Manchester City vs Aston Villa LIVE!

Phil Foden scored a brilliant hat-trick as Manchester City kept the pressure on in the Premier League title race with a 4-1 win over Champions League-chasing Aston Villa. A day after defending his star striker against criticism from Roy Keane, Pep Guardiola left Erling Haaland on the bench alongside Kevin De Bruyne, clearing the stage for Foden to grab the spotlight with an outstanding performance and his second hat-trick of the campaign.

After Jhon Duran cancelled out Rodri's opener, the 23-year-old put City back in front with a free-kick late in the first half before two excellent strikes settled it just after the hour mark, taking Foden to 21 City goals for the season. Pep Guardiola's side remain third, a point behind leaders Arsenal and level with Liverpool - who host Sheffield United on Thursday - after their first win over a top-five side this term.

But while little has changed in the table, this was a far more fluid performance from the champions days after Arsenal ended their run of 57 consecutive home games with a goal. Read the game back below with our dedicated match blog!

Man City vs Aston Villa latest news

• GOAL! Foden seals a stunning hat-trick

• GOAL! Foden fires home a second

• GOAL! Foden bends in a free kick

• GOAL! Duran silences Etihad with equaliser

• GOAL! Rodri sweeps home the opener

Full-time!

22:11 , Alex Young

95min: That’s your lot! What a night for Phil Foden.

22:09 , Alex Young

92min: Shock in the stadium as Foden is named man of the match.

22:08 , Alex Young

91min: Four minutes added on.

22:03 , Alex Young

85min: City very much going through the motions now. Job done.

21:58 , Alex Young

80min: Two more changes for City as Doku and Foden are replaced by Gomez and Bobb.

21:52 , Alex Young

75min: Changes for City as Rodri and Bernardo are replaced by Nunes and Kovacic.

GOAL!

21:47 , Alex Young

69min: Foden gets his hat-trick! It’s a rocket from the midfielder, who picks himself up after being fouled, wins back the ball and then fires into the top corner.

Remarkable.

GOAL!

21:41 , Alex Young

62min: Foden has his second! It had been coming.

Rodri beats one man and then finds Foden on the edge of the area to sweep home with his left foot, finding the far bottom corner and in off the post.

21:37 , Alex Young

59min: Foden wants a second and you wouldn’t bet against him getting one. He’s ducked and dived through the defence, past one, two and three until running into Diego Carlos in the area.

21:34 , Alex Young

56min: Another big Ortega save! This time Lenglet flicks on the corner and almost finds the inside of the near post.

21:33 , Alex Young

55min: I was just about to write again that a City third looked very likely, but Villa head up the other end and force Ortega into a fingertip save over the bar from Luiz.

21:32 , Alex Young

54min: Doku the latest to sting Olsen’s palms are ducking into the area and firing low at the keeper.

21:28 , Alex Young

52min: City in control again, Foden is purring.

21:27 , Alex Young

49min: A huge save from Olsen as Bernardo turns inside the area and fires at the Villa keeper.

Should score, great save.

Second half!

21:23 , Alex Young

46min: Back under way.

21:18 , Alex Young

You do wonder what Emery could do with his limited bench options. Bailey scored the winner the last time these two teams met in December.

21:13 , Alex Young

Rodri and Foden with the goals, either side of Duran's equaliser.Villa have done well but City look in control.

I fully expect Haaland to come on in the second half, but his team-mate do not need him yet.

Half-time!

21:07 , Alex Young

50min: Alvarez had to head home a third but Doku’s cross was a tad too high for the small striker... and that’s half-time!

21:03 , Alex Young

47min: Four minutes added on, of which we’ve played two.

GOAL!

21:02 , Alex Young

46min: This time Foden tries and his luck... and bends it around the wall and into the bottom corner!

21:01 , Alex Young

45min: Another City free kick on the edge of the area, another Luiz foul.

20:59 , Alex Young

43min: Duran goes down clutching his head after a challenge by Dias. Not sure there was much contact, in truth.

20:57 , Alex Young

41min: It is starting to feel like a City goal is imminent as Foden tries to jink into the area. Villa can’t get out.

Not long until half-time.

