*Two goals in the last eight minutes from Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero broke Aston Villa’s resistance and gave Manchester City a vital victory in their pursuit of Premier League leaders Chelsea.*

The champions’ uncertain start to the season had seen them win only one of their previous four league games and it appeared they would drop two more points at Villa Park after being unable to find a way through Villa’s resolute defence.

With Chelsea playing Arsenal on Sunday, City were facing the prospect of heading into the international break as many as eight points behind Jose Mourinho’s men, but instead they signed off with a morale-boosting win.

Toure, who has been under scrutiny over his sluggish early-season form, was again far from his best but finally found a way past Villa’s well-drilled defence when he advanced to the edge of the area after 82 minutes and flashed a shot into the bottom corner.

Aguero made certain of the three points with another fine finish from the edge of the area six minutes later.

It meant Villa, who have lost their last three games, got no reward for a battling display.

But they were able to welcome back fit-again striker Christian Benteke, who came on as a second-half substitute after six months out.

For City, relief was the over-riding emotion after it had appeared that a goal was never going to come.

They had enjoyed 69% of possession in a one-sided first half but failed to force Brad Guzan into a save.

That was mainly down to the home side’s well-organised defence, who sat deep and threw themselves at the ball whenever City got near their goal.

Some shots did get through, but the closest City came to breaking Villa’s resistance was when Aleksandar Kolarov saw his drilled effort deflect off Alan Hutton and come back off the outside of the post.

Edin Dzeko was guilty of some poor finishing, blazing over after making space inside the box, and Aguero’s glancing header flew wide.

But the main reason Villa reached half-time with the score level was the number of timely blocks and tackles made by their defenders, particularly the impressive Nathan Baker.

Paul Lambert’s side had barely threatened on the counter-attack at the other end of the pitch but that changed at the start of the second half after Aguero wasted a golden chance to put City ahead.

The Argentina striker had time to pick his spot after running on to James Milner’s through-ball, but placed his shot against the post and Villa immediately raced up the other end of the pitch where Joe Hart’s outstretched leg denied Kieran Richardson.

City, who were beaten here last season in another game where they saw the vast majority of the ball, continued to probe and forced Guzan into his first save after 50 minutes when he denied David Silva after the Spaniard’s neat turn inside the area.

More vital stops followed, from Silva and Aguero snap-shots and also Eliaquim Mangala’s towering header but, as the game entered the last 10 minutes, City’s pressure eventually told.

Villa’s defence, for once, was at fault as it allowed Toure too much time and he punished them ruthlessly with his first Premier League goal of the season.

Aguero’s strike was also top quality, although it gave the scoreline a sheen that City did not truly deserve.