Manchester City 4-0 Aston Villa
SERGIO AGUERO SCORED twice as Manchester City overcame rock-bottom Aston Villa with a 4-0 win to boost their Premier League title bid at the Etihad Stadium.
Manager Manuel Pellegrini insisted this week that a title charge is still within his side’s capabilities and they made the most of Tottenham’s earlier draw with Arsenal with a ruthless second-half performance.
City dictated proceedings but were frustrated by Villa’s deep defensive approach in the opening period, with Aguero and Wilfiried Bony spurning good chances before Joe Hart denied Jordan Ayew with a strong save.
Villa’s resistance lasted until the break, but City, who had been laboured in attack until that point, struck three minutes into the second period when Yaya Toure finished a clinical move involving Aguero and David Silva.
Micah Richards inadvertently turned an attempted clearance in off Aguero to make it 2-0 and the Argentine bagged his sixth goal in just four Premier League matches against Villa to make it three for City soon afterwards.
Substitute Raheem Sterling added a fourth before Aguero missed a penalty as City snapped a three-match losing streak in the top flight and restored a three-point cushion to Manchester United in fifth place.
Newcastle 1-3 Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth piled the pressure on under-fire Newcastle United boss Steve McClaren with a 3-1 Premier League triumph at a disgruntled St James’ Park.
Despite releasing a statement in the press before the game to show their support for McClaren, Newcastle produced a poor performance and were deservedly beaten, with Steven Taylor’s own goal and strikes from Josh King and Charlie Daniels eclipsing Ayoze Perez’s effort.
King’s cross was turned in by Taylor after 28 minutes and Bournemouth proceeded to dictate the play as they picked up back-to-back top-flight wins for the first time in 2016.
Having had a hand in the opener, King doubled the visitors’ tally 20 minutes from time with a powerful close-range finish, while Perez’s goal provided a rare bright moment for Newcastle before Daniels had the final say at the death.
Maypies fans chanted “You’re getting sacked in the morning” to McClaren during the game and time could be up for the former Middlesbrough boss.
With just 10 games left to save their season and a trip to leaders Leicester City up next, Newcastle have a major battle on their hands to beat the drop.
Southampton 1-1 Sunderland
Virgil van Dijk grabbed a stoppage-time equaliser as ten-man Southampton rescued a 1-1 draw against struggling Sunderland.
Ronald Koeman’s hosts played the final stages a man down after Jose Fonte saw red, and it proved costly as Jermain Defoe pounced in trademark style.
But there was another twist in the tale, centre-back Van Dijk prodding past Vito Mannone in the third minute of injury time.
With all of the bottom three losing elsewhere, Sunderland still moved a point clear of 18th-placed Norwich City.
