Superb Aston Villa took the fight to Man City — and utterly dominated

So much for Pep Guardiola’s insistence at the start of the season that Manchester City are heading to their fourth successive title. After a comprehensive defeat by a magnificent Aston Villa, his side have slumped to fourth place in the table, six points behind the leaders Arsenal. Here’s how much they are drifting off the pace: Manchester United – a side who have spent much of the season serving up fodder for comedy writers – are now only three points behind them.