7500 To Holte - Manchester City vs. Aston Villa: A Stupid, Stupid GameVilla Til We Cryhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46611/7500-fave.png2012-11-17T20:21:00+00:00http://7500toholte.sbnation.com/rss/stream/34213492012-11-17T20:21:00+00:002012-11-17T20:21:00+00:00City 5-0 Villa : Let The Anger Flow
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<figcaption>Alex Livesey</figcaption>
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<p>Finding themselves on the wrong end of a 5-0 scoreline would normally be embarrassing for Aston Villa. After a complete and total mockery of competent professionalism, the only people that ought to be embarrassed are the referees. </p> <p>Avoiding defeat to Manchester City at the Etihad was never going to be an easy task. But for the first hour, it seemed like <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://7500toholte.sbnation.com/">Aston Villa</a> might be able to pull it off. To that point Villa had defended tremendously well all day, and it took <span>Enda Stevens</span> being kicked in the face on a corner kick to allow City to finally break through just before the half. Villa didn't have much of the ball, but they looked dangerous much of the time that they were in possession, and the home side were continually turned away by a resolute back line. Even if Aston Villa couldn't manage to score a goal, they'd once again play very well against tough competition, and they'd be heading back to Birmingham without being soundly beaten.</p>
<p>And then Jon Moss and Adrian Holmes had to go and happen. The first sign that the officials were intent on forcing their way into the narrative came in the 54th minute. After <span>Ron Vlaar</span> made a tremendous clearance to deny <span>Yaya Toure</span> and the players began taking their positions for the next corner to come, Moss pointed to the spot. For a few seconds no one seemed to know why; the broadcast showed a replay of Vlaar's tackle, and it was clean as clean could be. There didn't appear to have been any shoving in the box. And then word came that it was the sideline official Holmes that called for the penalty, ostensibly for a handball on Andreas Weimann. Replays were shown, from every conceivable angle and at every conceivable speed. Weimann's arm was extended but being pulled away from the ball. It didn't alter the path of the ball, largely because <i>it never actually touched it or came particularly close to doing so.</i> The ball was headed into the mix by a City player and if not for the efforts of Vlaar would have been a goal.</p>
<p>At this point I was pretty upset, as you'd likely expect. That handballs such as the one Weimann was judged to have committed - even when there's actual contact with the ball, which there was not in this case - are worth giving the opposition a 77% chance at a goal is one of the single dumbest things in sports. If I could change anything about the laws of the game, I'm almost certain that would be it. Referees make mistakes, but they <i>absolutely cannot</i> make this kind of mistake. The difference between this game at 1-0 and 2-0 is massive, and there's no way the circumstances under which the game went from 1-0 to 2-0 didn't impact the mental state of the players (especially Weimann, who spent the rest of his time on the pitch looking as though he were attempting to murder the referees with his eyes.) But it wasn't until the 65th minute that the game well and truly became a joke, when Moss awarded City <i>another</i> penalty for handball, with yet another assist from Holmes.</p>
<p>Unlike the first time around, <span>Barry Bannan's</span> arm did in fact touch the ball. It also touched the ball after he'd fallen on the ground and <span>David Silva</span> kicked the ball into said arm, which was in a completely natural position. I've seen this penalty given before, and I always think it's dumb, but it's a judgment call; however, I'm going to go ahead and say that when you've not ten minutes prior awarded a penalty for handball when the ball did not in fact touch anyone's hand, <i>you've lost the benefit of the doubt. </i>Tevez converted the penalty, Aguero added another two minutes later, Tevez made it 5-0 just before the 75th minute, and that was that. The game was never the same after the first penalty and it was a lost cause after the second. And though we'll never know what would have happened without the penalty calls, you're not going to convince me that they didn't make a massive difference. </p>
<p>I'm sure City fans and likely neutrals as well will read this and think it's sour grapes, and to some extent they're right. I get annoyed when my teams lose. I get righteously pissed off when they get screwed. I can deal with a few mistakes here and there from referees, because they have incredibly difficult jobs that are made even more difficult than they should be thanks to FIFA's shameful fear of technology and innovation. But this wasn't a few mistakes. This was an official making two very significant calls, one of which was an absolute disgrace and the other which was at best borderline, and in the process changing the very nature of the game. If I made such a grievous error with such severe consequences at my job, well, I'd probably have a whole lot more time to dedicate to writing.</p>
<p>Let's be clear; City was almost certainly going to win this game no matter what happened. This isn't me sitting here saying the referees deprived Villa of a point, because even down 1-0 they had a massive hill to climb, and given City's attacking talent they were likely to break through again in any event. But we'll never know, because the referees made at least one horrendous mistake that completely changed the course of the game. Being a referee is a difficult job, and part of what makes it difficult is that you're put under a magnifying glass. But when you make such a horrendous decision, forgive me if I find it difficult to muster up much in the way of sympathy.</p>
https://7500toholte.sbnation.com/2012/11/17/3658866/manchester-city-routs-aston-villa-thanks-to-tevez-aguero-shamefullyAaron Campeau2012-11-17T14:01:30+00:002012-11-17T14:01:30+00:00City vs. Villa : Open Match Thread
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<h4>MANCHESTER CITY</h4>
<p><b>OVERALL: </b>7-4-0, 25 pts +10 GD</p>
<p><b>POSITION: </b>17th</p>
<p><b>LAST 5: W-D-W-W-W</b></p>
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<h4>ASTON VILLA</h4>
<p><b>OVERALL: </b>2-3-6, 7 pts -7 GD</p>
<p><b>POSITION: </b>17th</p>
