if any panicking and it was a joy to watch. Emery's team just keeps getting better.

[Sexual Ealing]

I couldn't go last night because I was down London for a work away day and Christmas Do. Ended up watching it on my phone with a growing gaggle of of fans of other teams - Arsenal, Liverpool, Palace, Leeds, Particle Thistle - all very pleased, mostly to see Man City lose but also for us.

We were absolutely faultless, I thought this side was playing close to its ceiling (brilliantly) but they smashed through to another level today.

Man City and Liverpool are both weaker than they have been in previous years. Arsenal have been doing just enough without really convincing. You never know do you? Play like that and we have no reason to fear anyone.

Small club.

[PeterWithe]

Were they playing away, or atom?