Fernandinho hails City team mates after Villa win

Victory at Villa Park leaves Blues needing eight points from remaining five fixtures

Club captain Fernandinho hailed his team mates after a 2-1 victory against Aston Villa moved City closed to a third Premier League title in four years.

A disastrous start saw City behind within 20 seconds, after John McGinn converted Ollie Watkins' cross. The Blues composed themselves and began to dominate possession, and were rewarded when Phil Foden finished off a fine move to level the scores.

Rodri then put the visitors ahead, glancing in Bernardo Silva's cross, before a red card for John Stones on the brink of half-time threatened to end City's run of 17 consecutive away victories. However, Villa themselves were reduced to ten men when Matty Cash, who had endured a torrid evening at the hands of Phil Foden, brought the youngster down to receive a second yellow card.

City now require eight points from their remaining five league games, and Fernandinho praised the team's performance:

"We recovered possession and controlled the game and turned it around in the first half and the second half was tough.

"But at the end it was a good game and we’re happy for another victory.

"We have five games left to play but with the character of our players we are sure we can do it.

"We are so close we just need to focus and concentrate. We have five games left and we’ll see what happens."