<p><b>LAST 5: L-W-D-L-L</b></p>
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<p><b>Related: </b><a href="http://www.7500toholte.com/2012/11/17/3657300/manchester-city-vs-aston-villa-match-preview" target="_blank">Manchester City vs. Aston Villa Preview</a> | <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/7500toholte">Follow us on Twitter <img width="20" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1230953/twitter-bird-blue-on-white.png"></a></p>
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<center style="text-align: left;">WHAT TO WATCH FOR:</center>
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<li><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186035px; line-height: 8.981481552124023px;">Villa's left defensive flank. <span>Eric Lichaj</span> has had a rough go at left back as of late, <span>Enda Stevens</span> has played just a bit over one full game at the Premier League level, and Villa's only other options are center backs or midfielders. Stevens has played well and Lichaj has a decent history of doing the same that predates his recent slump, but no matter which of <span>David Silva</span> or <span>Samir Nasri</span> start on the right for City, it's going to be a big task to handle. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186035px; line-height: 8.962963104248047px;">Villa's counter. It's been really quite good lately, and this team looks to be at their best when they're looking to catch the opposition on the break. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186035px; line-height: 8.962963104248047px;">Set pieces on both sides. Benteke is clearly a threat, while City can score directly from nearly anywhere in the attacking half of the pitch thanks to Silva, Aguero, Kolarov, etc. Probably Villa's best chance, and one of City's most potent weapons. </span></li>
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https://7500toholte.sbnation.com/2012/11/17/3657314/manchester-city-vs-aston-villa-live-coverage-open-match-threadAaron Campeau2012-11-17T07:26:10+00:002012-11-17T07:26:10+00:00City vs. Villa: Match Preview
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<figcaption>Clive Brunskill</figcaption>
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<p>Manchester City at the Etihad is as difficult a game as there is in the Premier League, but just as was the case last week against Manchester United there's little to be gained by throwing caution to the wind. </p> <p><span id="internal-source-marker_0.7165430642198771"><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://7500toholte.sbnation.com/">Aston Villa's</a> hellish mid-November run didn't get off to a great start results-wise, but it would be difficult to argue that there wasn't a lot to like about their performance against Manchester United. Were the universe a fair and forgiving place, Villa would have a chance to build on some of that momentum against one of the league's fellow struggling sides. Instead, they'll travel to the Etihad to take on <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://bitterandblue.sbnation.com/">Manchester City</a>, defending champions and the Premier League's only remaining unbeaten side. It is, to use the technical term, a complete and total bummer.<br><br>Plenty of Aston Villa fans will likely point out that this team went into the Etihad not all that long ago and walked out with a victory, and to a large extent they'd be right to do so. It did happen, after all, so it's clearly not impossible for Aston Villa to win away against City. But the reason that win was so memorable is because it was so incredibly unlikely. And while City fielded a strong lineup, it also featured players like <span>Abdul Razak</span>, <span>Matija Nastasić</span>, <span>Costel Pantilimon</span> and Jérémy Hélan. There's also the fact that, had the game not been part of a cup competition, it would have ended in a 2-2 draw. <br><br>Realistically, Aston Villa would likely take a 2-2 draw from this game six days a week and twice on Sundays. Away at the Etihad is not a game from which anyone expects Aston Villa to take points. City is unbeaten in their last 35 league home games, winning 9 of the last 10 and 5 in a row against Villa at the Etihad. City have had their struggles in cup competitions this season (thanks for helping to put Siem de Jong well out of Villa's price range, by the way,) but in the league they've not made many fatal mistakes. There are criticisms to be made of <span>Roberto Mancini</span> and his team, but it's difficult to argue with an unbeaten record.<br><br>There's some good news for Villa in the form of <span>Eric Lichaj</span> and <span>Nathan Baker</span> being available for selection once again, meaning that a defense that was frighteningly understaffed against United should be much closer to full strength this time around. With <span>Joe Bennett</span> still unavailable after re-injuring his knee against <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://rokerreport.sbnation.com/">Sunderland</a>, the return of both will be most welcome. Villa are still without both <span>Darren Bent</span> and <span>Charles N'Zogbia</span>, but that's not even really newsworthy at this point, is it?<br><br>There's little reason to expect Villa to approach this game much differently than they did last week's, and that's an approach with which I am in complete agreement. City is an absolute bear to break down, surrendering less than a goal per game at home, and though their attack is not nearly as high-powered as the available talent might suggest it ought to be, they don't have too many problems scoring. Much the same as last week, the best chance this team has to take something back to Birmingham with them - be it points or added confidence - is to go out and get after the opposition.<br><br>That probably won't be enough, because Manchester City is a behemoth. A disappointing, Baby Huey-esque behemoth sometimes, but a behemoth nonetheless. But that commitment to attacking football is important for this young and still developing team, and along with that approach comes the possibility (as slim as it may be) for a massive upset. This team is getting better week-in and week-out, and eventually they're going to shock someone. I don't think they're quite there just yet, but another performance like the past two weeks and they'll be pretty darn close. </span></p>
https://7500toholte.sbnation.com/2012/11/17/3657300/manchester-city-vs-aston-villa-match-previewAaron Campeau