20:55 , Alex Young

40min: Luiz booked for bringing down Alvarez on the edge of the area... Alvarez takes and sends an effort over the bar.

20:52 , Alex Young

39min: Incredible stuff from City as the patiently probe until Alvarez is freed into the area and only Olsen’s trailing right leg prevents a goal.

20:51 , Alex Young

35min: The referee is letting some tackles go tonight, this time Duran wants one off Lewis (and this one looks like a foul) but the ref waves play on.

It’s a good game.

20:47 , Alex Young

31min: And now City fans are whistling as Luiz wins a free kick off Grealish, who has now been booked for complaining about the decision.

20:45 , Alex Young

29min: City fans are screaming for a foul on Doku has he turns past Lenglet but then slips.

Nothing in it.

20:40 , Alex Young

23min: Close! Grealish’s half-volley into the turf bounces up and spins wide.

He wants a corner but it doesn’t look like Olsen got a touch.

GOAL!

20:36 , Alex Young

20min: Etihad silenced! Superb counter releases Duran into the area and he slots home under Ortega!

Game. On.

20:34 , Alex Young

14min: Manchester City fans singing "Champions of Europe, you'll never sing that" at Aston Villa fans.

Aston Villa won the European Cup 41 years before City did, of course.

GOAL!

20:28 , Alex Young

12min: It’s been coming! Rodri fires home after 11 minutes.

Smart goal, sweeping home Doku's cross.

20:26 , Alex Young

11min: Grealish is getting booed every time he touches the ball.

That’ll teach him for leaving to win trophies.

20:24 , Alex Young

9min: Doku fouled near the touchline, around 30 yards out, to win a free kick. Foden is over it, but sends the delivery into Olsen’s grateful hands.

20:22 , Alex Young

7min: He should be OK to continue, but one to keep an eye on.

20:22 , Alex Young

6min: Concern for Villa as Duran is down and looks in some pain.

20:19 , Alex Young

3min: Straight up the other end, Grealish spots Alvarez darting into the area and the young forward spins well to fire into the side netting.

He may have been offside.

20:17 , Alex Young

2min: Villa immediately win a corner, but City deal with it well.

Kick-off!

20:17 , Alex Young

1min: Here we go!

20:12 , Alex Young

Here come the teams!

Guardiola on dropping Haaland and De Bruyne

20:07 , Alex Young

“In two days we have another game,” he told TNT Sports.

"I think all the teams at the top have a big squad and of course we have it and that is the position today we decide for the line-up."

20:04 , Alex Young

The teams are back in the dressing room. Not long to go now.

19:57 , Alex Young

De Bruyne and Haaland are out warming up with the rest of the squad, so fitness doesn’t appear to be a concern.

Martinez OUT of the game

19:45 , Alex Young

It gets worse for Villa as Martinez has been withdrawn from the game through illness!

Robin Olsen will now start.

Rob

19:35 , Alex Young

Haaland, De Bruyne and De Bruyne are all benched as Man City make four changes. Lewis starts with Ake out and Stones not fit enough to make the line up.

Aston Villa make five changes, including Duran replacing the injured Watkins. Torres and Bailey benched.

Team news in full

19:19 , Alex Young

Manchester City XI: Ortega Moreno, Lewis, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol, Rodrigo, Bernardo, Doku, Foden, Grealish, Alvarez

Subs: Carson, Stones, Kovacic, Haaland, De Bruyne, Gomez, Nunes, Bobb, Susoho

Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Konsa, Diego Carlos, Lenglet, Digne, Zaniolo, Iroegbunam, Douglas Luiz, Rogers, Diaby, Duran

Subs: Tielemans, Torres, Alex Moreno, Chambers, Gauci, Olsen, Kesler-Hayden, Bailey, Kellyman

Aston Villa XI

19:16 , Alex Young

...and the visitors.

Man City XI

19:16 , Alex Young

Here’s how the hosts look.

19:08 , Alex Young

Rico Lewis is expected to start tonight, with Stones still not fit for a place in the XI.

Haaland dropped

19:01 , Alex Young

It was only yesterday that Guardiola called Haaland "the best striker in the world", but now he has dropped him.

