*Vassell shows his teeth to bite the hand that once fed him*

Manchester City must wish they could play Aston Villa every week. Stuart Pearce has seen his side’s away record ridiculed over the past 12 months but the City manager could have been forgiven for picking out this fixture as the evening when everything would change. City’s last win on their travels came here back in April, a three-point haul that stretched their unbeaten record against Villa to nine matches. That sequence entered double figures last night as City provided Villa with a reality check.

Only 24 hours earlier Martin O’Neill had told a reporter he should see a doctor when it was suggested Villa might finish in the top four, and the possibility of Champions League football next season seemed nothing more than a pipedream for much of this contest.

City totally outplayed Villa and ought to have secured victory, only their second away from home this year, long before half-time. As
it was, a wonderful Sylvain Distin goal 15 minutes from time did the job.

It was a chastening experience for Randy Lerner, the Villa owner forced to endure only a second league defeat of the campaign from the stands. He is due to hold talks with O’Neill today and tomorrow to discuss transfer targets in January, with the case for bringing in new faces strengthened considerably courtesy of Pearce’s players. One of those, Darius Vassell, continued his extraordinary record against Villa, scoring City’s first to make it five goals in as many games against his former employers.

He could have had a hat-trick before the first half reached the midway point, such was City’s dominance. Not until Gavin McCann’s
excellent strike did Villa stir from their torpor and then it was too little too late. At times during the first half it was as much as Villa could do to get into the City half. Pearce’s side were rampant, controlling possession and carving open the Villa defence with surprising ease. Only profligacy in front of goal and the performance of Stuart Taylor, Villa’s keeper, prevented a rout.

“We didn’t deserve anything from the game tonight, they have won comfortably,” said O’Neill, who played down the significance of Lerner’s presence. “I think the owner has seen a lot of games now. I am sure he will be disappointed with the performance tonight but I think he knows our position. The overall impression I have is [that] I have been very pleased with the team but frailties can be showed up on nights like this.”

Vassell, who had already seen a curling shot beaten away by Taylor, gave City the lead in the 18th minute. It was a goal that had been coming, with Villa pinned back and unable to keep the ball. Micah Richards linked with Hatem Trabelsi before the Tunisian swung a curling cross into the Villa area. His delivery was flicked on astutely by Bernardo Corradi for Vassell, lurking at the far post, to hammer an eight-yard drive beyond Taylor. Four minutes later Vassell’s diving header flew narrowly over.

Villa had no riposte and another blow soon followed, Joey Barton nonchalantly converting in the 33rd minute after Distin’s slide-rule pass had released Georgios Samaras. The Greek international, whose shot was beaten away by Taylor in the sixth minute, was forced to run wide but he still had the time to take a touch before picking out Barton’s sprint into the area. Without breaking his stride, the midfielder stroked the ball past Taylor and inside the near post.

Only for a brief period after the interval, when McCann’s speculative shot sneaked inside the near post, did Villa threaten to claw back the deficit. Stilian Petrov’s curling free-kick had struck the crossbar on the stroke of half-time but that moment of quality was an aberration. City were toying with their opponents, Corradi stinging Taylor’s hands before the Villa goalkeeper got back on to his feet to deny Vassell a second. The reprieve was to be short-lived.

Distin, commanding in central defence, strode forward from inside his own half before swapping passes with Samaras. His pace took him past Liam Ridgewell before he finished with aplomb, placing his left-footed shot wide of Taylor. “The performance of the players was magnificent,” said Pearce. “It’s probably one of the best performances we have put on this season. Since the bloody nose we had at Wigan [when City lost 4-0] there’s been a steely determination. We need to build on days like today.”