Aston Villa vs Manchester City match report: Remi Garde's side hold on to secure goalless draw

Aston Villa 0 Manchester City 0

Raheem Sterling (GETTY IMAGES)

If he were a boxer he might be known as Rémi “Rear” Garde. The Frenchman, newly installed as miracle worker at Aston Villa, enjoyed his share against Manchester City yesterday of that most precious commodity, luck. There was no rope-a-dope victory but if Garde can hang on to the rub of the green, plus the spirit, organisation and hard work Villa put in, then there is still a chance Villa Park might be witness to Premier League football next season.

City started slowly but were fully engaged in the second half and, with Jesus Navas given the freedom of Aston down the right, should have scored a bucketload. Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne were the biggest culprits, both wasting point-blank opportunities created by the rapid Spaniard. At least Fernando crashed his close-range attempt, a thunderous header, against the crossbar in added time. It should have been embroidery by then.

And so, after seven consecutive defeats, Villa returned their first point since August and first clean sheet since the opening game at Bournemouth, which remains their only league win of the campaign. They failed to test Joe Hart, the City goalkeeper, yet were full of running and, with the reinstated Carles Gil at the hub of an industrial midfield, were a revelation in the first half.

The former Villa manager Tim Sherwood thought Gil worthy of only three starts, and in two of them he failed to see out the 90 minutes. Odd how a player so obviously blessed should be so frequently overlooked. Garde would not comment on the previous regime, but recognises a player when he sees one.

“I know Carles is a good player and, though he had a lot of defensive work today, it was a good match for him,” he said. “He has to do that in every match. Every manager has his own view of football and you have to adapt to the players you have.”

Garde accepted that his team were blessed by Providence and understands industry, not luck, will be the route out of the mess Villa are in. “I’m realistic. I know luck does not come calling and say, ‘Here I am’. We worked hard. I was pleased for the players. We have been a bit lucky, of course. They hit the bar and we did not create many chances, but it is City. They are full of confidence and came here on the back of a brilliant display in Seville. I was not frustrated not to get the three points.”

Villa had the ball for fully two minutes before City properly touched it. Then by increments Yaya Touré, Sterling and De Bruyne begin to flex their muscles. One raking, cross-field ball by Touré was ridiculous in scope and execution, nestling like a butterfly on Bacary Sagna’s boot.

This, however, was not Touré’s greatest afternoon, and that, perhaps, is where Villa’s good fortune was rooted. Defensively he was in hangdog mode during much of the first half, when the game was consequently at its most even.

Buoyed by Garde’s arrival, Villa were a vibrant irritant all over the park and at times, with Gil pulling the strings, a real threat. His run at the heart of the City defence in the 38th minute was way too good for Nicolas Otamendi, who went straight into the book for his agricultural challenge. The resultant free-kick was wasted by Gil, yet the break filled Villa with fresh belief.

At the other end Brad Guzan’s save from Sterling early in the second half had a similar impact. Navas made the most of space down the right to pick out Sterling, whose point-blank header appeared destined for the net and was prevented from finding it only by Guzan’s head.

The siege of the Villa goal had begun. At their best City do not allow space to develop between midfielders and attackers, so there is always an option for the player in possession. And the ball moves forward and quickly. The impression that City had one more man formed quickly. Confidence and swagger are the attendant characteristics when a team reaches the pitch City are at.

Weight of talent and experience threatened to overwhelm Villa in waves of second-half attacks. De Bruyne somehow contrived the miss of the match after being set up again by Navas, shooting against his standing leg inside the six-yard box.

Gil, with so few league games this season, understandably ran out of gas and Scott Sinclair was replaced in the 71st minute by Leandro Bacuna, as Garde sought to hold out for the point. “A clean sheet against such a good team means we should be more confident next time,” Garde said.

His opposite number, Manuel Pellegrini, did not look too deeply into the outcome. “It was a frustrating game,” he said. “We did enough to win, we tried to score many times. They did not have one shot at our goalkeeper, but this happens in football. I was very happy with the way we played in the second half, good pressing and very attacking.

“It was one of those days. We were very unlucky in three or four chances and dominated the game. It is not easy with 10 men behind the ball in the last 60 metres, but we did our best and we have to continue playing like we did today.

“All teams have at least one game like this during the season,” Pellegrini added.

At least City can look forward to the return of Sergio Aguero during the international break. The Argentine returns to training this week.