It comes after Roy Keane called Haaland's "general play" against Arsenal "so poor" and "almost like a League Two player".

Guardiola said on Tuesday: "I don't agree with him, absolutely not.

"He's the best striker in the world. He helped us win last season and the reason why we didn't create many answers from Erling is we need more presence in the final third with more people.

"We played an exceptional game, I reviewed the game against Arsenal but we just missed more people in the final third. The quality and different skillset we have, Haaland is exceptional."

Last meeting

18:50 , Alex Young

Back in December, Aston Villa continued their remarkable run of home form by beating Manchester City 1-0 at Villa Park on a night they could well have scored more.

Leon Bailey fired the hosts to a 1-0 win which equalled a club record with a 14th consecutive home victory and lifted them above the stuttering Premier League champions into third place.

Bailey's 74th-minute strike came thanks to a deflection off Ruben Dias but few inside Villa Park cared amid jubilant celebrations.

Unai Emery's first career win over Pep Guardiola in 14 attempts came in his 50th match in charge of Villa, a side he has transformed from relegation battlers to top-four contenders in the space of a year.

Read more here.

18:45 , Alex Young

It’s an interesting tactic by Guardiola, with Villa one of the stronger teams in the league even without Watkins.

18:31 , Alex Young

So, a big night for the likes of Alvarez and... Nunes perhaps? Or Grealish to start.

18:24 , Alex Young

It sounds like De Bruyne has also not made the starting lineup tonight. We will have confirmed team news in less than an hour.

Score prediction

18:19 , Alex Young

Villa remain one of the most dangerous teams in the division and certainly have the ability to unlock City’s defence. Having failed to score against Arsenal, there is a sense of vulnerability about Guardiola’s team.

A 1-1 draw.

18:14 , Alex Young

Early (very) unconfirmed reports that Haaland has been benched for tonight’s game.

Aston Villa team news

18:12 , Alex Young

Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins has been ruled out of tonight’s game.

The striker picked up a hamstring injury during Saturday's 2-0 win over Wolves. He wanted to carry on after half-time but the doctor advised him not to risk it.

Villa boss Unai Emery says it is a "small injury" but enough to rule him out of the trip to the Etihad Stadium, along with Jacob Ramsey who has been missing since the start of last month with a foot problem.

Emery said at his pre-match press conference: "They will not be available for tomorrow. They have small injuries.

"Jacob Ramsey is not getting better like he wants. We are not in a hurry with him. For tomorrow he will not be available.

"With Ollie, it is more or less the same. Ollie's injury is a small injury, with some days rest, maybe he could be available for the next match."

Man City team news

18:01 , Alex Young

A trio of Manchester City players are set to miss out tonight.

City were already without both experienced defender Kyle Walker and first-choice goalkeeper Ederson for Sunday’s drab goalless draw with rivals Arsenal, with John Stones an unused substitute as he works back to fitness.

City then saw their defensive problems worsen further when Nathan Ake was forced off after less than half an hour at the Etihad Stadium.

Asked for an update on Stones, Walker and Ederson at his pre-Villa press conference on Tuesday, manager Guardiola said: “I don’t think [they will play]. John maybe, the other two no chance.

“[John] has to feel fully fit. But the injury was less than we expected. We’ll see. Maybe for the next games he’ll be ready.”

On Ake, he added: “Injured. Hopefully he will be back soon. I don’t know exactly the timing. Next game he won’t be ready.”

Where to watch Man City vs Aston Villa

17:54 , Alex Young

TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on TNT Sports 1, with coverage beginning at 7.30pm BST ahead of kick-off at 8:15pm.

Live stream: Subscribers can also catch the contest live online via the Discovery+ app and website.

Welcome

17:46 , Alex Young

Good evening and welcome to the Standard’s LIVE coverage of the Premier League clash between Manchester City and Aston Villa.

It is one of the trickier ties on for reigning champions in the run in, but City will be buoyed by the absence of Villa frontman Ollie Watkins through injury.

But Villa have already beaten City once this season - can they complete the league double over them for the first time in 22 years?

Kick-off is at 8.15pm BST.