Stu Brennan's verdict.
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The brilliance of Yaya Toure’s match-winning goal is beyond doubt. But take a moment to consider the boldness of it.
In a week when his credentials have been questioned, his City performances dissected, his motivation questioned and his future queried, lesser men than Toure might have quailed.
He could have taken the coward’s way out, and played the simple game he does so well, short, easy passes.
He had David Silva in mercurial form, he had Frank Lampard coming on to threaten more havoc in the over-worked Villa defence and he had James Milner adding his blend of industry and invention to the mix.
He could have left it to one of them to fashion an opening and joined the ranks of Premier League players who stack up impressive stats by never playing a difficult pass.
But Toure is made of sterner stuff and he continued to try to create, which meant taking risks – when they don’t come off, you get groans rather than cheers.
There are players in the Premier League who have impeccable passing stats and even some who have landed big-money moves on the back of it, in an age when performance analysis carries as much weight as a discerning eye for talent.
Toure has consistently been one of the best and most prolific passers in the game – this season, when he is supposedly on a slippery slope towards football oblivion, he has made more than 100 passes more than his nearest rival, Chelsea’s Cesc Fabregas. He still makes those passes with a success rate of more than 90 per cent.
And yet that only tells half of the story. Of course, many of those passes are simple midfield efforts, keeping play moving, making the opposition work and waiting for the right moment to step things up.
But Toure also has a bravery in his game, he is prepared to try things that can ruin your statistics – or can win you a match.
His basic game appeared to have suffered after all the criticism, not to mention the personal grief of losing his brother in the summer. He uncharacteristically misplaced ordinary passes in this game, and the poison pens were poised again.
It is a hideous reflection on human nature that, when considering Yaya’s indifferent form going into this game, people focussed intently on the summer shenanigans over his birthday grumpiness, and yet virtually neglected the fact he had suffered a shattering family bereavement.
The Premier League can be a cruel place, with footballers expected to perform regardless of personal circumstance. Throwing out the old criticism that a player has to perform when he is paid more than £200,000 a week carries some weight, but makes no allowance for human frailty.
The easy way out would have been to hide, but Toure kept trying to make things happen, endeavouring to come up with something that would change the game.
The Villa players were aware of it. That is why, in the 82nd minute, when they saw Toure with the ball at his feet, 25 yards out, they shimmied across to ensure he could not shoot with a right foot that created carnage last season.
It was the right thing to do, but the beauty of Yaya is that he is one of those rare players who can punish defenders who are doing their job correctly.
Few expected him to simply pass the ball into the corner with his left foot, with virtually no back-lift. It was not the kind of goal that gets included in Goal of the Month competitions, but technically it was stunning, and in terms of importance to City it was immeasurable.
Once it went in, the tension was released, and a few minutes later James Milner released Sergio Aguero for the second time – his first effort hit the post – and this time he thumped home the second goal.
We then had the curious contradiction of Manuel Pellegrini and his players declaring it to be City’s best performance of the season, while Alan Shearer on Match of the Day declared the Blues had been poor, focussing on a number of misplaced passes and poor control.
The truth lay between those two extremes. There were times when City looked sloppy and distracted, but they also played some lovely football, hit the post twice, and created a dozen chances.
They were again susceptible to the counter-attack - until Pellegrini brought on Fernando and switched to a five-man midfield - but Joe Hart had just one save to make all afternoon.
Shearer might have been pernickety in his criticism, but there were plenty of positives for City on the day.
Eliaquim Mangala eased back into the team without alarm after his blow-up at Hull a week earlier, Silva was imperious at times, Aguero kept up his goalscoring run and Milner gave further evidence that he deserves a place in this team.
The Blues even found the solution to their alarming vulnerability to counter-attacking teams, when Fernando stepped into the team.
He offers a far more solid presence in midfield than Fernandinho, who limped off with a hamstring problem.
Depending on the extent of Fernandinho’s problem, it could mean Fernando will get a run of games after the international break.
It will also be interesting to see how the two Brazilians pair up when Yaya is away at the African Nations Cup – that could also be a dynamic partnership with Fernandinho freed from the defensive responsibilities that do not come naturally to him.
City were excellent at times at Villa Park, were worthy winners, and clinched it with a world-class moment from a world-class player.
If Shearer thinks that is a bad performance, rather than a huge plus, it is a daunting prospect for the rest of the Premier League
